At 10:00-11:00 Arrival in the Republic of Kalmykia.

Kalmykia is a wild, beautiful land where «children of the steppes» live. So many outlandish things have accumulated here that you just have time to look around: saigas and camels, endless steppes and high dunes, ancient Buddhist temples and original Kalmyk culture.

Elista is called the Buddhist capital of Russia. You walk around the city, and exotic sculptures are almost thrown under your feet. Pagodas and prayer stupas loom ahead. At the same time, Elista is trying to instill in herself a branch of Europe — what is the Chess City, headed by a monument to the Great Combinator. But this is still trifles. People come to this city for the silence and wisdom of the East.

In recent years, tourism has been actively developing in the Republic of Kalmykia. Many tourists from various cities of Russia go on tours to Elista to see Buddhism and Kalmyk culture. The central element of any tour of Elista is the Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni Temple. In addition, tourists often visit the Chess City and walk around the city center.

Visiting the Kazan Cathedral in Elista is the main Orthodox church in Kalmykia and a regional spiritual and cultural center that has been operating since 1997. The temple was built on the site of the Holy Cross Church destroyed during the years of persecution. The shrines are kept in the Kazan Cathedral.

The National Museum of Local Lore — is the only museum where the history, culture and art of the Kalmyk people are most fully represented. At the origins of its creation were outstanding professors N.N. Palmov and P.S. Rykov. Through their efforts, the richest archaeological and ethnographic materials were collected, which formed the basis of the first collections of the Kalmyk Museum.

Memorial «Exodus and Return» (Unknown Ernst) At first glance, you don’t quite understand what the author depicted in his creation: they are united different and seemingly distant objects and things — a horse’s head and a lotus, a bird and a crying lamb, human footprints and details of the mechanism. However, each of these elements carries its own idea, without deviating from the general idea of structure — the unity of the past and the present.

City of Chess City Chess has a special official status and includes modern social, cultural and recreational facilities.

Stupa of Enlightenment — a bright unique architectural monument of Kalmykia, a religious building that houses Buddhist relics of Elista.

Ostap Bender Avenue. Ostap Bender is a favorite in Elista: the monument, Ostap Bender Avenue, the 12 Chairs furniture store — everything speaks of people’s love for this character. The monument in Elista is the first in Russia dedicated to a literary hero. Everyone who comes to Elista, especially lovers of truly folk works «The Twelve Chairs» and «The Golden Calf», go to this charming and sweet monument to the «ideological fighter for banknotes» for positive, good mood, for interesting photographs, after all.

The Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni— a significant Buddhist temple in Europe and the Republic of Kalmykia, a majestic and bright place, the dominant of all Kalmykia and Elista, located in its very heart and which can be seen from every corner of the city.

The main gate is the southern one, it is through them, according to the Kalmyk tradition, that one enters the temple. Around the khurul, seventeen pagodas were erected with statues of the famous Buddhist teachers of the Nalanda monastery and prayer drums «kurde» with prayers embedded in them, near which you can make wishes by placing coins at the beginning of the drums and at the end.

In the center of the hall there is a huge golden statue of Buddha Shakyamuni, covered with gold leaf, the authors of which were Kalmyk artists under the guidance of the honored sculptor of Russia Vladimir Vaskin.