Burnatsky’s main task was to organize elections to the Constituent Assembly and “prepare the Buryat-Mongolian population for the introduction of zemstvo self-government.” The functions of the committee also included the deployment of a network of national cultural and educational institutions, publishing houses and propaganda bodies, the creation of self-defenсe units “Ulaan Sagdaa”, etc. The Committee formed a system of national administrative-territorial entities (aimag, khoshuun, homon), which were built on the principle of zemstvo and were called zemstvo councils.
To be brief, it is now 107 years of Buryat-Mongol modern statehood. When the most active and talented dreamers cast aside apathy, and pessimism and took their lives into their own hands. 107 years ago the Buryat-Mongols had to be reckoned with; 107 years ago the Buryat-Mongols had honour and dignity.
Later there will be amazing achievements in which Burnatsky was involved, desperate battles of the Civil War, battles with Chinese invaders in fraternal Mongolia, the creation of the Buryat-Mongolian Republic, the restoration of the independence of Mongolia, educational programmes and thousands of great endeavours.
The Bolsheviks will shoot them as “enemies of the people”, throw them in prison and try to wipe them out of people’s memory and forget. They have not yet been immortalized on a scale appropriate to their personalities. Today the Buryat-Mongols, instead of monuments to their national Founding Fathers, leaders and heroes, have “Lenin’s largest head.”
The leaders of Burnatsky are Elbek-Dorji Rinchino, Tsyben Zhamsarano, Mikhail Bogdanov, and Dashi Sampilon. They are a refutation of all negative stereotypes about the Buryat-Mongols, about their passivity, clannishness and corruption. An amazing period when the Agin, Selenga, and Irkutsk Buryat-Mongols acted together, set the international agenda themselves, were proactive in all directions, adhered to the ideas of independence, led their ascetic life and did not waste a single day. Being in power, they did not lose their human appearance and went to the end. Not a single one ran away, became cowardly, or betrayed his life’s work.
They are a living example and a silent reproach. They are our conscience. Our most glorious page in history.
