Kalmykia Independence - the 5 minute guide 

I thought there would be some interesting video about this amazing people, but here it’s just a piece of anti-Russian propaganda. 00:29 Particularly funny was the mention of the so-called “Congress of the Oirat-Kalmyk people.” This is not the “largest opposition group” but an extremist organization banned in Russia. It includes several hundred people living in the United States. And they themselves proclaimed themselves “the congress of the Kalmyk people.” The real Kalmyk people (more than 190,000 people) never elected this group of emigrants to serve as their representatives. Therefore, they cannot decide for the entire Kalmyk people whether they should become independent or secede from Russia. This is the same as if I proclaimed myself the President of Texas and demanded that the President of the United States grant independence to the residents of the state of Texas. How strong would my claim be? The largest opposition Kalmyk organization today is the communists (several thousand members of the communist party in Russia are Kalmyks) 1:26 and what exactly was the manifestation of colonial Kalmykia? What rights were denied to Kalmyks in the Russian Empire? You should give at least a couple of examples. You just labeled this region as a colony. This already looks like typical propaganda.

@@iiiZorroiii So you're saying if the Russian state labels someone as "extremist" and forces it's leaders into exile, that opposition group loses all credibility? If your comment was in good faith, clearly you'd be able to see how that's problematic.

thanks a lot, why would you link varlamov though? A pretty standard russian liberal if you ask me, not bringing much to the conversation

Thanks for asking. Varlamov's video was a source for my video, so I listed it in my sources. He's not a RU-vidr I know a huge amount about but his video on Kalmykia was informative imo. 🙂

Only India can help through DALAI LAMA.

Tiigtha!!!

И как ты себе это представляешь?

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

It's certainly possible. I've seen several claims that Kalmykia is sitting on big oil and gas reserves, but currently out is only producing a moderate amount of each. Access to the Caspian Sea certainly is a help!

Except it has less than 300,000 people and alone won’t be able to extract all those resources. By land it is nearly surrounded by Russian Krais and oblasts. 30% of their population is also Russian and some kalmyks can only speak Russian. There are several regions in Russia that can economically gain independence. This one isn’t one of them. Factor in demographics and geography and reliance on Russia it would be a terrible idea.

My pleasure!

Thank you, Professor!

Hiya, I'm really glad you like the Russian republic videos! To be honest, I'd not really considered making one about Sakha yet, but not for any particular reason. One thing I always try to check is if there is a decent sized movement in place (not all republics have organized movements). I will definitley look into it! Just FYI, I'm trying to plan my videos in advance and I'm already working on the next Russian republic video - but I'll be on the lookout for info about Sakha!

@@FredoRockwell if were a betting man, which I’m not, I’d guess either that your next Russian Republic video is a 5 minute version of your earlier Komi video, or a video on Chechnya as it, at least used to have, the most infamous Russian Separatist movement. Oh, and since you did a video on the Crimean Tatars already, perhaps you could also do a video on Abkhazian Separatism. To clarify, not just separatism from Georgia, but from Russia as well, as there seems to be a movement to gain outright independence from both recently, or at least from what I’ve read recently.

Two good guesses, but no. Komi is closer (culturally, not geographically).

@@FredoRockwell well then, I’ll guess just have to wait to see what you have in store!

I am a Kalmyk and I have a friend who is in Kalmykia, although he is a Yakut and is from the Sakha Republic

The number of people Stalin displaced is truly horrific. I didn't have time to go into much detail, but Stalin even deported Kalmyk members of the Red Army! His excuse was that some Kalmyks had joined up with the German army during a year-long occupation of Elista. In reality, I think he just didn't trust ethic minority groups. I'm not sure independence for Kalmykia by itself would be workable, but in the context of a greater disintegration of Russia it would make sense to me.

Red fascists, as they say

Thank you!

I'm really glad to have introduced you to Kalmykia! I agree, getting independence from Moscow will be tough. But then, I remember when people used to say that about Lithuania...

🤣🤣🤣

You aren't Kalmyk aren't you? No Kalmyk supports Ukraine.

freedom for Donetsk!

You’re not a Kalmyk down with Ukraine

Thank you!! 🙂

Gosh, I didn't know that!

Chechnya and Yakutsk are on my list, and I've just added Chukotka as well. It might take a while for me to get to them, though! There are so many colonies inside Russia. Thank you for the suggestions!

Chechnya and Yakutia ok but Chukotka? That’s not even a republic? Might as well just say Moscow will declare independence from Russia

Thanks for the clarification! I assume Stalin at least tacitly approved of Beria's verdict, or do you think Beria was acting alone?

Thanks! And yes, the Russian Military's dependence on minority ethnic groups to fill the ranks of soldiers on their front lines is well known. I'm sure you wish the pampered elite of Moscow and St. Petersburg were as easy to cooerce into service. 🙂

@@FredoRockwell You've only recently figured out where Kalmykia was on a map. I suggest you wait before getting into the topics of Moscow and St. Petersburg. As you seem to be copypasting the trash foreign agents and other terrorists sponsored and funded by the State Department publish for their western audience because nobody here takes them seriously

You complain about Western Mercenaries despite the fact that Wagner PMC had been doing better than the Russian army against Ukraine until they got fed up and rebelled.

@@nigelbaddock I'm not complaining anywhere, mercenaries are common for any armed conflict. And no Wanner haven't been more successful. They have been dealing with 1% of the frontline. They did their part, as did other battle groups of the armed forces. But surely you don't understand the basic fundamentals of combined arms warfare and the coordination between troops to write something like this. Stick to news reports from the Sun and the Telegraph regarding frontline updates 😄

@@littlegreenman2014 My man, people in Russia were literally happy to see Wagner in the streets. The rebellion also shows how insecure Putin is as he killed the top Wagner men by shooting their plane down. The truth is, Putin is surrounded by yes men who are willing to send young men to die.

This comment's author is engaged in sophistry. I won't stoop so low as to call him a liar, though.

Freedom to Kalmykia! Go Oirats go!

@@Time.Traveller. zip it. You're stupid man

Hiya, thanks again for your encouraging comments! I've made one about the Crimean Tatars already. 🙂 I'm hoping to make one about Chechnya in the next few months. The others are on my list!

Thanks for your comment! I don't think there are nuclear weapons in Kalmykia. Still, I'm not sure that nuclear weapons in newly independent republics is any more dangerous than nuclear weapons controlled by Putin.

@@FredoRockwell well there must be russia is huge and have nuclear weapons scattered around the countryside

@@robertoperez3714 Russia is huge, but I think the locations for nuclear weapons facilities are chosen very deliberately, not scattered about. Even if Kalmykia did end up with some of these facilities, they would probably lack the other resources to manage them. But if they did have everything they needed to control a nuclear weapons stockpile, I would say that putting these in the hands of a free Kalmykia (who would likely hand them over to the IAEA or similar) is preferable than having them in the hands of Putin, who threatens to use nuclear weapons on a regular basis.

If russia fracture it will be a huge event and i wonder what will happen to its nuclear weapons

@@FredoRockwell hey can u do karelia next if u can.