As devout Buddhists the Kalmucks were suspicious of the Communists 'atheism, while as unfettered herdsmen they found ideas such as common ownership and a collective economy repellent.
但逐漸地，共產主義中的「無神論」色彩使得篤信佛教（西藏喇嘛教）的喀爾瑪克人產生疑懼；而「財產共有」、「集體經濟」也令這批民風慓悍，不喜歡受拘束的遊牧族產生反感。