Ulyumdzhi poses for a portrait with a collection of his rifles. His son Mingiyan (offscreen) made sure that Ulyumdzhi wears a traditional Kalmyk hat. During WWII all the ethnically Kalmyks were deported to Siberia. In exile, in attempts to blend in with the population, they took themselves and gave their newborns Russian names, hid their beliefs. They were able to preserve their identity despite acts of local Siberian authorities such as a ban on the Kalmyk language. In recent years, the Republic of Kalmykia is experiencing a boom in celebration of their ethnic identity. Kalmyks are the only people of Europe whose national religion is Buddhism, and young people eagerly participate in rituals; although the use of the Kalmyk language in households has been declining for a long time, there are initiatives of teaching it to non-speakers; celebration of traditional holidays like Tsagaan Sar as well as the new ones like Kalmyk Costume Day are backed up by the local government.