Ivolginsky datsan: preservation of the historical monument, creation of a museum

Abstract

The article is devoted to a successful cultural dialogue between religious and secular organizations in the Republic of Buryatia. The authors describe the experience of  implementing the grant project «Preservation of the historical monument Ivolginsky datsan “Khambyn Khuree” through the creation of the Museum of Ivolginsky datsan». Over 70 years of its activity, the Ivolginsky datsan has become a place of historical, spiritual development and cultural potential, as well as a place where the unique heritage of Buddhism of Buryatia and works of Buddhist art are stored. The project solved such a problem as the  lack of a museum for the storage, conservation and demonstration of historical, cultural and art monuments. he main partner was the National Museum of the Republic of Buryatia as  a specialized institution with vast experience in the conservation, broadcasting and scientific research of cultural objects. Researchers studied more than 600 exhibits from the  datsan collection. The authors prepared inventories of the entire museum collection, created an exposition, which presents about 300 objects (including Thangka, Buddhist temple sculpture, and much more), which is extremely important for further study of the collection by researchers, scientists, and representatives of the museum community.