The Buzava consists of many sub-clans, including the Erkten, Chonos and so on. The Buzavas are those who went to Don and joined the Cossacks. Despite living among Christian Cossacks, the Buzavas kept Buddhist altars in their homes and wore Buddhist amulets. Although Ubush's grandfather wore a cross around his neck, he did not go to the church.The ethnonym buzava comes from the words bu zav '(those who) showed a Buddhist amulet'. Bu is a talisman that was given to Kalmyks who went to Don. Bu also served as a sign that the Kalmyk who wore it had not commited crimes and was therefore trustworthy. There is another explanation too. Bu in Kalmyk also means 'a rifle'. Hence bu zav can be understood as '(those who) showed rifles'. The Don Kalmyks were different from the Cossacks and Russians because they always wanted to improve and educate themselves. The Buzava were loyal to the tsarist power.The Buzavas, however, did not see themselves as different from other Kalmyk groups. Buzavas, who knew Russian, helped other Kalmyks who did not speak Russian. For example, they helped to sell livestock to Russians.