Gombojab Tsybikov, also during early life surnamed Montuev (Монтуев),[3] was born to a Tibetan Buddhist family of Transbaikalian (Aga region) Buryats.

His father Tsebek Montuyev studied Mongolian and Tibetan written languages and was locally elected to represent his kinsmen.

Preparing for this new major, Tsybikov spent some time in Urga at Badmayev's Buryat school, studying Chinese, Mongolian, and Manchu languages.

As the Dalai Lama fled the British expedition to Tibet in 1904 and resided for some time in Urga, Mongolia, he had series of talks with variety of Russian representatives.

The Dalai Lama also received, with delight, an edition of Tsybikov's and Norzunov's pictures of Tibet issued by Russian Geographic Society.

[7] In the Far Eastern Republic, Tsybikov became a deputy of the Constituent Assembly, and the member of Government of Buryat Autonomous Oblast.