Khosheutovsky khurul

This video essay from the YouTube channel Kings and Things explores the intricate history and unique architecture of what’s widely considered to be the oldest surviving Buddhist temple in Europe: Khosheutovsky khurul in southwestern Russia. With rich archival imagery, the video traces its founding as a memorial to members of a Kalmyk regiment that fought Napoleon’s army, through its shuttering following the Russian Revolution, to its reopening and continued use today – albeit in a significantly modified form. From the story of this single structure emerges a brief introduction to the Kalmyk people and a unique perspective on two centuries of Russian history.

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