The culture and religion of the Buryats are a synthesis of Eastern and European traditions. On the territory of the Republic of Buryatia, one can meet both Orthodox monasteries and Buddhist temples, as well as visit shamanistic rituals. Buryats are a colorful people with an interesting history that developed on the banks of the majestic Baikal. The religion and traditions of the Buryat people will be discussed in our article.
Who are the Buryats?
This ethnic group lives on the territory of the Russian Federation, Mongolia and China. More than half of the total number of Buryats live in Russia: in the Republic of Buryatia, in the Irkutsk Region (Ust-Ordynsky District), Trans-Baikal Territory (Aginsky District). They are found in other areas of the country, but in smaller quantities. Buryats are the most ancient people of the Baikal region. Modern genetic tests have shown that Koreans are their closest relatives.
According to one version, the name of the people comes from the Mongolian word "bull", meaning "hunter", "forest man". So the ancient Mongols called all the tribes that lived on the shores of Lake Baikal. For a long time, the Buryats were influenced by their closest neighbors and for 450 years paid taxes to them. The proximity to Mongolia contributed to the spread of Buddhism in Buryatia.
The history of nationality
Buryats came from various Mongol tribes and at the beginning of their formation (XVI-XVII centuries) consisted of several tribal groups. A new impetus in the development of the ethnic group came with the advent of the first Russian settlers in Eastern Siberia. With the annexation of the Baikal lands to the Russian state in the middle of the 16th century, part of the Buryats moved to Mongolia. Later, the reverse process occurred, and before the beginning of the XVIII century they returned to their native lands. Existence in the conditions of Russian statehood led to the fact that the Buryat tribes and groups began to unite due to social and cultural interaction. This led to the formation of a new ethnic group at the end of the 19th century. Independent statehood of the Buryats (Buryat-Mongolia) began to take shape in the first half of the 20th century. In 1992, the Republic of Buryatia was formed as part of the Russian Federation, Ulan-Ude became its capital.
Beliefs
Buryats were for a long time under the influence of the Mongol tribes, then a period of Russian statehood followed. This could not but affect the religion of the Buryats. Like many Mongol tribes, the Buryats were originally adherents of shamanism. For this complex of beliefs, other terms are also used: Tengrianism, pantheism. And the Mongols called him “hara shashyn”, which means “black faith”. At the end of the 16th century, Buddhism became widespread in Buryatia. And from the middle of the XVIII century, Christianity began to actively develop. Today, these three religions drill harmoniously coexist in one territory.
Shamanism
The local people have always had a special relationship with nature, which is reflected in their ancient faith - shamanism. They worshiped the Eternally Blue Sky (Huhe Munhe Tengri), which was considered the supreme deity. Nature and natural forces were considered spiritualized. Shamanistic rituals were held at certain objects in the open air in order to achieve unity between man and the forces of water, earth, fire and air. Tailagans (ritual festivities) were held in areas close to Lake Baikal in especially revered places. Through sacrifices and the observance of certain rules and traditions, the Buryats acted on spirits and gods.
Shamans were a special caste in the social hierarchy of the ancient Buryats. They combined the skill of a healer, a psychologist who manipulates consciousness, and a storyteller. Only one who had shamanic roots could become one. Rites made a strong impression on the audience, which gathered up to several thousand. With the spread of Buddhism and Christianity, shamanism in Buryatia began to be oppressed. But this ancient belief, which underlies the attitude of the Buryat people, could not be completely destroyed. Many traditions of shamanism have been preserved and have survived to this day. The spiritual monuments of that period, in particular sacred places, are an important part of the cultural heritage of the Buryat people.
Buddhism
The inhabitants of the western coast of Lake Baikal remained adherents of this religion, while the Buryats, who lived on the eastern shore, turned to Buddhism under the influence of their Mongol neighbors.
In the 17th century, Lamaism, one of the forms of Buddhism, penetrated from Tibet through Mongolia to Buryatia. As the name implies, in this religious direction a large role is given to the lamas. They were revered as teachers and guides to enlightenment. For this new religion for the Buryats, a special splendor of ceremonies is characteristic. Rites are held according to strict rules. A vivid example is the tsam-hural ritual. This theatrical ceremony of worship included the performance of sacred dances and pantomime.
The devotion to shamanism among the Buryats was so great that even in Lamaism they brought such attributes of ancient beliefs as the spiritualization of natural forces and veneration of the guardian spirits of the clan (Ezhin). Together with Buddhism, the culture of Tibet and Mongolia comes to Buryatia. More than 100 Tibetan and Mongolian lamas arrived in Transbaikalia, datsans (Buddhist monasteries) began to open. Under the datsans, schools functioned, books were published, and applied art developed. And also they were peculiar universities that trained future clergymen.
1741 is considered a turning point in the history of the formation of Buddhism as the Buryats worship. Empress Ekaterina Petrovna signed a decree recognizing Lamaism as one of the official religions in Russia. A state of 150 lamas was officially approved and exempted from taxes. And the datsans became the center of development of Tibetan philosophy, medicine and literature in Buryatia.
For almost two centuries, Lamaism has been actively developing, gaining more and more followers. After the revolution of 1917, when the Bolsheviks came to power, a period of decline in the Buddhist tradition began. The datsans were closed and destroyed, and the llamas were repressed. Only in the 1990s did the revival of Buddhism begin. 10 new datsans were built. However, back in 1947, near the capital of Buryatia, Ulan-Ude, the Ivolginsky datsan was founded , and Aginsky again earned it.
Now the Republic of Buryatia is the center of Buddhism in Russia. In the Egitui datsan there is a Buddha statue made of sandalwood. For her, even a room was built in which a certain microclimate is maintained.
Buddhist temples and monasteries
Buryats were nomads. They lived, like many Turkic tribes, in yurts. Therefore, initially they did not have permanent temples. The datsans were located in yurts, equipped in a special way, and "wandered" along with the llamas. The first stationary temple, Tamchansky datsan, was built at the end of the 16th century. Monasteries fall into several categories:
- Dugan is a monastery temple, the name comes from the Tibetan word meaning "assembly hall."
- Datsan - at the Buryats it means “monastery”, and in Tibet the so-called educational departments at a large monastery.
- Khurul - this is the name of all Buddhist temples of Kalmyks and Tuvans. The name comes from the Mongolian "khural", which means "meeting."
The architecture of Buddhist monasteries and temples of Buryatia is interesting, in which 3 styles can be traced:
- Mongolian style - represented by buildings resembling yurts and tents. The first temples were mobile and were located in temporary structures. Stationary temples were first built in the form of six- or twelve-angled buildings, and then became square. The roofs were made in a shape reminiscent of the top of the tent.
- Tibetan style - typical of early Buddhist temples. The architecture is represented by rectangular structures with white walls and a flat roof. Temples made in a purely Tibetan style are rare.
- Chinese style - involves luxurious decoration, one-story buildings and gable roofs made of tiles.
Many temples were built in a mixed style, for example, the Agin datsan.
Ivolginsky monastery
This datsan was founded in 1947, 40 km from Ulan-Ude. It served as the seat of the Spiritual Administration of the Buddhists of Russia. In datsan there is a sacred statue of Buddha and the throne of the Dalai Lama XIV. Every year, large hurals are held in the temple. At the beginning of spring, the New Year is celebrated on the eastern calendar, and in the summer - the Maidari festival.
The Ivolginsky temple is famous for the fact that the imperishable body of Lama Itigelov is stored there. According to legend, in 1927, the lama bequeathed to his students to inspect his body after 75 years, then sat in meditation and went into nirvana. He was buried in the same pose in a cedar cube. According to the will in 2002, the cube was opened, and the body was examined. It was unchanged. Appropriate ceremonies and ritual actions were carried out, and the imperishable body of Lama Itigelov was transferred to the Ivolginsky datsan.
Aginsky monastery
This Buddhist datsan was built in 1816 and lit by Lama Rinchen. The complex is the main temple and 7 small sume. The Aginsky datsan is known for the fact that from the moment of its foundation, the Maani Khural (worship of the Bodhisattva Arya Bala) was performed 4 times a day. The monastery published books on philosophy, medicine, logic, astronomy and astrology. In the late 1930s, the temple was closed, some buildings were partially destroyed, and some were occupied for military and secular needs. In 1946, the Aginsky Monastery was reopened and is still operating.
Gusinoozersky monastery
Another name is Tamchinsky datsan. Initially, it was not stationary, but was located in a large yurt. In the middle of the 18th century, the first temple was built on a permanent site. And after almost 100 years, the monastery complex consisted of 17 churches. From the beginning of the XIX to the middle of the XX century, the Tamchinsky datsan was the main monastery of Buryatia, which at that time was called Buryat-Mongolia. Permanently there lived 500 lamas, and another 400 were coming. With the coming to power of the Bolsheviks, the datsan was abolished, like many other religious sites. Its buildings were occupied for the needs of the state. There was a prison for political prisoners. At the end of the 50s of the XX century, the Gusinoozersky datsan was recognized as an architectural monument and work on its restoration began. The temple reopened its doors to believers in 1990. In the same year he was consecrated.
A monument of high historical and cultural value is kept in datsan. This is the so-called "deer stone", whose age, according to archaeologists, is 3.5 thousand years. This stone got its name because of the images of the racing deer that are carved on it.
Christianity
In 1721, the Irkutsk diocese was created, with which the spread of Orthodoxy in the Baikal region began. Missionary activity was particularly successful among the Western Buryats. Holidays such as Easter, Christmas, Ilyin Day and others became widespread there. The active promotion of Orthodoxy in Buryatia was hindered by the commitment of the local population to shamanism and developing Buddhism.
Russian authorities used Orthodoxy as a way to influence the Buryat worldviews. At the end of the XVII century, the construction of the Ambassadorial Monastery (pictured above) began, which helped strengthen the position of the Christian mission. Such methods of attracting followers were used as exemption from taxes in the event of the adoption of the Orthodox faith. Interethnic marriages between Russians and the indigenous population were encouraged. By the beginning of the 20th century, about 10% of the total number of Buryats were mestizos.
All these efforts led to the fact that by the end of the 20th century there were 85 thousand Orthodox Buryats. Then came the revolution of 1917, and the Christian mission was abolished. Active figures of churches were shot or exiled to camps. After the end of World War II, the revival of some temples began. And the official recognition of the Orthodox Church occurred only in 1994.
Selenginsky Trinity Monastery
The opening of temples and monasteries has always been an important event in the strengthening of Christianity. In 1680, by order of Tsar Fedor Alekseevich, it was entrusted to build a monastery on the banks of the Selenga River and make it the center of the Orthodox mission in the region. The new monastery received support in the form of state funds, as well as money, books, utensils and clothes from the king and the nobility. The Holy Trinity Selenginsky Monastery owned lands, fishing grounds, and estates. Around the monastery people began to settle.
As planned, the monastery became the focus of the Orthodox faith and lifestyle in Transbaikalia. The monastery was revered among the population of nearby villages because it housed the icon of the miracle worker Nikolai of Myra. The monastery was visited by prominent religious, political and state figures. In the monastery there was an extensive library of 105 books at that time.
In 1921, the Holy Trinity Selenginsky Monastery was closed. Its buildings were occupied by an orphanage for some time, and from 1929 to 1932 the monastery was empty. Then a pioneer sanatorium operated here, and later a children's special colony. During this time, many of the monastery buildings lost their former appearance, some were destroyed. Only in 1998, the monastery began to revive.
Old Believers
In the middle of the XVII century, church reform began in Russia. Rites changed, but not everyone was ready for these changes, which led to a split in the church. Those who disagreed with the new reforms were persecuted, and they were forced to flee to the outskirts of the country and abroad. So the Old Believers appeared, and his followers were called Old Believers. They hid in the Urals, in Turkey, Romania, Poland and in Transbaikalia, where the Buryats lived. The Old Believers settled in large families mainly in the south of Transbaikalia. There they cultivated the land, built houses and churches. There were up to 50 such settlements, 30 of which exist now.
Buryatia is an original, colorful region with beautiful nature and rich history. The charming clear waters of Lake Baikal, Buddhist temples and sacred places of shamans attract people who want to plunge into the natural and spiritual atmosphere of the region.