One day in the distant past, god created four breeds of livestock, including a cow, a horse, a sheep, and a camel. While god was breathing life into them, a devil also created a...

Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (LIVESTOCK BREEDING/SHEEP)

Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology

Created: Fri 12 Jun 2015

In his childhood Anatoliy looked after sheep. He recalls how he as a boy suckled lambs and how older people sheared sheep’s wool and weaved socks. Later his weaving skills helped...

Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (LIVESTOCK BREEDING/SHEEP)

Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology

Created: Sun 27 Sep 2015

Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (LIVESTOCK BREEDING/SHEEP)

Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology

Created: Sun 21 Jan 2018

In the past, the Kalmyks dedicated sheep or goats to gods by marking them with a ribbon tied around the animal’s neck. No one was supposed to touch or kill these sacred animals.

Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (LIVESTOCK BREEDING/SHEEP)

Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology

Created: Thu 30 Apr 2015

Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (LIVESTOCK BREEDING/SHEEP)

Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology

Created: Sun 21 Jan 2018

Leonid contends that the life of herders is hard and that they constantly worry about their animals, especially during lambing time. He also says that animal husbandry should be...

Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (LIVESTOCK BREEDING/SHEEP)

Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology

Created: Tue 23 May 2017

Leonid and Evgeniy talk about their experience of animal husbandry.

Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (LIVESTOCK BREEDING/SHEEP)

Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology

Created: Sat 24 Mar 2018

Nikolay has been working in animal husbandry since he returned home from military service. Today he works as a shepherd at the Aduch farm.

Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (LIVESTOCK BREEDING/SHEEP)

Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology

Created: Wed 23 Aug 2017

Polina says that in the past the Kalmyks bred four types of livestock, including sheep, camels, cattle and horses.

Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (LIVESTOCK BREEDING/SHEEP)

Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology

Created: Tue 7 Jun 2016

Tatyana says that during the slaughter of a sacrificial sheep monks read prayers for two main reasons: (1) for the sheep so that it attains a better rebirth and (2) for the...

Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (LIVESTOCK BREEDING/SHEEP)

Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology

Created: Sat 13 Jul 2019

This video features a traditional way of slaughtering and butchering a sheep videotaped in Tsagan-Aman in July 2014.

Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (LIVESTOCK BREEDING/SHEEP)

Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology

Created: Mon 13 Feb 2017

Ubush knows how to look after sheep, shear their wool and rid them of insects. He can determine the age and gender of any sheep. He says that rams are usually kept for meat. He...

Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (LIVESTOCK BREEDING/SHEEP)

Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology

Created: Sat 25 Mar 2017

Vladimir talks about a Kalmyk custom of designating a sacred livestock.

Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (LIVESTOCK BREEDING/SHEEP)

Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology

Created: Sun 22 Jul 2018

Sometimes ewes reject their new-born. Zurgada’s paternal uncle had the following method to make such ewes accept their lambs. He used to take saliva from the lamb and hand it over...

Collection: Kalmyk Cultural Heritage Project (LIVESTOCK BREEDING/SHEEP)

Institution: Department of Archaeology and Anthropology

Created: Wed 29 Apr 2015