Buddhism is the oldest of the world religions. When Christianity was just taking its first timid steps, Buddhism was already five hundred years old. It had received universal recognition in India and begun to spread rapidly beyond its borders.
In Russia Buddhism is represented by the Gelungpa School (“the School of Virtue”) which is a branch of Tibetan Buddhism of the Mahayana orientation, that is, “the broad path” of salvation from endless rebirth in the world of suffering. It is known as Lamaism.
The traditional Buddhism areas in Russia are Buryatia, Tyva, Chita and Irkutsk regions in Siberia, and Kalmykia in the Caspian Depression. Mongolian and Tibetan lamas appeared in the area east to Lake Baikal for the first time during the mid-17 century. Within a short time most of the Buryats living east of Lake Baikal was converted to Buddhism.
Buddhism firmly established itself towards the end of the 17th century, having ousted shamanism, a set of traditional folk beliefs.
Before the revolution 46 Datsans were functioning in the area and 44 of them were destroyed in the thirties. After the fall of the Soviet Union, there has been the religion’s renaissance and now many people follow the teachings of Buddha. Several Datsans have been restored and reopened recently. Among them - the Atsagat, the Gegetui temples and others.
The Ivolginsky Datsan, situated 40 kilometers from Ulan-Ude, is the Central Buddhist Religious Board of Russia. Up till recent time it has been the only functioning Buddhist temple in Buryatia.