On February 1, head of FIDE arrived in Kalmykia on an unofficial visit. First of all, he visited the first Khurul, which came into existence here after the October Revolution. Syakyusn Syume (the name of Khurul) was built on donations from republic residents and on personal funds of Kirsan Ilyumzhinov.
Khurul was opened on October 5, 1996. Syakyusn Syume means "the Holy abode of enlightened monks". This name was given by His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama in advance before construction of the temple in 1992.
The construction site was consecrated by His Holiness during his second visit to Kalmykia in September 1992. And His Holiness consecrated Khurul itself during his third visit to Kalmykia in November 2004.
On June 17, 2005, Syakyusn Syume was visited by Russian President Vladimir Putin, who presented an old vase to Khurul. In memory of this we publish archival photos of Vladimir Putin's visit to Kalmykia.