The role of Buryats in the development of postal services (West Transbaikalia)

The article describes the forms of postal services in Western Transbaikalia conducted by the Buryat population. The management of this duty was held by the Steppe office, then the Steppe Duma, which controlled the postal services arrangement and provided workers for roads construction and maintenance. In the XVIII century the Mongolian «urtonnaya post» was restored in the territory of Transbaikalia. The Buryats families settled in urtons, so they were engaged in the maintenance of the post traffic, as well as of other loads. The Khori-Buryats were directly engaged in the postal services, they built and maintained postal stations, they were also engaged in the construction and repairs of roads. The rest of the Buryats were entrusted only the construction and repairs of roads in the department area, as well as of large tracts in other places, because the post services passed transit through the department area. The control over the Buryats’ labor was performed by the imperial administration and county police department. The article is devoted to the participation of the Buryats from Khorinsky, Barguzinskaya and Kudarinskoy departments.