In Russia, between 1. 5 and 2 million people identify as Buddhists, most of whom practice Tibetan-Mongolian Buddhism. This faith is practiced mainly in regions of Russia such as the republics of Buryatia, Kalmykia, Altai, Tuva and Zabaikalsky (Trans-Baikal territory).
Until the beginning of the 20th century, the territory of the Republic of Tuva was part of Mongolia, and historically, Buddhism was widespread there. In the 20th century, several local princes asked to submit to the protectorate of Russia. Subsequently, with the help of the Soviet Union, the independent Tuva People’s Republic was established. During World War II, Tuvinians actively supported the USSR, fought against Hitler, and provided horses, livestock, and food. And, in 1944, Tuva became an integral component of the Russian Soviet Republic with the right to autonomy.
By the 1920s, Tuva had 19 Buddhist monasteries and some 3,000 “lamas” (spiritual masters). Despite its formal independence, Tuva was under the control of the USSR, and the 1930s also saw major purges and a struggle against the faith. . All temples were closed and Buddhists persecuted.
Today, about 60% of Tuva’s population professes Buddhism, and the republic elects its own religious leader, called “Kamby” or “Supreme,” the Tuva Lama. The Buddhist network woke up after the collapse of the USSR. In 1998, the snow-white “Tsechenling” temple was built in the capital Kyzyl, which has become a charming place for believers.
And, in April 2023, a new datsan (as Russian Buddhists call “monastery” and “university”), “Tubten Shedrub Ling”, was consecrated and solemnly inaugurated in the city of Kyzyl.
The structure of the monastery began in 2014, but the location was chosen more than 30 years ago. In 1992, Tenzin Gyatso, the fourteenth Dalai Lama, visited Tuva to celebrate the revival of local Buddhism. He blessed the place for the long-lasting Monastery structure. But the structure was postponed for reasons.
In 2022, a delegation from Tuva visited the Dalai Lama in India and His Holiness took the monastery under his patronage. He appointed a religious protector for the monastery, the six-armed Mahakala, and presented a meter-long statue of it. Buddhist deity, made of copper and gilded by Nepalese artisans (the statue is hidden from public view).
The Dalai Lama also named the monastery “Tubten Shedrub Ling,” which translates to “The Abode of Explanation and Practice of the Teachings of Shakyamuni Buddha. “And rightly so.
In addition to Mahakala’s statue, the Dalai Lama gifted the monastery with several Buddhist relics, adding his own monastic robes and sacred texts. One of the gifts was the ashes of Buddha. At the inauguration of the monastery, he ceremoniously placed the statue of Buddha inside.
The temple complex occupies an area of 9. 3 hectares (almost 4 life-size football fields). A dormitory for the monks, a theological centre and a centre for classical medicine are planned to be built in the monastery.
The height of the 12-story temple is 56 meters. The first floor houses an exhibition of the largest number of artifacts from Tuva’s history and Buddhism in the region. In the prayer corridor there are statues of deities made by the prominent Russian sculptor Dashi Namdakov. Meanwhile, a 10-meter-high Buddha statue crowns the composition.
The structure of the temple was inspired by the traditions of Buddhist architecture in Russia, as well as foreign examples. It resembles the Lama Palace and the Tibet Buddhist Institute.
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