Ivolginsky District: Buddhist Culture and History

• Ivolginsky Datsan is located in the district and is considered a center of Russian Buddhism.
• The Museum of the History of Ivolginsky Datsan is located in Verkhnyaya Ivolga, on the grounds of the datsan.
• The museum’s exhibition includes more than 300 objects of Buddhist culture and art.
• Museum visits and tours must be arranged in advance.
• A separate pilgrim ticket is required to visit the Palace of Khambo Lama Itigelov.

Ivolginsky Datsan is an important pilgrimage site for Buddhists from Russia and around the world. As a historical and architectural monument, it is also a museum of sacred architecture. Thousands of pilgrims and tourists from different countries visit the datsan every year.

Among its notable religious sites is the palace temple of the 12th Pandito Khambo Lama Dashi-Dorzho Itigelov. His mortal body, described as imperishable, is housed there. The temple was reconstructed in 2008 based on old photographs of the Devashin-Dugan of Yangazhinsky Datsan. A statue titled “Little Buddha,” created by Dashinima Namdakov, was presented to the datsan in 2011.

The Bodhi tree also has a documented story of origin: a sacred tree of this kind grows in the datsan’s greenhouse. Lamas of the datsan brought its saplings from Bodh Gaya, India, in 1956.

The museum is on the grounds of the datsan, on the first floor of the Buddhist Institute “Dashi Choykhorling” building in Verkhnyaya Ivolga. Its exhibition presents the history of the spread of Buddhism in Russia.

The collection includes more than 300 objects of Buddhist culture and art. These include thangkas, woodblock prints, sacred texts, sutras, manuscripts, and sculptures of Buddhist deities. It thus explores religious texts and visual art, as well as the history of Buddhism in Russia.

Museum visits and tours must be arranged in advance. A separate ticket rule applies to visits to the Palace of Khambo Lama Itigelov: the pilgrim ticket is not included in the price of the general tour and must be purchased at Sogchen-Dugan.

Route 161 from the Central Market in Ulan-Ude is cited as a tourist connection to the datsan. Check the latest information before setting out.

Alongside its Buddhist heritage, archaeology points to much older traces of human presence. Paleolithic and Neolithic settlements, as well as slab graves, have been documented in Ivolginsky District. Xiongnu Gorodishche is an archaeological monument in the district and is more than 2,000 years old.

The cultural themes differ markedly: at the datsan, Buddhist religion and sacred architecture take center stage, while the archaeological finds concern earlier settlements and a history stretching far into the past.

Discover more destinations: Kabansky District, Tunkinsky District, Ordzhonikidzevsky District, Pribaikalsky District, Selenginsky District.

Do I need to arrange a museum visit in advance?

Yes. Visits to the Museum of the History of Ivolginsky Datsan and museum tours must be arranged in advance.

Is the pilgrim ticket included in the price of the general tour?

No. A separate pilgrim ticket is required to visit the Palace of Khambo Lama Itigelov. It must be purchased at Sogchen-Dugan.

What archaeological finds are there in Ivolginsky District?

Paleolithic and Neolithic settlements, as well as slab graves, have been documented in the district. Xiongnu Gorodishche is more than 2,000 years old.

Go to the main travel overview: Republic of Buryatia.