Buryatia was an UNPO member between 1996  and 2010. 

Buryatia was an UNPO member during the early 2000s, represented by the All-Buryat Association for the Development of Culture. The region, located in Siberia near Lake Baikal, faced multiple urgent challenges at the time, including severe environmental disasters that had far-reaching social and health impacts. In 2000, violent forest fires devastated vast areas, while a drought destroyed thousands of hectares of crops, exacerbating economic and food security issues. Lake Baikal, a UNESCO World Heritage site, faced increasing ecological threats, adding to the environmental crisis. These disasters triggered public health emergencies that strained the already fragile healthcare system in Buryatia. 

Alongside these environmental and health concerns, Buryats also grappled with issues of political marginalisation and limited self-determination within the Russian Federation. Efforts to preserve the Buryat language and cultural identity were challenged by policies favouring Russification and central control, which restricted local governance and cultural expression. The All-Buryat Association used UNPO as a platform to advocate for environmental protection, cultural survival, and greater political autonomy, reflecting the intertwined struggle for ecological sustainability and the right to self-determination in the region. 

The cultural identity of the Buryat people, the largest Indigenous group in SIberia, is deeply rooted in their Mongolic heritage, shaped by a unique blend of pastoral and semi-nomadic customs, shamanistic spirituality, and Tibetan Buddhism. Buryat society traditionally revolves around pastoralism, clan structures, and strong ties to the land, particularly the Lake Baikal region. The Buryat language, part of the Mongolic language family, remains a core component of ethnic identity, though it has experienced decline due to historical Russification and modern pressures. Spiritual beliefs are equally significant: many Buryats practice a syncretic faith combining Tibetan Buddhist practices with ancestral shamanism, which emphasises respect for nature and the spirit of ancestors. 

Cultural expressions such as traditional throat singing (khöömei), epic storytelling, folk music, and distinctive arts like wood carving and textile weaving play vital roles in preserving Buryat heritage. Despite facing challenges from modernisation, urbanisation, and language erosion, there is a resilient movement within Buryatia to revive and celebrate cultural traditions, asserting ethnic pride and identity in the face of broader political and social pressures. 

Buryatia, homeland to the Buryat people, lies along the eastern shore of Lake Baikal in Siberia. The Buryats are a Mongolic people whose identity was shaped long before Russian expansion eastward. Initial Russian contact came in the 17th century: Cossack explorers and traders, drawn by Siberian fur trade, began engaging with Buryat tribes, imposing tribute systems (yasak), and founding forts such as Udinskoye (later Ulan-Ude). 

In 1923 the Buryat-Mongol Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic (ASSR) was formed, merging various Buryat territories under Soviet rule. During Soviet times, the Buryats underwent forced collectivisation, suppression of religious institutions (Buddhist datsans and shamanic practice), and repressive anti-religious campaigns which targeted the Buddhist clergy. Traditional pastoral livelihoods, clan structures, and cultural customs were disrupted. 

After the collapse of the USSR, Buryatia declared sovereignty in 1990 and was reconstituted as the Republic of Buryatia within the Russian Federation by 1992. In the post-soviet period, there was an ethnic and cultural revival: legislation recognising Buryat as a co-official language alongside Russian within the republic; education in the Buryat language was promoted, and traditional cultural institutions, such as Buddhist datsans and folk arts, experienced renewal. 

However, this revival has faced serious challenges. The number of fluent Buryat speakers has been declining; yonder generations often have only passive knowledge of the language. Educational resources, media, and official usage of Buryat have been restricted in many settings. Environmental and social stresses—forest fires, ecological threats around Lake Baikal, and economic dependency—add further pressures on cultural survival.