A Most Non-Russian Republic Tends to Its Buddhist Roots by Judith Matloff Christian Science Monitor Vol. The red Buddhist temple rises from the steppes with hints of Mongolia.
Monks pad barefoot in maroon robes, chanting and fanning themselves with peacock feathers.
Portraits of Buddha and the Dalai Lama adorn the temple walls. Listen carefully and you'll hear Sanskrit, an Indian language dating back to the 4th century BC, being spoken. But although the features and language of the worshipers could lead you to believe you were in China or Tibet, this is Russia. Welcome to Kalmykia, Europe's largest and only traditional Buddhist center. Somehow this ethnic minority has managed to preserve its ways, despite determined Soviet efforts to stamp it out.