Abstract: The object of this research is the interethnic relations in the Republic of Buryatia. The subject is such factors of interethnic relations as the social distance between ethnoses of the republic, impact of ethnicity upon social progression, and ethnic inequality. Attention is turned to the fact that the level of tension in ethnic relations depends on the scale of social distance. An attempt is made to determine to what extent social inequality relates to ethnicity; does the ethnic affiliation affect the social status, progression, and access to power. The research was conducted by the group of sociologists from the Institute for Mongolian, Buddhist and Tibetan Studies of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences in 2017 requested by the Committee on Nationality Affairs and Youth Initiatives under the Government of the Republic of Buryatia, and was aimed at creation of the expert board on assessment of the interethnic and Interconfessional relations in the Republic of Buryatia. The expert community of the republic demonstrates the high level of mutual transparency, which speaks of a small social distance between the major ethnic groups of Buryatia. Noting that nationality affects the social progression, the expert overall do not think that social inequality in the republic has ethnic dimension.