The Socialist Way of Life in Siberia: Transformation in Buryatia

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements I am very fortunate to have a long list of people to acknowledge for their generous help and support in producing this book. Many of these incredible people are from Buryatia. In particular, Margarita Boronova-Khalbaeva at Buryat State University and Nikolay Tsyrempilov at the Institute of Mongolian, Tibetan, and Buddhist Studies at the Buryat Scientific Center of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. I will never be able to thank them enough for their guidance, support, help, advice, as well as intellect and kindness. I am also greatly appreciative of the knowledge and gracious assistance that I received from Natasha Badargarova, Zhargal Badargarov, Viktoria Dambaeva, Zhargal Dambaev, Balma Dorzhieva, Vladimir Khamutaev, Larissa Khankhanova, Gunsema Mitypova, Inga Tsyrempilova, and Budakhanda Schmeer. In addition , I thank the staffs at the National Archives of the Republic of Buryatia, the Buryat National Library, Buryat State University, the National Museum of the Republic of Buryatia, and the Institute of Mongolian, Tibetan, and Buddhist Studies at the Buryat Scientific Center for their considerate support. Three and a half years ago, I entered a welcoming academic community at Saint Joseph’s University where many of my colleagues have provided an inspiring intellectual atmosphere that has helped to make this book possible. In particular, I thank Amber Abbas, Lisa A. Baglione, Divya Balasubramaniam, James Carter, Christopher Close, Nancy R. Fox, Kazuya Fukuoka, Emily Hage, Jane Hooper, Erik Huneke, Jeffrey Hyson, Thomas M. Keefe, Alison Williams Lewin, Susan P. Liebell, J. Michael Lyons, Randall M. Miller, Elizabeth Morgan, Katherine A. S. Sibley, Richard A. xiv Acknowledgements Warren, and Brian Yates. I am also greatly appreciative of the assistance provided by the staff at the Saint Joseph’s University Drexel Library. This project began with my studies at Indiana University where I was fortunate to have the support of many people who generously shared their intelligence and expertise, provided sound advice, and positively influenced my thinking, researching, and writing. I am especially grateful to Christopher P. Atwood, Ben Eklof, Moureen Coulter, Michelle Dalmau, Denise Gardiner, György Kara, Jerzy Kolodziej, Hiroaki Kuromiya, Alexander Rabinowitch, David L. Ransel, Toivo Raun, Robert A. Schneider, and Lynn Struve. Central European University Press has provided unwavering faith, support, and guidance in publishing this book. I am especially indebted to Krisztina Kós, the director of CEU Press, and the editor, Nóra Vörös. In addition, I am grateful to the two scholars who kindly reviewed my manuscript: Ágnes Birtalan and an anonymous reviewer. Their questions, comments, and productive criticism of my work were exceptionally valuable. I hope that my attention to their advice has at least done some justice to their careful and thoughtful criticism. I also thank Derek Stukuls, who created the magnificent maps. I have been fortunate to find an engaging group of people who share my interest in Buryatia. They have contributed immensely to my understanding of Buryat studies through their research, suggestions , assistance, and shared participation in conferences and seminars . I thank Kathryn Elizabeth Graber, Robert W. Montgomery, Jesse D. Murray, Eleanor Peers, Justine Buck Quijada, Elizabeth L. Sweet, and Tristra Newyear Yeager. Numerous institutions have provided generous support for the research and writing of this book. Funding from Indiana University and a grant from the International Research and Exchanges Board supported the early stages of this project. A grant from American Councils for International Education supported the majority of my research in Buryatia. A write-up grant from the Social Science Research Council Eurasia Program allowed me to complete the dissertation and a Faculty Research and Development grant from Saint Joseph’s University helped me to considerably revise it into a book. Some pieces of Chapter 5 appeared in part of the article, “Buryat Acknowledgements xv Literature as a Political and Cultural Institution from the 1950s to the 1970s,” Inner Asia 11, no. 1 (2009): 47–63. I thank Inner Asia for their permission to reprint these materials. I owe the most gratitude to my husband, Janis Chakars, whose encouragement, suggestions, feedback on countless drafts, patience, and kindness have assisted me every step of the way. I would not be typing the final words of this book if it had not been for him. My children, Vilnis and Laila, have not only brought me great happiness , but shown tolerance, humor, and understanding that boosted my spirits through the entire process. Many other wonderful members of my family, some who have...