Tibetan Buddhism is also important to the region, and is built on the concept of “Buddhahood”, or “Enlightenment”—a potential found in all living beings.
The first reliable news about the penetration of Buddhism to the shores of Lake Baikal dates back to 1441 - a bronze marching altar is kept in the national museum of Buryatia.
Yenisei Cossack foreman Konstantin Moskvitin mentions Buddhist temples (Dugans)in his reportsdated 1647. The documents say that 150 Mongolian and Tibetan lamas-preachers arrived to the Buryatia in 1712.
In 1741, Empress Elizabeth Petrovnasigned the decree that recognized Buddhism as one of the traditional religions of Russia.
The very concept of "buddha" means "enlightened" and is not the name of a particular deity. The word "buddha" can be used in the plural and can be written with a small letter.
Buddhist temples, datsans are constructed in the steppe and are visible from afar. Near the datsanprayer drums are installed (cylinders filled with sacred texts). One has to go around Datsanfrom left to right, scrolling prayer drums, and only after that is able to enter the temple.