Datsan Gunzechoinei
In 1909, Agvan Dorzhiev received permission from the Tsar to construct a large Buryat Buddhist datsan in Saint Petersburg. He hoped this building would become the residence of the first Buddhist ruler of Russia. The Russian Orthodox Church campaigned strongly against the construction of what they called a pagan temple across the country. This opposition considerably delayed the project for several years. Despite these obstacles, the first service was held on the 21st of February 1913. Construction continued until it was completed by 1915.
Tsar Nicholas II confirmed the arrival of a staff of nine lamas when the building finished in 1915. Three monks came from Transbaikalia while four arrived from Astrakhan Province. Two others traveled from Stavropol Province to take up their posts. The stained glass windows were commissioned from Nicholas Roerich during the early planning phase. A second large service took place on the 9th of June 1914 to consecrate a gilded copper statue of Buddha Shakyamuni. King Rama VI of Siam gifted this sitting figure to the new temple. A standing Buddha Maitreya followed as a gift from G. A. Planson of the Russian Council in Bangkok. The final consecration occurred on the 10th of August 1915 and gave the datsan its name Gunzechoinei.
After 1917, the building was ransacked and used for many different purposes over time. A Red Army detachment briefly took over and damaged the structure in 1919. Some repairs were carried out in 1922 before major restoration work began about 1926. General persecution of Buddhism soon followed throughout the Buryat-Mongol Republic and the Kalmyk Autonomous Region. Monasteries closed and property including sacred books and altar ornaments were seized by authorities. Lamas faced heavy repression under the new regime. In late 1933 the last Buddhist service honored the recently deceased Thubten Gyatso who had died the 17th of December 1933. By 1935 a large group of lamas was arrested by the NKVD and sentenced to three to five years hard labour. The remaining Buddhists in the city were arrested and shot the same day in 1937. The temple survived bombing during the Siege of Leningrad thanks to lobbying by Buddhist sympathizers within Ahnenerbe.
In 1989 the Buddhist community in Saint Petersburg received official recognition after decades of silence. That year a service was held by the Most Reverend Lama Kushok Bakula Rinpoche. This event marked the first service in fifty years since the final pre-war ceremony. On the 14th of July 2004, the 150th birthday of Agvan Dorjiev was celebrated at the Buddhist temple in Saint Petersburg. A memory plate was unveiled while a talk was given by American Buddhist scholar Robert Thurman. These events signaled a return to public religious life for the community.
As of 2013, the temple is actively maintained as a place of practice for scholars and students. It serves as a center for the Tibetan Gelugpa school of Buddhism. The Datsan Gunzechoinei remains the northernmost Buddhist temple in Europe today. Karl Tõnisson, a Buddhist monk from Estonia, has been photographed standing before the temple entrance. The site continues to function as a large Buryat Buddhist datsan within the city limits of Russia.
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Common questions
When was the Datsan Gunzechoinei first service held in Saint Petersburg?
The first service of the Datsan Gunzechoinei took place on the 21st of February 1913. Construction continued until it was completed by 1915 despite strong opposition from the Russian Orthodox Church.
Who received permission to build the Datsan Gunzechoinei in 1909?
Agvan Dorzhiev received permission from the Tsar to construct a large Buryat Buddhist datsan in Saint Petersburg in 1909. He hoped this building would become the residence of the first Buddhist ruler of Russia.
What happened to the Datsan Gunzechoinei after 1917?
After 1917, the Datsan Gunzechoinei was ransacked and used for many different purposes over time. A Red Army detachment briefly took over and damaged the structure in 1919 before major restoration work began about 1926.
When did the Datsan Gunzechoinei receive official recognition again?
The Buddhist community in Saint Petersburg received official recognition for the Datsan Gunzechoinei in 1989 after decades of silence. That year a service was held by the Most Reverend Lama Kushok Bakula Rinpoche marking the first service in fifty years since the final pre-war ceremony.
Why is the Datsan Gunzechoinei significant today?
The Datsan Gunzechoinei remains the northernmost Buddhist temple in Europe today as of 2013. It serves as a center for the Tibetan Gelugpa school of Buddhism within the city limits of Russia.