Elista is a city in southwestern Russia that is also the capital of the Republic of Kalmykia. The town was founded in 1865 as a small settlement, and it remained a small town into the 20th century; for example, the population was approximately 1,500 in 1914. In 1920, Elista became the administrative center of the Kalmykia Autonomous Oblast, and that status brought growth to the city. At the beginning of the 1930s, Elista grew further, when contemporary politics moved many Kalmyks here from nomadic lives.

In 1942, the city was briefly occupied by German troops during World War II, and the following year, several Kalmyks were exiled from here. Russians moved to Elista, which until 1957 was named Stepnoy, and in the same year Kalmyks could return to Elista. Since then, the city has grown significantly from 23,000 inhabitants in 1959 to around 100,000.

Today there are quite a few sights but can experience in Elista, and part of them comes from the fact that Kalmykija is the only state in Europe where most of the population is Buddhist. This is because the Kalmyks are of Mongolian origin and have maintained their Buddhist faith. Ploshad Lenina is the name of the central square in the city, and here you can see the city’s statue of the head of state Lenin from 1970, and next to it stands a triumphal arch that was erected to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the victory over Napoleon.

The arch, like many other structures in cities, is built in traditional Mongolian style. Along the west side of Ploshad Lenina is the Government Building of the Republic of Kalmykia, and in the square, you can also see the lotus fountain and the Seven Day Pagoda from 2005. The pagoda symbolizes seven Buddhas and there is a traditional prayer wheel in it.

West of Kalmykija’s government building is a park area where you can see the Golden Gate, built in Buddhist architecture in 1998. The gate is 15 meters high and decorated with paintings depicting the past and modern culture of the Kalmyks. After the Golden Gate you come to the Boulevard of Heroes, which is a memorial complex and park with several monuments.

In the center of the complex there is a monument to Lieutenant General Gorodovikov, and around it bas-reliefs of heroes of Russia and the Soviet Union and heroes of socialist labor; all associated with Kalmykia. The Boulevard of Heroes continues to Druzhba Park, where you can also enjoy a stroll. Nearby, you can visit the modern and interesting National Museum of Kalmykia, which displays exhibits related to the history, culture and ethnography of the Kalmyks.

If you go east along Ul. Lenina, one can visit Buddha Shakyamuni Golden Temple. The Golden Temple is an impressive building complex and serves as a monastery for Gelug Buddhism, the youngest of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The Great Temple was inaugurated in 2005 after the 14th Dalai Lama had visited the site the previous year.

The Golden Temple is the largest of its kind in Europe, and in the temple, you can see, among other things, one of Russia’s and Europe’s largest Buddha statues. You can also see other Buddhist temples such as Old Hrurul on the south-western outskirts of the city. In the western part of Elista lies the city’s Russian Orthodox Kazan Cathedral, which was inaugurated in 1997 in a neoclassical architecture inspired by 18th-century churches in Russia.