After a very long night including a rousing game of crazy 8's at 1:30 am for Kim, Dylan and Jack, we took a tour at the famous Budhist Temple -Datsun. It is about a 45 minute drive and our timing was perfect as we were there to enjoy their morning chantings. About 150 monks were beautiful in their harmoneous chanting.  It is very cold though, and actually snowed this morning. You have to LOVE Siberia!!!

Evolgensky Buddhist Datsun Temple

Buddhism philosophy was brought up to Buryatia from Tibet via Mongolia about 1250 as Ghenghis Khan’s armies swept up into Russia.  As the Buryat tribes already had their “pagen” beliefs, Buddhism melded together with these beliefs and – eventually – Buryatia became the Center for Buddhism in Russia in 1906. 

During the Stalin Repression Period (1935-38) there were 37 temples around Buryatia.  At this time Stalin purged the area and destroyed the majority of datsuns and kept some as “gulags” for the prisoners exiled to Siberia to work on the building of the TransSiberian Railroad.  Over 1500 lamas/monks were shot and a few escaped to China and Mongolia. 

The Evolgensky Datsun was allowed after WWII to be open but NOT operational.  After periostroika the Dahli Llama came twice to Ulan Ude to work with the local llama. China now refuses to let the Dahli Llama visit Russia or they will discontinue trade.. Datsun is the largest Temple  in Buryatia and has a school for monks, a healing center and numerous temples for the Buryats to come for consultations and chanting.