Mongolian Film "A Pearl in the Forest" (Moilkhon)

Historical Background

In 1923, the Buryat-Mongol Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was formed and included the Baikal province (Pribaykalskaya guberniya) with a Russian population.

In 1937, in an effort to disperse Buryats, Stalin's government separated a number of counties (raions) from the Buryat-Mongol ASSR and formed Ust-Orda Buryat Autonomous Okrug and Aga Buryat Autonomous Okrug; at the same time, some raions with Buryat populations were left out.

Fearing Buryat nationalism, Joseph Stalin had more than 10,000 Buryats killed. In Mongolia, since 1930, it is estimated that over 51,000 people were assasinated after being wrongly accused. 43,000 of them were shot, and 8,000 were emprisoned for life.

In the Dadal region of the Khentii province alone, 86% of the men were killed. These people must not be forgotten.