denny Ethnic & National book

St-Petersburg tibetan temple in Russia was first buddhist temple out of asian border. Founded at the end of 19th century by Agvan Dorjiev (a buriat lama minister of 13th Dalai Lama) as the tibetan embassy in russian former capital, the temple was inaugurated in 1914, same day when world war I broke out. It passed over bolchevik coup d'état till all monks were slaughtered by Stalin's henchmen, shrine destroyed and buddha's main statue thrown in local river. Then it was turned to sport hall, military radio base and finaly vivisection lab (elephant from riga zoo was mangle in its basements). Given back to St-Pet's buddhist union in the 90's, it was gradually abandonned due to internal rivalries between europeans lay groups and ethnic buriat monks. Taken over by a bunch of young Russians whom i've met in 1999, the temple finaly passed on to the buriat community after several trials and became their private national estate. When i took these shots in 2005, buriats grannies first ripped me off at the gate then kicked me out after a few minutes. In brief, this place seems to carry its shabby destiny endlessly. Sad fate for holy sanctuary ...