Khurul

The term khurul (хурул) derives from the Mongolian word khure (хурэ) which means "circle", "inclosure". Khure refers to big Buddhist temples in Mongolia, Tuva, and Buryatia, though, they have been renamed to datsan in the latter.[3][4]

Initially, Buddhism and khuruls were promoted and founded by the lama, and Zaya Pandita, the inventor of Kalmyk writing.

The choice of construction and the place of laying the foundation of khuruls was and still is made by Buddhist monks. In the center of the base of the pit, a sword, a bowl of rice (arshan - alms to the Buddhist gods), and many paper rolls with Buddhist prayers are placed. The set-up is similar to the ceremony of construction and ascension of Buddhist stupas.[5]

Historically, khuruls played an important role in the spiritual and cultural lives of Kalmyks. The monasteries were not only meant as a place of worship, but also as an institution of learning where people would study the Dharma and Indo-Tibetan medicine. Sacred Buddhist texts, books on medicine, and fine ritual accessories were kept in khuruls. A lot of books were imported from Tibet, China, and Mongolia.[6][7]

With the raise of communism and Stalin's rule, many khuruls were closed, repurposed (e.g., as kindergartens), or even destroyed, due to the ideological struggle against religion.[8][9][10][11][12] Buryatiya had 34 datsans by 1846, but by 1935 about one third of them were emptied because the clergy fled or was repressed. One year later, more than two thirds of all Buryatian datsans were closed, and the lamas expelled based on accusations of treason and espionage. In Kalmykia, 79 khuruls were closed down between the years 1917 and 1937. Tuva, as an "independent" state since 1921, was spared until 1929, but then the Communist Party started to systematically arrest lamas and monks. A lot of khuruls in Tuva and Kalmykia were burned down. It wasn't until the 1940s that the repression eased, and a new Buddhist temple - Ivolginsky Datsan - was built in the Ivolginsky District, in Buryatia. Restorations of destroyed temples and constructions of new temples began in the period of Perestroika. Nowadays, there are about 22 khuruls in Kalmykia, 16 in Tuva, and more than 30 in Buryatya. Some Buddhist centers can also be found in big cities like Moscow and Saint-Petersburg.[13]