The city of Elista is located in the southern territory of Russia. The capital of the Republic of Kalmykia is inhabited by more than 100 thousand people. The local population is very friendly, peaceful and good-naturedly welcomes guests of the city. Elista is considered the Buddhist and chess capital of Russia. The main attractions of Elista are two Buddhist temples, which are considered the largest in Europe.
Many tourists come to the city to see the famous temples of the Buddhist religion. Not only believers can get into them, the entrance is open to all tourists traveling in the city of Elista. Sights will help to understand and feel the peculiarities of culture and imbued with peace and tranquility. The golden monastery of Shakyamuni Buddha is a Buddhist temple known throughout the world. The huge white building is surrounded by a fence with numerous snow-white statues. Inside is a huge nine-meter statue of Buddha. Inside the main attractions of Elista is the library and museum of the Buddhist religion.
The second major attraction is the Holy monastery of the theory and practice of the Gelug school. The construction is located near the city in the steppe. A special atmosphere of privacy is felt on the territory of this Elista attraction. Pigeons live on the territory of the temple, there is a house for lamas and a huge garden of roses is laid out. A visit to this vision will give everyone an extraordinary peace and enlightenment. For this, many come to the city of Elista. Sights, photos of which are known throughout the world, attract many tourists at any time of the year.
One of the most famous places in the city of Elista is the main square. There you can see a monument to Lenin, the famous rotunda "Pagoda of Seven Days", under which an Indian prayer drum is installed. The pagoda consists of seven tiers, each of which symbolizes one day of the week. On the square there is a beautiful fountain "Three Lotus" and a composition of plastic chess pieces, the building of the administration of the Republic of Kalmykia and the University.
Some of Elista’s main attractions are related to chess. In the city there is the Chess Palace , the Chess Museum, the Chess Town. Fans of this game will have something to see in Elista.
Elista sights cannot be imagined without the Golden Gate - a real work of art, made in the tradition of Buddhist architecture. According to legend, everyone who passes through this gate goes onto the path of virtue and begins the path along the white road. In addition, at the gate you need to make a wish and just enjoy the bright, cheerful colors of the structure.
One of the monuments to the famous Ostap Bender is located in Elista; the famous Druzhba park is also interesting, where a memorial complex for the memory of soldiers who died during the war is founded. Despite the fact that the main religion in the city is Buddhism, there are beautiful Orthodox churches in Elista. One of the most famous and majestic is the Kazan Cathedral.