The Soyot people live in Russia. According to the 2002 census, there were 2769 Soyots in Russia. Their extinct language was of Turkic type and basically similar to the Tuvans, but they live in the Oka Region of Buryatia. Their language has been reconstructed and a textbook has been published. The language is currently taught in some schools in Oka.
They live dispersed among the Buryats and now speak the Buryat language.
A Norwegian scientific expedition, led by Orjan Olsen, H. Printz, Anders K. Olsen, Fritz Jensen (Norway) and J. E. Gustschin (Russia) in the early 1910's gives valuable data of the customs of these people before they were completely assimilated to the Buryats. The etnographic data and photographs recollected by these scientists was published by Olsen in the book: "Et primitivt folk de mongolske rennomader" (Cappeln, 1915). There is a Spanish edition, which is more readily available: "Los soyotos, un pueblo primitivo. Nómadas mongoles pastores de renos" (Calpe, Madrid, 1921). With all its shortcomings (the book is flawed with the eurocentrism of its age), it is probably the best study of these isolated people before its descent. It includes a short list of Soyot words, several dozens of photographs and a fortunate recopilation of a Soyot chamanic tale of adivination, among with a detailed account of both chamanic and lamaistic rituals among these people (both religions pacifically and syncretically coexisted at the time of the expedition).