The Kalmyk Buddhists and the fourteenth Dalai Lama: pages from the history of Kalmykia (1992)

In 1991 Elista, the capital of the Republic of Kalmykia hosted the First Conference of the Buddhists of Kalmykia and Astrakhan region, which founded the Association of the Buddhists of Kalmykia. These events signaled the start of the rapid development of Buddhism in Kalmykia. The intense activity of the Association of the Buddhists of Kalmykia as well as the Second (Extraordinary) Conference of the Buddhists of Kalmykia and Astrakhan region held in 1992 contributed to turning Kalmykia into the biggest center of Buddhism in the European part of Russia. These historic developments and processes were hugely affected by two visits of the 14th Dalai Lama to Kalmykia in 1991 and 1992. Moreover, the Association of the Buddhists of Kalmykia was headed by Telo Tulku Rinpoche who became supreme lama of Kalmykia and is now the 14th Dalai Lama’s plenipotentiary in Russia and Mongolia. The article highlights these historical event in detail and reveals their influence on the development of Buddhism in Russia. A special attention is paid on the involvement of the government of the Republic of Kalmykia in the development of Buddhism and in the life of the Kalmyk Buddhists. Besides, the author analyses documents on the planned Youth Buddhist Association of Kalmykia, reflecting the aspirations of the young generation of Buddhists. The article is written on the basis of materials from the author’s private archive comprising the records of the Second (Extraordinary) Conference of the Buddhists of Kalmykia and Astrakhan region as well as documents designed for the preparation and registration of the Youth Buddhist Association of Kalmykia. Previously non-published documents from the National Archives of Kalmykia were also used.