Kalmak Tatars
Kalmaktar, калмактар | |
|---|---|
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Russia | 500 |
| Languages | |
| Tom dialect of Siberian Tatar, Russian | |
| Religion | |
| Sunni Islam | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Altai people (especially Teleuts), other Siberian Tatars, Oirats | |
The Kalmak Tatars (Siberian Tatar: калмактар) are one of the three subgroups of Tom group of Siberian Tatars. Their traditional areas of settlement are northeastern parts of Kemerovo Oblast, close to the town of Yurga.
The origins of the Kalmaks trace back to the 17th century, when a group of Teleuts from the central parts of Kemerovo Oblast migrated to the north. Kalmaks adopted Islam in the 18th century due to mainly Tatar influence. These factors created an endogamous barrier between Kalmaks and Russians, which helped Kalmaks to preserve their identity.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, Kalmaks inhabited mainly Zimnik, Bolshoy Ulus close to the town of Yurga, and Yurty-Konstantinovy (Тумаел) in the Yashkinsky District to the northeast of Yurga, close to Tomsk Oblast.