Transformation of Ethnic Identity in the First Decade of the 21st Century (on the Materials of the Republic of Kalmykia)

The article attempts to analyze the processes of transformation of ethnic identity in the post-soviet period in one of the southern Russian regions – the republic of Kalmykia, the people who profess buddhism, is the only asian ethnic group in the area and in Europe. It is noted that the realities of post-soviet life, almost all of the peoples of Russia, including the Kalmyk, show that ethnic mobilization has become a form of everyday ethnicity of a sufficiently large number of people. In this regard, in the Russian society increases the practical relevance of research in the field of politics of ethnicity. The formation of the Russian identity is essential for
regional security in the south of Russia.