Archival photos of the datsans of Buryatia

 

 

The end of the XIX century. Aginsky Datsan

The beginning of the XX century. Iroysky Datsan

The 1930s:  Aninsky Datsan

Tugnu-Galtaysky Datsan. It was demolished in 1934-1935.

Year 1967. Ivolginsky Datsan

October 1972. Tamchinsky Datsan

The year of 1996. Gegetuysky Datsan

Burgaltaysky Datsan. It was restored in 1994.

June 18, 2004

 

June 17, 1891. Tsarevich Nikolai with the elected Buryats of the Aginsky Department of the Trans-Baikal Region.

In the pre-revolutionary history of Russia, the only time the future emperor visited a Buddhist temple was when Tsarevich Nikolai Alexandrovich came to visit. In 1891, the future Emperor Nicholai II visited Shulutsky Datsan (modern Zaigraevsky District of Buryatia). At the site where the tent was located, where the Tsarevich spent the night, he granted permission for the construction of the White Tara Palace. The Empresses Elizaveta Petrovna and Catherine II, as well as all subsequent emperors up to Nicholai II, were viewed as the embodiment of this deity on Earth for Russian Buddhists since 1766.

 

Year1992. Visit of the President of the Russian Federation Boris Nikolaevich Yeltsin.

 

August 24, 2009. Visit of the President of the Russian Federation Dmitry Medvedev.

 

Three times in the history of Ivolginsky Datsan, it has been visited by leaders of the state. In 1992, the Ivolginsky Datsan was visited by the President of the Russian Federation B.N. Yeltsin. On August 24, 2009, President D.A. Medvedev visited the center of Russian Buddhism, where he met with the current Pandito Hambo Lama Damba Ayusheev and a group of lamas. He also visited the newly opened Palace of the XII Pandito Hambo Lama Etigelov. President D.A. Medvedev noted that “Russian Buddhists are doing a lot to strengthen interethnic dialogue and social harmony,” and described the datsan as “a unique place from where Russian Buddhism began to revive after many decades of persecution to which churches, including Buddhist ones, were subjected.”

 

April 11, 2013: Visit of the President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin.

 

On April 11, 2013, Ivolginsky Datsan was officially visited by President V.V. Putin. At a meeting with Pandito Hambo Lama Damba Ayusheev and the lamas, the President noted that “Buddhism is one of the main religions of Russia; it is a kind, humanistic teaching based on love for each other, and love for one’s own country. You help people for better or for worse. This has been true at all times. It is well known how Buddhists helped during the First and Second World Wars.”

President V.V. Putin’s visit is associated with the development of the “social flock” movement, which is personally supervised by the head of Buddhists in Russia and supported by the President. The visit also marked the opening of the art workshop “Erhim Darkhan” (“Skillful Master”), where Buddhist sculptures are cast, as well as the beginning of construction for a new Tsogchen Dugan - the largest cathedral temple in the history of ethnic Buryatia, the first tranche for its construction was commissioned by the President of Russia V.V. Putin following his visit to the datsan. The consecration (rabnai) and opening of Tsogchen dugan are scheduled for September 2024.