Elista - Our Beloved City

 After a week in Elista, Kalmykia’s capital, I feel relatively secure in offering a few observations about the town.  I had read before arriving that it was a “very drab” city.  Certain elements are mildly depressing: the roving groups of feral dogs, the dilapidated exteriors of the ubiquitous Soviet-era apartment blocks, and the layer of grime that has built up on the streets and sidewalks in unsuccessful attempts to combat the elements of winter.  In some ways, though, these are characteristics of all post-Soviet cities.  And Elista does have its attractive elements, including a small and manageable downtown, a number of parks and monuments, and the open steppe just beyond the edge of town (although this can take a little while to get to, thanks to a lack of urban planning).  A post-Soviet armpit on the order of Minsk this is not.   

 Day to day, much of my time has been spent in the khurul, or Buddhist temple.  Kalmyks take much pride in the fact that it is the largest Buddhist temple in Europe, and that its 11-m statue of the Buddha is the continents tallest.  Despite the temptation, I have not imparted my two cents about the myth of continents, particularly the Urals as the divisor between Europe and Asia. 

The khurul is also the social center of Buddhist life here in Kalmykia.  Morning prayers start at 8:30am.  I have yet to attend, but plan to sometime this week.  Twice when I’ve arrived around 10am the services have still been going on; the hall is packed with Kalmyks kneeling on the pads provided.      

There are also cultural events at the khurul.  This past weekend, I attended a film entitled Discovering Buddhism that was shown for students from the local university, Kalmyk State.  Richard Gere made his requisite appearance in the film, though it primarily featured teachers lecturing to audience at Buddhist workshops.  They also have a library with resources on Buddhism in Kalmykia and Russia more widely, internet, and soft couches.  The one drawback of the khurul is the lack of heat.  We were having temperatures in the low teens here last week, though now we’re having a bit of a heat wave. It was right around freezing yesterday and today a little above.