The Kalmyks (Russian Oirats) are a subgroup of Oirat people living mainly on the north-west shore of the Caspian Sea. They migrated to this area in the 16th century and as followers of the Tibetan form of Vajrayana Buddhism they are Europe’s only native Buddhists. The most famous Kalmyk of modern times was the monk and scholar Geshe Wangyal (1901 -1983), who lived in exile in the United States and had a profound influence on the development of Buddhism in that country. Today, most Kalmyks live in the Kalmyk Republic, an autonomous region which forms part of the Russian Federation.