Museum of Kalmyk Scientific Center (RAS)

Introduction. The Museum of Kalmyk Scientific Center (RAS) houses quite a number of sculptural and pictorial images associated with the tradition of Je Tsongkhapa (1357–1419; Tibetan Buddhist scholar to have founded the Gelug that gained widest distribution among Mongolic peoples) and delivered by different donators or from as various places. Goals. The articles analyzes several pieces of Buddhist art contained in the Museum’s collections and somewhat tied to the historical personality. Results. The analysis of one ‘altar group’ compiled from three images — those of Tsongkhapa and his two disciples — shows that the tradition of Mongolia’s Dorbets that share common ancestry with contemporary Kalmyks depicts the imagery with greater detail and semantics as compared to similar survived Kalmyk samples. However, the insight into the Kalmyk tradition attests to that the people were widely worshipping the Buddhist Teacher — founder of the Gelug

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