Faith Beyond Frontiers: The Survival of Buddha Dhamma in Russia

Moscow [Russia] September 22 (ANI): The three Buddhist-dominated regions of Russia – Buryatia, Kalmykia, and Tuva together constitute the ‘Golden Triangle’ also referred to as the ‘Holy Triangle’ of Buddha Dhamma in Russia. The historical journey of Buddhists in these regions stands as a testament to their resilience. It is remarkable to trace the survival of Buddhist practices against the backdrop of the challenges faced by them in the Soviet era.

Buddha Dhamma has had a presence in Russia for over four centuries, primarily among three ethnic groups: the Buryats, the Kalmyks, and the Tuvans. The Kalmyks, a western Mongol group, were the first to integrate into the Russian Empire. Despite their earlier familiarity with Buddhist traditions, they formally embraced Buddhist practices only in the late sixteenth century.

The Buryats followed thereafter in adopting the faith. The Tuvans, who had long been acquainted with Buddhist traditions, were a part of China’s vassal territories before becoming incorporated into Russia.

The Buddhist tradition gained official recognition in Russia in 1741, when Empress Elizaveta Petrovna issued a decree permitting the practice of Buddha Dhamma, thereby establishing it as a state-recognised religion within the Empire.

This recognition played a pivotal role in the survival and growth of Buddha Dhamma. In 1764, the Russian Buddhists were allowed to choose their own spiritual leader. In Buryatia, this resulted in the establishment of the title of Banzhida Khambo Lama or Pandito Khambo Lama for the Head of the Buddhists. They were leaders who were officially recognised by the state.

However, it was an arduous struggle for the Buddhists of the Golden Triangle, especially in the early 20th century. In the 1930s, the Soviet Government had introduced the Religious Suppression Policy aimed at promoting State Atheism. This Policy was considered to be the most extreme threat to the practice of Buddhist traditions in Russia.

It targeted the destruction of Buddhist institutions established in these three regions. In Buryatia, temples also referred to as “Datsans” were looted and demolished. The nationalisation of these temples took place. Along with this, in 1926, Buddhist schools were shut down. Invaluable Buddhist literature, artwork and manuscripts were burned.

In 1929, the Lamas in the Buryatia region lost ownership of their lands. By 1940, there were hardly any traces of Buddhist temples in this region. In Tuva, in the late 1920s, there were nearly 5000 Lamas.

This figure drastically reduced to around 67 in 1937. Even though the majority of the temples in the Kalmykia region were destroyed in the Russian Civil War in 1917, the impact of the Suppression Policy destroyed the remaining religious and educational institutions there.

Moreover, the Buddhist community also had to face challenges posed by the Orthodox Churches in Russia at that time. The Christianization Policies involved forcible baptism and addressing the Buddha Dhamma as superstitions. Regardless of all the suppression faced, the Buddhist community rose like a phoenix from the ashes. To counter

the suppression, the Buddhists led concerted efforts in proving their patriotism towards Russia. The contribution of the Buryats’ role as Cossacks in safeguarding the Russian empire’s frontiers highlighted their deep sense of loyalty.

Buddha Dhamma wasn’t just seen as a religion for the Buddhist community in the Golden Triangle, it provided a cohesive framework around which their ethnic identity could be consolidated. In an empire which was dominated by Christian orthodoxy, practising the Buddha Dhamma offered them a space to preserve their heritage.

Post World War II, there was a steady and controlled revival of the Buddha Dhamma in the three regions. In 1945, the religious policies were slightly relaxed, which led to the reconstruction of temples.

In Buryatia, the Buddhists were successful in convincing the government to open a temple in Ivolginsk andthe restoration of monastic life in Aginsky Datsan. The relaxation of the policies was due to the contribution by the Buddhists during the war.

In 1946, the Central Spiritual Board of Buddhists was established in Ulan-Ude in Buryatia. This institution was the official Buddhist organisation in the Soviet Union.

A more structured and serious revival was seen from the late 1980s onwards. In 1988, the revival in Kalmykia began with the registration of the first local Buddhist group. In 1991, the Kalmyk Buddhism Federation was established.

After the fall of Communism and in the atmosphere of the disintegration of the Soviet Union, the development of Buddha Dhamma was more advanced in the Buryatia and Kalmykia regions. Both these regions had the presence of powerful spiritual leaders. Under the guidance of such spiritual leaders, the Buddhist community there was able to reconstruct temples, establish institutions and nurture new generations of monks to carry forward the Buddhist traditions.

In comparison to these two regions, Tuva experienced a slower pace of revival. The lack of spiritual leaders can be attributed to this. As part of the revival efforts in Tuva, a group of students were sent to India in 1993 for higher education in Buddha Dhamma. Regardless of the varied pace in their revival efforts, the three regions of the Golden Triangle supported each other in the dissemination of Buddha Dhamma.

The Buddhist community in all these three regions succeeded in building a resilient network. Their sustained revival efforts remain evident today, as these regions continue to host international conferences that bring together Buddhist communities transcending geographies.

The International Buddhist Forum by Russia hosts conferences every year with the objective to further understand Buddhist culture, philosophy, and practice in contemporary times; to strengthen international ties of Buddhists and to collaborate with Buddhist organisations around the world. The Third edition of the International Buddhist Forum is scheduled to be held in the city of Elista in Kalmykia from the 25th to the 28th of September, 2025. (ANI)

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