100 Anniversary of the First Kalmyk Newspaper “Oirat News”: Nomto Ochirov – the Founder of Kalmyk Mass-Media

The introduction part of the article presents Nomto Ochirovich Ochirov as one of the fi rst enlighteners and signifi cant socio-political activists in Kalmykia at the end of 19 century and at the beginning of the 20 century. As an ethnographer he is remembered as the author of the script writer of the Kalmyk epos “Dzhangar” and the founder of “Dzhangar” studies that was established as one of the branches of epos studies and folklore studies. N. Ochirov deserves attention due to his contribution to the development of education and culture of kalmyk nation. He received an outstanding education, he studied at two faculties of St Petersburg Emperor University, Eastern studies and Law. Moreover, his teachers were the best professors of his time – well known professors of oriental study Vladislav Lyudvigovich Kotvich and Andrey Dmitrievich Rudnev. In addition to the above mentioned, he is one of the founders of Kalmyk mass-media.
Nomto Ochirov founded the fi rst kalmyk newspaper “Oirat News”, the first agazine with the same name and other publications. However, the journalistic activity of Nomto Ochirov hasn’t been still fully.
Therefore the author highlights the analysis of scientifi c and journalistic materials by N. Ochirov in the introduction of the article. These materials include such federal and local publications as historic and ethnographic magazine “Live antiquity”, “Russian committee news for historical, archaeological, linguistic and ethnographic studies of Middle and Eastern Asia”, “Oirat news” newspaper, “The life of nationalities”, “Wool”, “Oirat news” magazine, “Kalmyk region”.
Personal and political views of N. Ochirov were not always in accordance with the government’s opinion. As the result he was subject to multiple repressions, and N. Ochirov’s versatile activities were interrupted by endless arrests and exiles. Many years in prison had an impact on Ochirov’s health – he died in 1960.
He was rehabilitated only in 1988. The article is dedicated to the 100 year – anniversary of the “Oirat news” foundеd by N. Ochirov.