The vast steppe is immense green to the horizon … ”, on warm April days, tourists from all over the country flock to Elista capital of the Russian Federation of Kalmykia to be wandering in the fields of tulips growing. nature and immerse yourself in a unique flower festival. One of the most attractive events in the cultural life of the Republic of Kalmykia is the folk-ethnographic festival “Tulip Festival”. In the steppe republic, where tulips grow in natural conditions and are considered national symbols, a celebration of honor has been held since 2013. “Tulip Festival” is becoming more and more popular with tourists. On the days of the event, thousands of visitors came to the republic, including foreigners, who were infatuated with the beauty of the local steppe. In 2019, 10,000 visitors attended. In 2020, the Festival was canceled due to restrictions related to Covid-19 translation. This year, the government of the Republic of Kalmykia decided to hold an event long awaited and loved by the tourists and locals for a day, instead of 3 days as every year and taking into account all measures on epidemiological hygiene. The festival takes place on the territory of Shatta Ecological Park – Tselinny district of Kalmykia, about 20 km from the capital Elista. Cars poured in from all over the festival, filling a large area. The ladies in national costumes welcome visitors At the entrance, there are girls in ethnic costumes standing in two rows to welcome guests. Inside, the festival is divided into many exhibition areas, according to different themes. Each district of the republic has its own area to introduce the cultural, ethnographic characteristics, production activities, life. The festival includes archery performances, horseback riding, ethnic wrestling, yoga and zumba, vibrant concerts, Kalmyk embroidery training classes, art makeup, bone carving, weaving Kalmyk whip and felt. A food court with ethnic dishes is also held on site. One more goal that this year, the Festival Organizing Committee, is to raise the ecological awareness of residents and visitors to the republic. The environmental patrol team and volunteers oversee the compliance of the rules, explaining to guests the need to respect steppe tulips, which, if violated, will result in administrative penalties. There are no tulips at the festival venue to avoid the risk of trampling on the flowers. You can watch tulips in the fields of Priyutnensky, Iki-Burulsky and Tselinny districts. Amidst the vast steppe nature, the high clear blue sky, the sun, the wind, the riders performing the horse riding performances, the knights in armor, helmets, exciting dances, lyrics, Strongly recreated a beautiful picture of the life of ancient nomads. Mrs. Vera, – a tourist from the city of Stavropol attending the festival, feels very happy: “We are very like, very interesting, everything is fun and rich. We have seen the tents on display here, the girls are very beautiful, gorgeous, the knights are very majestic. ” Wish tree Mrs. Vera said that, after watching and enjoying many performing arts shows, she and her crew members also visited the largest Buddhist temple in Kalmykia and took pictures in the field of tulips. Tuylip Flower Festival attracts not only tourists from all over the world, but also locals. Ms. Svetlana said: “Tuylip is the beauty of our steppe, our pride, our history and our life. The festival was held for us and visitors to see “. As a country of Buddhism, at the entrance, visitors can not help but notice a tree, with ribbons hanging in the colors of blue, red, yellow, and white. Mrs. Vera, – an artist of the national arts troupe explained: “This is our cashew tree. We hang up ribbons with our wishes. This blue is the wish for happiness, white is luck, yellow is belief in Buddha, red is prosperity. ” Along with its signature cultural traditions, Kalmykia cuisine reflects the centuries-old nomadic life of herding herds and is not so diverse, mostly meats and flour, but it does. satisfied with large serving sizes and adequate nutritional value. Kalmykia is a small republic, with more than 300,000 inhabitants, located in the south of Russia, the eastern edge of Europe. Residents here are predominantly Asian and mostly Buddhist. In recent years, Buddhist temples, including the Buddha Shakyamuni – the largest in Europe, are located in the capital Elista and the annual Tuylip flower festival has become and is becoming a national brand attracting tourists. by Kalmykia. The temple is 63 meters high, so it is easy to see from any position in the city, and the Buddha statue in the Main Hall is 9 meters high. In addition, there are other Buddhist imprints such as the Seven-day Pagoda, the ancient Buddhist temple of Khurul, the Golden Gate … The colors of Buddhist culture, the fields of natural tulips, the herds of goats, sheep, camels leisurely. graze on the immense, peaceful steppe and continues to invite and hold visitors to Kalmyakia./. Other impressive images of the festival: Reenactment of the image of knights The Iashaltinsky district introduces great local livestock farming Traditional Kalmykia costumes Ethnic dishes Festival visitors can experience camel riding Exciting dance performance Naturally growing Tuylip flower fields attract visitors Herd of goats and sheep grazing leisurely on the steppe Buddha Shakyamuni Temple is the largest in Kalmykia and also the largest in Europe Temple 7 days.

A temple in Kalmykia during the Buddha’s birthday. Where heaven and earth are in harmony Kalmykia is located in southern Russia, on the western coast of the Caspian Sea. In Kalmykia, there is no shortage of natural reserves, the most famous of which is the natural diversity reserve called Chornye Zemli next to Manych-Gudilo, the largest saltwater lake in Kalmykia. Every year, this lake welcomes millions of spotted cauldrons, white-necked ducks and many different types of wild geese returning from the winter migration. Another animal in the reserve that gets a lot of attention is the moose. Like birds, individual groups of elk migrate from Chornye Zemli to Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan in winter, and then in spring they return. The best time to see the elk falls around March and April, when their plumage changes from brown to red. Russians have long known the therapeutic uses of Manych-Gudilo and other salt-water lakes in Kalmykia. The Soviet government (former) built a number of combined healing resorts next to saltwater lakes, the most prominent of which are the two villages Berezovoe and Solenoye on the shores of Lake Yashalta. Many Kalmykian herbal remedies have been recognized worldwide, especially for skin and respiratory diseases. From Berezovoe and Solenoye, tourists can head up north to reach the Ergeni hills. Contrary to the grasslands stretching out of sight, Ergeni is the only place with forests and mountains in Kalmykia. Tourists can explore the scenery or hunt for many valuable medicines in the forests. The Sarpa Freshwater Lake area is especially famous for its fishing and hunting activities. People in the area today also offer sand bath services. Tourists who want to see the Caspian Sea with endless stretches of white sand, come to Lagan. From a small fishing village, Lagan has now become a famous homestay tourist destination. Visitors need to keep in mind only one thing: Russian naval forces regularly patrol this coast. So, remember to bring your own documents, preferably with a tour guide. Chess is everywhere in life in the capital Elista. The city of temples Located on the transport axis connecting Central Asia with Northern Europe, Kalmykia has long absorbed many different cultures. The Kalmyk ancestors, the main ethnic group in this country, migrated from Xinjiang, China, to Kalmykia. They preserve their Central Asian culture while receiving activities and art from the Mongolian, Turkish and Russian communities living next to them. By the beginning of the 5th century, Tibetan Buddhism was introduced into Kalmykia and popularized until now. Kalmykia is also known with the nickname: “The only Buddhist republic in Europe”. Elista, the country’s capital and largest city, is also known as one of the few Buddhist centers in Europe. Tibetan Buddhism plays a key role, but there are also traditional features of Chinese and Japanese Buddhism here. The largest temple in Europe is the Golden Temple, located in the center of Elista. The temple was started construction in 2004 under the witness of the Dalai Lama during his visit to Kalmykia. Today, the Golden Temple is an attraction for Buddhists to pilgrimage from all over the world, with the tallest Buddha statue in Europe (9m high). Right next to the temple is the National Museum of Kalmykia, where guests can learn more about the history of Buddhism in particular and the history of Kalmykia in general. In addition to Buddhism, the capital Elista has many other interesting things to explore. Former President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov of Kalmykia was former President of the World Chess Federation. He put a lot of effort into making chess into the national sport. Nowadays, chess is included in the curriculum in schools, so wherever you go you can see people setting up chess boards or watching chess. Kirsan Ilyumzhinov’s greatest achievement is “Chess City”. It is a sports complex associated with the athletes village built on the occasion of the 1998 Chess Olympics and is now a tourist destination. Even the architecture here is also influenced by the chessboard that creates amusing, such as the International Chess Museum. In addition to watching the international chess tournaments held regularly, the favorite activity of tourists in the chess city is to play chess on the outdoor chess boards with giant chess pieces.