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| Union of Buddhist Communities of Russia | |
|---|---|
| Name | Union of Buddhist Communities of Russia |
| Native name | С Union of Buddhist Communities of Russia |
| Formation | 1991 |
| Headquarters | Moscow |
| Region served | Russian Federation |
| Leader title | Chairman |
Union of Buddhist Communities of Russia is an umbrella organization established in the early 1990s to coordinate Buddhist communities across the Russian Federation, particularly in Buryatia, Kalmykia, and Tuva. It emerged amid post-Soviet religious revival involving actors such as the Russian Orthodox Church, the Russian Federation's legislative changes of the 1990s, and international contacts with the 14th Dalai Lama and Buddhist institutions in Tibet and Mongolia. The union engages with cultural institutions like the State Duma, the Federation Council, and regional parliaments while interacting with international bodies such as the United Nations and the European Court of Human Rights on religious-rights matters.
The organization's roots trace to late-Soviet and immediate post-Soviet developments including the policies of Mikhail Gorbachev, the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the resurgence of indigenous traditions in Buryatia, Kalmykia, and Tuva. Early meetings involved figures from the Russian SFSR's republics, representatives of the Lhasa-linked clergy, émigré networks in Germany and France, and scholarship from institutions such as the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Moscow State University. The union formalized after interactions with the Council for Religious Affairs and during legislative debates around the 1997 Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations, seeking recognition similar to long-established bodies like the Russian Orthodox Church and registered groups such as the Muslim Spiritual Board of the Russian Federation. Its history includes cultural collaborations with the Hermitage Museum, educational initiatives with the Moscow Patriarchate-adjacent scholars, and exchanges with the Karmapa and leaders from Mongolia and Bhutan.
Structurally the union comprises regional communities from Republic of Buryatia, Republic of Kalmykia, Republic of Tuva, and other constituencies in cities such as Moscow, Saint Petersburg, and Irkutsk. Membership includes registered religious organizations, clergy associated with lineages like Gelug, Kagyu, and Nyingma, lay associations connected to cultural centers such as the Ivolginsky Datsan and the Soto Zen Temple networks, and academic partners from the Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology. Governance features an executive council, regional delegates, and advisory boards with ties to institutions like the Ministry of Justice (Russia) and the Ministry of Culture (Russia). Affiliated monasteries, datsans, and sanghas maintain links with international monasteries in India, Nepal, and Taiwan.
The union accommodates a pluralism of Tibetan Buddhist schools including Gelugpa institutions linked historically to the Ganden Tripa and contemporary figures like the 14th Dalai Lama, as well as Kagyu lineages traced to the Karma Kagyu hierarchy and the Karmapa. Practices promoted include traditional rituals found at sites such as the Ivolginsky Datsan and liturgical forms derived from canonical texts like the Kangyur and Tengyur. Ritual specialists (lamas), ritual objects imported from Lhasa and Lhasa Jokhang-affiliated workshops, and scholastic curricula referencing commentaries by figures such as Tsongkhapa and Padmasambhava appear in programming. Ecumenical engagement occurs with other religious bodies including delegations to the World Council of Churches and dialogues with representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church and Jewish community of Russia.
The union runs temple restoration projects, publishing ventures, and educational programs in cooperation with the Russian Academy of Sciences, regional universities like Buryat State University, and cultural institutions such as the State Historical Museum. It organizes pilgrimages to sites like the Ivolginsky Datsan and international trips to Lhasa and Dharamshala, and sponsors conferences with partners including the International Buddhist Confederation and scholars linked to SOAS University of London and Harvard University. Social programs address community needs in collaboration with regional administrations in Ulan-Ude and Elista, and humanitarian initiatives reference international NGOs such as UNICEF and Red Cross. Media activities involve publications, broadcasts on outlets like Russia Today, and digital outreach connecting diasporic networks in Japan and South Korea.
The union navigates Russian legal frameworks including registration under the Ministry of Justice (Russia) and compliance with the 1997 Law on Freedom of Conscience and Religious Associations and subsequent amendments debated in the State Duma. Relations with federal bodies involve interlocutions with the Presidential Administration of Russia, regional governors in Buryatia and Kalmykia, and interactions with security services such as the Federal Security Service when religious affairs intersect with public order. It also engages in litigation and advocacy at venues like the European Court of Human Rights on issues affecting religious registration and the rights of clergy, and cooperates with cultural preservation agencies such as the Ministry of Culture (Russia).
Prominent clerical and lay figures associated with the union include abbots of the Ivolginsky Datsan and influential lamas with ties to the 14th Dalai Lama, monastics trained in Mongolia and Tibet, and intellectuals from the Russian Academy of Sciences and Moscow State Institute of International Relations. Other notable personalities include regional cultural ministers from Buryatia and Kalmykia, scholars who have published with presses in Saint Petersburg and Moscow, and foreign allies from institutions such as Tibetan Government-in-Exile and the International Campaign for Tibet.
The union has faced criticism over internal governance disputes, competing claims among lineages such as Karmapa-aligned factions, tensions with the Russian Orthodox Church over public visibility, and legal controversies arising from registration and property disputes adjudicated in regional courts in Irkutsk and Elista. Debates have involved foreign influence concerns tied to contacts with the 14th Dalai Lama and organizations like the Tibetan Youth Congress, and public controversies relating to land use near sacred sites and heritage protection overseen by the Ministry of Culture (Russia).