Languages for Describing the Kalmyk Deportations

The article addresses the issue of the underdevelopment of scientific language in the study of mass migrations in the USSR, including deportations based on ethnicity. The goal of the article is to demonstrate different registers in the terminology used to describe the deportation of the Kalmyks. NKVD MGB documents covering the coded operation of Kalmyk expulsion, known as "Ulusy," aimed to dehumanize the people, making it easier for the operation's executors to carry out the cruel task. However, after the resettlement of the Kalmyks, when manual labor was needed, reports from party commissions assessing the condition of the Kalmyks in the Novosibirsk region reveal a humane attitude towards the Kalmyk special settlers. The texts of folk songs about Siberia reflect the process of changing status, in which Kalmyks compared themselves to animals and deprived social groups of the past. Narratives from Generation 1 (those deported as adolescents and older) and Generation 2 (born in Siberia) demonstrate reconciliation with the past. The texts of social media posts from Generation 3-the postmemory generation-as well as the names of the main memorial site in Kalmykia dedicated to the deportation, the "Exodus and Return" memorial, reflect different moods: from accepting the past to dramatizing it. In the absence of academic terminology in describing deportation in the public space, journalistic or human rights terms diverge, being either too emotional or lacking legal backing. It is time to understand the meanings of terms such as reference, expulsion, deportation, special settlers, etc., and how to use them correctly. The author declares no conflict of interests.

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