‘White Month’

The arrival of spring—symbolising renewal, new beginnings, and rebirth—is a highly anticipated event in almost every culture. To hasten the departure of winter, people hold celebrations and pray to the gods. Among the Buryats, Kalmyks, Tuvans, and Mongols, this spring festival is known as White Month. Students, professors, and guests at HSE University had the chance to experience its unique traditions at the HSE Cultural Centre.

Boovy, a Shamanic Drum, and Kalmyk Riddles

Originally, White Month was dedicated to dairy products and was celebrated in autumn, when they were most abundant. Later, Kublai Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan, moved the festivities to the first days of spring according to the lunar calendar, causing the festival’s name to lose its original meaning, explained Tugsmandal Sergelen, a representative of the Mongolian Club.

The attendees of the White Month celebration event were able to immerse themselves in the distinctive atmosphere of different cultures, as student associations organised activities and traditional treats. The HSE Buryat community challenged guests to test their knowledge of the Republic of Buryatia through a quiz, while the Mongolian Club introduced visitors to Mongolian culture and hosted a trivia game.

© HSE UNIVERSITY

The HSE Kalmyk community prepared a wide range of activities. Guests could try their hand at calligraphy, practice fortune-telling with alchiks (an ancient divination method using sheep bones), and those with a sharp mind could attempt to solve Kalmyk riddles and a nyarn shinzh puzzle, which translates to ‘subtle thinking.’

Thanks to the HSE Tuvan community, visitors could try on traditional clothing or dress as a Tuvan shaman and play a real shamanic drum. There was also a workshop on tying traditional knots.

The peoples of Russia’s Asian regions are famous for their tea, and guests of White Month at HSE had the opportunity to try Buryat, Mongolian, Tuvan, and Kalmyk tea. Second-year HSE student Ingir explained how to properly prepare this drink. Traditional Kalmyk tea requires the following ingredients: a litre of water, special pressed or loose-leaf tea, salt, pepper, cloves, bay leaf, nutmeg, and, of course, milk. The water is brought to a boil, at which point all the main ingredients are added. Only after the tea has boiled a second time should milk be added. ‘Every family has its own traditions, but this is how we make tea in ours,’ Ingir noted.

Tasty surprises awaited guests in every corner of the Cultural Centre. Members of the Buryat Club prepared boovy—sweet, fried pieces of dough. At the Mongolian Club’s table, visitors could try Mongolian sweets and buuz (steamed dumplings). ‘We love the festival—there is so much delicious food!’ said Altana and Liliya, third-year students from HSE’s bachelor’s programme ‘Asian and African Studies.’

In today’s world, traditions may seem to be fading, but Oleg Prokosov, a student at the International Academy of Business and Management, shared that his family still observes White Month by lighting a lamp with offerings to Buddha and reciting Buddhist prayers.

‘Have a White Road!’

A major highlight of White Month at HSE University was the festive concert, opened by Senior Advisor to the Plenipotentiary Representative of the Republic of Tuva, Ayan Nasyuryun, and Zorigto Dorzhiev, Head of the Department for Cooperation with Development Institutions at the Plenipotentiary Representative Office of the Republic of Buryatia.

‘From the bottom of our hearts, we wish you a happy White Month! Today is an international celebration. We extend our gratitude to the HSE administration and all the volunteers who brought us together here. We wish you bright, successful, and happy new beginnings. Have a white road, dear friends!’ said Zorigto Dorzhiev, offering a traditional Kalmyk greeting.

The concert featured traditional Tuvan folk songs, performances in multiple languages, throat singing, folk dances, and masterful performances on national instruments.

After the concert, guests could take part in a workshop on the traditional Buryat yekhor dance and show off their rhythm and dance skills in the foyer of the Cultural Centre, where the celebrations continued.

Text by Varvara Mikhaylova, intern at the HSE Laboratory for Economic Journalism

March 12