Kalmak Tatars
The Kalmak Tatars are one of the three subgroups of Tom group of Siberian Tatars. Their traditional areas of settlement are northeastern parts of Kemerovo Oblast, close to the town of Yurga.
The origins of the Kalmaks trace back to the 17th century, when a group of Teleuts from the central parts of Kemerovo Oblast migrated to the north. Kalmaks adopted Islam in the 18th century due to mainly Tatar influence. These factors created an endogamous barrier between Kalmaks and Russians, which helped Kalmaks to preserve their identity.
In the 19th and 20th centuries, Kalmaks inhabited mainly Zimnik, Bolshoy Ulus close to the town of Yurga, and Yurty-Konstantinovy in the Yashkinsky District to the northeast of Yurga, close to Tomsk Oblast.
Culture
The Kalmaks are considered to be mostly assimilated but retain their Teleut roots. They speak a local dialect of the Siberian Tatar language. However some sources consider the language of the Kalmaks to be a separate variety of Tatar, or even a dialect of the Teleut language, as it differs greatly from other Siberian Tatar varieties.The Kalmaks are Sunni Muslims. They converted to Islam around the late 18th century under the influence of Volga Tatars and Siberian Bukharans.