▁Kal my k ia ▁is ▁unique ▁in ▁that ▁it ▁has ▁been ▁the ▁home ▁in ▁success ive ▁periods ▁to ▁many ▁major ▁world ▁relig ions ▁and ▁ide ologies . ▁Pre histor ic ▁pag an ism ▁and ▁sh aman ism ▁gave ▁way ▁to ▁J uda ism ▁with ▁the ▁Kh az ars . ▁This ▁was ▁succeeded ▁by ▁Islam ▁with ▁the ▁Al ans ▁while ▁the ▁Mong ol ▁h ord es ▁brought ▁T eng ri ism , ▁and ▁the ▁later ▁N og ais ▁were ▁Muslim s , ▁before ▁their ▁replacement ▁by ▁the ▁present - day ▁Buddh ist ▁O ir ats / K al my ks . ▁With ▁the ▁an nex ation ▁of ▁the ▁territory ▁by ▁the ▁Russian ▁Empire , ▁Christian ity ▁arrived ▁with ▁S lav ic ▁sett lers , ▁before ▁all ▁religion ▁was ▁suppress ed ▁after ▁the ▁Russian ▁Revolution . ▁Sh aman ism ▁has ▁in ▁all ▁probability ▁remained ▁a ▁constant , ▁often ▁hidden , ▁substr ate ▁of ▁folk - p ract ice , ▁as ▁it ▁is ▁today . ▁ ▁Kal my k ▁aut onomy ▁ ▁The ▁ancest ors ▁of ▁the ▁Kal my ks , ▁the ▁O ir ats , ▁migr ated ▁from ▁the ▁ste pp es ▁of ▁southern ▁Si ber ia ▁on ▁the ▁banks ▁of ▁the ▁Ir ty sh ▁River ▁to ▁the ▁Lower ▁Vol ga ▁region . ▁Vari ous ▁reasons ▁have ▁been ▁given ▁for ▁the ▁move , ▁but ▁the ▁generally ▁accepted ▁answer ▁is ▁that ▁the ▁Kal my ks ▁sought ▁abund ant ▁past ures ▁for ▁their ▁her ds . ▁Another ▁motiv ation ▁may ▁have ▁been ▁to ▁escape ▁the ▁growing ▁domin