Tatyana was born in the village of Kharba in 1958. Her father, Monkya Muchiryaevich Boskhomdzhiev, was born in 1924. His clan affiliation was: Tsokhra bag, Zun ang. Tatyana was born in the village of Kharba in 1958. Her father, Monkya Muchiryaevich Boskhomdzhiev, was born in 1924. His clan affiliation was: Tsokhra bag, Zun ang. Having lost his father at a young age, Monkya was brought up by his mother, Kuuka Mandzhieva, who was born in 1905. The oldest child in the family, Monkya had many siblings, seven of whom died in childhood and only four survived into adulthood. In 1942 Monkya was called to join the Red Army where he was in the 28th army of the 34th division of the 105 th regiment. Tatyana’s father did not like to talk about the war. He participated in the liberation of his native Kalmykia and was heavily wounded near the town of Bataisk in Rostov oblast. After hospital he was demobilized and returned to his village of Yusta to join his family only to find them living in poverty. In December 1943 the whole family was deported to Siberia, to the village of Maklakovo in Krasnoyarskiy krai. On their way to the place of exile the family did not feel much hardship, for Monkya had a document saying that he had fought in the front. In Siberia Monkya worked in many places. He always talked well about the local people. After Siberia the family returned to Kalmykia and settled in the village of Kharba. In 1964 Monkya had a stroke and had a brain surgery after which he was bed-bound for a couple of years. He finally recovered and built a house for the family. In 1976 he had a second stroke. He died ten years later at the age of 62. Monkya always looked after his family and siblings. Tatyana’s mother was born in 1925 in the village of Dzhakuevka in Astrakhan oblast. Her family was deported to the village of Novofirsovo in Altaiskiy krai. In Siberia she also worked in various places. Both of Tatyana’s parents had families before their marriage. Tatyana’s father Monkya had two children with his first wife. After her two children died, Tatyana’s mother divorced her first husband. Tatyana’s parents met each other in Kharba, Kalmykia. Then Tatyana’s mother worked as a manager in a tea house. Tatyana herself had two siblings, a brother and a sister. Her brother died when he was 13. Tatyana’s grandmother on her paternal side, Kuuka, wore a Kalmyk dress and carried candies in a bag to give to children. Tatyana keeps her grandmother’s cup as a memory of her. Tatyana’s grandmother on her maternal side, Nogala, also wore a Kalmyk dress. She had a chest in her house where she kept biscuits and sweets. She also liked singing songs and took her grandchildren to visit her relatives in Astrakhan oblast and Tsagan-Aman. Thanks to her, Tatyana knows her relatives well. In her interview Tatyana also talks about bad omens, traditional dishes and how they celebrated holidays. It is bad omen to do the following: to cross arms, to look at the mirror in the evening, for pregnant women to go to a funeral. Tatyana liked fish soup cooked with potatoes and onion. Her mother made khursn makhn, dumplings, soup with meat and onions. In her childhood Tatyana celebrated the New Year at home where they put up a Christmas tree. On 7 November they had horse race in her village. During Tsagan Sar her family made bortsg, lit candles and hung brand-new clothes on a rope. Tatyana’s mother read prayers.