Buryatia's Bone Breakers Get A Crack At Big-Time Competition

In Siberia, a sport of the Buryat people that involves breaking the bones of dead animals has been accepted as part of the World Nomad Games. The Buryat tradition of smashing spinal bones dates back to ancient times. According to belief, the spirit of an animal lives in the spine, and by breaking it, a person helps the soul to be reborn faster and move to another world.