The Kalmyk Cosmos

        The central religion of the Kalmyk people is Buddhism.  In fact, the Republic of Kalmykia is the only nation in Europe with a Buddhist majority (Minahan 358).  More specifically though, the Kalmyk people follow a Tibetan  branch of Buddhism called Lamaism.  Through Lamaism, the Kalmyks believe in many deities, but the most popular one is Tsahan Avga (Kalmyks 1).  However, another fraction of Kalmyks are shamanists (Prayer 1).  Shamanistic Kalmyks believe in an invisible gods, spirits, and demons, and they designate a shaman believed to be the only one who can contact spirits and cure the sick (Prayer 1).  The Kalmyks had shamanistic temples called obos where they believed Tsahan Avga dwelled.  At these obos, which were constructed from stones to honor local spirits, Kalmyks would perform rituals.  They would also hold horse races, wrestling matches, and arrow shooting contests at these sites (Kalmyk 1).

Reference: http://russianow.washingtonpost.com/2011/11/buddhist-revival-in-kalmykia.php

        In 2011, an important Buddhist ceremony took place in Kalmykia, an offering of light to Buddha.  According to an article in Russia Now by Anna Nemtsova, about 2,000 Buddhist gathered in Elista at the Golden Adobe temple for the ceremony.  This is the first time this ceremony has ever been held in Kalmykia.  It was performed in celebration of an internation forum that had been held in the republic a month before.  Here is an excerpt from the article that truly describes the Kalmyk cosmos and how it has affected them: "Buddhism teaches tolerance and loving-kindness, so Kalmyks have learned to cope with their harsh realities. "We have seen it much worse," Yevdokiya Kutsayeva, 84, said. She had tears in her eyes as she recalled Stalin's deportations. "One October night in 1943, they packed the entire population of the republic into dirty train wagons and sent us to Siberia. Thousands died on the way. I remember the stacks of dead bodies along the platforms," she recalled" (Nemtsova).  Clearly, religion is an important part of Kalmykia's past, present, and future.

Works Cited:
"Buddhist Revival in Kalmykia." Russia Now. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May 2014.

"Kalmyk-Oirat, Western Mongul in Russia." People Group. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 May 2014. <http://joshuaproject.net/people_groups/14129/RS>.

Minahan, James. One Europe, Many Nations: A Historical Dictionary of European National Groups. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2000. Print.

"The Unreached Peoples Prayer Profiles." The Unreached Peoples Prayer Profiles. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May 2014. <http://kcm.co.kr/bethany_eng/p_code/1632.html>.