Processes of Buryatia and Russia cultural diplomacy (case study of the activity of Ulan-Ude art gallery of the peoples of Asia)

The article considers the activity of The Art Gallery of the Peoples of Asia as a subject of cultural diplomacy, a translator of the ideas and values of Buryat people’s culture, worldview of contemporary artists reviving the traditions of Buryat Buddhist art centers, as well as the processes of integrating art into the cultural matrix of the region. We relate the joint efforts of the Buddhist traditional Sangha headed by the Khambo lama, business structure of the region and multi-profile organization Nomto to the objective factors of opening the gallery. Modern bronze sculptures created by lamas-artists, which have formed the basis of the gallery collection, act as an instrument of "soft power" for promoting the interests of the region, become a kind of "brand" and introduces its signature move into the cultural matrix of Russia. We have presented the archival documents that give evidence to the activities of Yangazhin Datsan, one of 64 Buddhist monasteries that functioned in the past, which developed Buddhist artistic culture and creativity and was a handicraft center of Buryats.