Travel on Elista Tours to the capital of Kalmykia in European Russia, a truly unusual city best known as the country’s center of Buddhism. Significant religious sights such as Pagoda of Seven Days and Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni, the largest Buddhist temple in Russia, are located in the city of Elista. Monuments dedicated to the Kalmyk people range from the fanciful Golden Rider to statues of local artists and the somber Exodus and Return Memorial, dedicated to the victims of 20th-century repression. Chess fans can meet their match at the huge chessboard in the city center before touring Chess City, an artistic enclave built to host the 1998 World Chess Olympiad.
Come immerse yourself in the creative, unique culture of this Buddhist outpost on one of our Elista tours.
