http://russiatrek.

org/elista-city :

Elista history
By the fall of 1865, there were 15 houses in Elista. This year is considered the year when the
city was born. Since the early 20th century, Elista became the center of Manych ulus,
Chernoyar district, Astrahan region.

In February 1918, Soviet power was established in Elista. In 1930, Elista became a town. In
August 1942, during the World War II, Elista was occupied by German troops. On December,
1942, it was set free by the Soviet Army.

On December, 28th, 1943, the Kalmyk population of Elista was deported by force to Siberia,
Kazakhstan and Middle Asia according to Stalins accuse in cooperating with Germans.

In 1957, the Kalmyks were allowed to come back. From 1944 to 1957, the Kalmyk
Autonomous Republic was abolished, Elista was called the town of Stepnoy and was a part of
Stavropol region.

Elista facts
Nowadays Elista is a political, administrative, cultural and economic center of the Republic
of Kalmykia. The largest square in the city, Lenin square, is located in the center of Elista.
There is a fountain Three lotuses and a chess board of 5x5 m size there. It is a popular
place among young people.

On a high hill in the southern part of the city there is a memorial in honor of the soldiers who
set the capital of Kalmykia free - the tank men of the 6th tank troop of the 28th Army. In
1965, in the park Drouzhba the memorial was erected in honor of Komsomol members
and partisans who perished during the Civil War and the World War II.

Elista attractions
Among the places of interest in Elista there is a meter and a half statue of Buddha-
Shakyamuni, made of white Ural marble. The statue was erected on July, 6, 1995, on the
60th anniversary of Dalai Lama XIV. Nowadays the rotunda with the statue of Buddha
became not only a special decoration of the city but a cult place as well.

Another Elista district - City-Chess - should be mentioned. In its center there is a Palace of
Chess build for the purpose of holding chess competitions. City-Chess presents realization of
the project New Vasyuki from the novel 12 Chairs, the avenue heading there is named after
Ostap Bender.

The displays at the Palmov Republican Museum of local study show the history of
development and growing of the Republic. The Drama theater in Elista which was opened in
1936, was a great event in the cultural life of Kalmykia Republic and is named after its
founder Baatr Basangov.
The first Buddhist chapel in Kalmykia, Syakyusyan-Syume, was opened on October, 5,
1996. It took 4 years to construct the chapel, the money for which was donated by the
inhabitants and the President of Kalmykia Kirsan Ilyumzhinov.

On December, 27th, 2005, the biggest Buddhist chapel in Kalmykia Republic was sanctified -
the New Central hurul (Golden Home of Buddha Shakyamuni), inside there is the tallest
statue of Buddha in Europe.

Wikitravel:

The Golden Temple - a large, modern Buddhist monastery

The Museum of Kalmyk Buddhist Art - recommended

The Museum of Local Lore

The Museum of Buddhist History

The Gallery of Fine Arts

The Kazansky Cathedral

Chess City, a chess tournament complex, partly inspired by a scene in the the novel The
Twelve Chairs.

The Ostap Bender Statue, commemorating the famed anti hero from the novel The Twelve
Chairs, who spun the vision of Chess City.

Auerhalb:

Khurul Monastery - about 6 km from the city

Lonely Planet:

Return Memorial Located 500 m along ul Khrushcheva from the roundabout in the
direction away from the centre, the Return Memorial by sculptor Ernst Neizvestny
(www.enstudio.com) is a striking memorial to the Kalmyk deportation. A cattle car like those
used to transport the Kalmyks to Siberia stands close by.

Alleya Geroyev This pleasant park stretching along a narrow ravine is the towns main
promenade and has the citys largest concentration of sculpture and Buddhist architecture.
Enter by crossing ul Lenina from Hotel Elista and walk east (left) towards the main square,
taking in along the way the monument to Basan Gorodovikov, a Soviet general who led the
return of the Kalnyks from exile; the sculpture of the White Elder deity (the owner of the
Earth in Kalmuk mythology); the Tibetan-style Altn-Bosh (Golden Gate) and the Arbour of
Buddha Shakyamuni; and a thoughtful Lenin hiding in the shade of the Seven-Tiered
Pagoda, which has a large prayer drum in the middle.

Lonely Planet Online:

Prayer drums, red-robed monks, boiled guts and butter tea for lunch Wait, its
still Europe! Elista is the capital of Kalmykia ( ), the
continents only Buddhist region and a fragment of Mongolia thrown onto the
shores of the Caspian Sea. Much of the republic consists of sparsely populated
steppe occasionally punctuated by straight or squiggly lines of wooden electricity
poles running to the horizon. With its colourful, Tibetan-style khuruls (temples),
the otherwise-very-drab Elista is a good starting point for further exploration of
this region.
Sights:

Geden Sheddup Goichorling is the oldest khurul in Kalmykia and consists of a lavishly
decorated large temple from 1996, a small temple behind it containing the throne of the Dalai
Lama, and a brick cottage for monks, surrounded by the steppe. To get there, take marshrutka
15 at the corner of ul Pushkina and ul Gorkogo. Once out of town, ask to stop by the stary
khurul .

The figure of Buddha Shakyamuni is at the centre of the altar, and the frescoes on the walls
depict his 12 deeds and tell about his life. The temple is usually closed, but you can get inside
by asking at the monks cottage or by calling ahead to arrange a time.

+7 84722 40 109

A literary fantasy taken from the pages of the book The Twelve Chairs, and brainchild of
former president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, Chess City was built for the 1998 Chess Olympics and
has an air of surreal suburban bliss. It's clustered on the edge of steppe as a large ensemble of
cottages around the glass Chess Palace. Marshrutka 7 takes you there from Hotel Elista.

From Chess City, take marshrutka 7 back one stop or walk back about 500m to the
roundabout, where you find the Ostap Bender monument, complete with all the tales 12
chairs (which you can sit on).

The modern building of the National Museum of the Republic of Kalmykia

offers a perfect space for getting an insight into the Kalmyk people and the
republic, with eight rooms covering their history, ecology and culture. One room
deals with the deportations during WWII. The exhibition is in Russian, so it's worth
paying extra for an English (or Russian) tour for greater insight. Take marshrutka
5 and ask the driver to stop at the museum.
ul Dzhangara 9
http://museum.kalm.ru
Russian/foreigner R60/80, deportation exhibition extra R100, museum tour
Russian/foreigner extra R100/120
9am-6pm Tue-Fri, 10am-4pm Sat & Sun

The Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni, also called the New Khurul, was
built in 2005 in the Tibetan style. The prayer hall sports an 11m-high statue of
Buddha and the monks robe of the 14th Dalai Lama. Downstairs a small museum
depicts the history of Kalmyk Buddhism. Take marshrutka 9 or any other going
east along ul Lenina.
ul Klykova
+7 84722 84722 40 109
www.buddhisminkalmykia.ru
grounds & temple 8am-8pm daily, library & museum 10am-6pm Tue-Sun,
daily prayer 9-10.30am, prayer for the deceased 2-4pm Fri

Alleya Geroyev: This pleasant park stretching along a narrow ravine is the citys
main promenade and has Elistas largest concentration of sculptures and
Buddhist architecture. Enter by crossing ul Lenina from Hotel Elista and walk east
towards the main square, taking in the different monuments along the way.

Located 500m along ul Khrushcheva from the roundabout, in the direction away
from the centre, the Return Memorial by sculptor Ernst Neizvestny is a striking
monument to the Kalmyk deportation.
www.enstudio.com

Entertainment:
Cafe-Bar Alyans: Set among a constellation of eating and drinking places along
ul Nomto Ochirova many of them popular with a very young crowd Alyans
caters to a more mixed crowd. The food (mains R250 to R450) is decent, but its
chilled-out mood, small dance floor and nightly DJ are its main attractions.
ul Nomto Ochirova 5a
noon-2am

Relaxed Esinen, decked out in cloth wallpaper, has a hint of a Parisian or

Viennese coffee house and is perfect for chilling out between sights.
ul Lenina 255a
blinchiki R50-60, coffee R50
9am-9pm

Stereo: Stop by for food, drinks, friendly staff and Russian karaoke; its on the
4th floor of the corner building.
ul Neyman 1
11am-2am

Praha: This pub has a laid-back beer-hall feel and slightly off-beat edge.
ul Nomto Ochirova 5
noon-2am

Restaurants:
Orient: This restaurant on the corner of the so-called Arbat pedestrian zone has
on its wall pictures of Russias presidents and prime ministers Putin and
Medvedev, who apparently ate here at least once. Expect the usual range of
lamb, beef, pork and salmon, but it also does a tasty chicken dish stewed with
dried fruits.
cnr ul Lenina & ul Neyman
mains R220-300
9-3am

Gurman is a grill restaurant located inside the modern entertainment complex

(bowling, cinema, billiards, you name it). It's arguably the best mid-range place in
town and offers Kalmyk dishes along with Russian and international cuisine
ranging from steaks to sushi.
+7 84722 84722 50 707
Kalmyk dishes R180-230, mains/steaks R350/450
noon-2am

Choko Time: This cafe and restaurant almost seems to have a foot in the door of
every cuisine, with sushi, Mexican, Italian and pan-European dishes in a relaxed
but stylish ambience.
ul Neyman 10
mains R260, pizza R230
noon-midnight

Shopping:
Teegin Gera: This bookstore sells the combined Elista street map and map of
the republic (R80); it also has various books on Kalmyk culture and Buddhism.
ul Lenina 247
9am-6pm, closed 2-3pm

Eat

Berk Kalmyk traditional dumplings are larger and contain more meat
than your average meat dumplings

Bortsg Kalmyk traditional frybread

Makahan Kalmyk dry horse meat sausage

Makhan sheltagan Kalmyk traditional soup, contains a lot of meat and

potato.

Kuyr

Dotur - lamb meat and haslet

Bortsoki - cookies

Drink
Traditional Kalmyk drinks bear some similarity to those found in Mongolia, but are unique to
the region. Try:

Dzhomba milk tea with salt (the so called Kalmyk tea served and drank
in a certain ceremony)

Kumys a sour horse milk that is considered a cure for respiratory

diseases like tuberculosis, asthma, etc.

Araka a milk vodka