Elista
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Elista is the capital city of the Republic of Kalmykia, Russia.
A representation of the Buddha
A Kalmyk woman praying in front of the statue before entering the temple
Elista's Pushkin Street on a 1961 stamp
Geden Sheddup Choikorling Monastery
Kirsan Ilyumzhinov
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Kirsan Nikolayevich Ilyumzhinov is a Russian oligarch, administrator and politician. He was President of the Republic of Kalmykia in the Russian Federation from 1993 to 2010, and was president of FIDE
Elista
…characterized by the slow decay of Soviet-built institutions, and the large construction projects instigated by the republic's millionaire president Kirsan Ilyumzhinov. The town center has a number of renovated public parks focused on the main square, boasting statues to both Lenin and the Buddha. The main square…
Ilyumzhinov in 2016