Wild red-book tulips bloom in the Kalmyk steppe in spring. Guests from all over the country come to Elista to see the blooming steppe and participate in the ethnic holiday. How is the tulip festival in Kalmykia and what to see in its Buddhist capital Elista in 1 day?
How to get to Elista
The Republic of Kalmykia is located in the Southern Federal District next to the Rostov and Volgograd regions and the Stavropol Territory.
From Moscow to Elista (1147 km), the easiest way is to fly by plane on a direct flight or with a transfer to Rostov-on-Don. Elista Airport is located 8 km from the city. Flights Moscow-Elista
- The Rostov-on-Don — Elista bus (361 km) travels for about 7 hours tickets and schedule
- Volgograd — Elista bus (267 km) — 6 hours tickets and timetable
- Stavropol-Elista bus (227 km) — 5 hours tickets and schedule
There is no railway passenger service to Elista at the moment. I arrived in Elista on a tourist train, which the Federal Passenger Company specially launched for the tulip festival.
The train leaves Moscow with stops in Rostov-on-Don and Elista and then returns to Moscow again. Tourists spend the night on the train, and during the day they get acquainted with the sights of the cities located on its route.
In 2024, the Blooming Steppe cruise train will leave Moscow on April 5. You can only buy a ticket or a ready-made travel package with excursions and meals.
Blooming steppe
The unique red book tulips that everyone dreams of seeing grow right in the Kalmyk steppe. They are not as perfect and spectacular as breeding tulips, but their beauty lies in their naturalness. The first to bloom are white tulips “snowdrops”, later — yellow tulips of Biberstein and red tulips of Schrenk (Gesner) — this species is listed in the Red Book.
There is a legend about the black tulip of the steppes, which blooms once every 9 years. Anyone who sees a black flower should never touch it, but just stand next to it and make a wish. Such luck happens only once in a lifetime and this meeting brings happiness.
In the XXI century, the population of wild tulips in Kalmykia has greatly decreased — they were trampled by animals and torn by people. It takes from 3 to 7 years for a flower to grow from a seed! Despite the protected status, the flowering area of steppe tulips is rapidly decreasing.
Wild tulips do not grow within the city limits. We left for the Kalmyk steppe in the morning. There were already people at the place of our stop and a police car was on duty. Steppe tulips can not be torn — a fine of 2500 rubles, besides, they wither quickly. We carefully walked around and photographed red and yellow flowers swaying in the wind.
The Kalmyk steppe is amazing in itself — its vast expanses stretch to the horizon. The Black Lands Natural Biosphere Reserve is located on two territories. It was planned to visit it in the program of our excursion, but, unfortunately, the road was washed out.
You can go to the steppe with an overnight stay in a tent accompanied by an experienced guide. Admire the steppe expanses and the endless sky, sitting by the campfire, listen to stories about the life of nomadic peoples and learn how to cook traditional Kalmyk dishes.
Kalmykia Tulip Festival
The Tulip Festival in Kalmykia has been held since 2013. The idea of the ethno-ecofestival is the preservation of red book tulips and the popularization of Kalmyk culture. Until 2022, the festival was held on the weekend in the second half of April, the exact dates were chosen according to weather conditions (tulips bloom at different times).
Now the tulip festival in Kalmykia lasts for a whole month from April 1 to April 30 in all regions of the republic. The main events take place in Elista, the central venue is Victory Square. If you want to get to the festive program, come to Elista on the weekend. All information is published on the official website of the tulip festival.
In 2021, the Kalmykia Tulip Festival was celebrated on Saturday, April 24. The events were held in the Virgin area on the territory of the Shatta eco-camp (20 km of the Elista-Volgograd federal highway). An ethnographic site, khoton, a traditional settlement of Kalmyks nomads, was built right in the steppe.
The festival opened with a theatrical show “Tulips — the souls of ancestors” with the participation of Kalmykian masters of art and historical reenactors. A sacred fire was lit under the ritual dancing in masks.
Then horsemen on giant camels and horses rode out of the steppe, followed by warriors with bows and spears. Women in bright national clothes brought up the rear of the procession. The leader of the ancient Kalmyks made a fiery speech in two languages.
After the end of the ceremony, I walked around the festival grounds. There are themed venues with activities in different places: music and dancing, decorative and applied arts, folklore, national sports, Kalmyk cuisine.
You could watch the Kalmyk belt wrestling, the battles of the historical reconstruction clubs, or shoot arrows yourself. At the master classes, they taught bone carving, felting, weaving the Kalmyk whip (mal), making rosaries from lotus seeds. They rode horses and camels of the Kalmyk Bactrian breed.
The smell of fried meat, which was cooked over an open fire, spread throughout the steppe. I went into the yurt, where I was treated to Kalmyk donuts — wrestlers.
The Tulip Festival in Kalmykia is a very colorful event filled with national flavor.
Buddhist places of Elista
Buddhism in Kalmykia became a religion in the second half of the XVI century, but after the persecution and deportation of the Kalmyk people, it was revived only in the 1990s. Therefore, all Buddhist monuments in the republic are new. Kalmyks are followers of the traditional Tibetan form of Buddhism.
On the day of the tulip festival, we toured Buddhist sites in the center of Elista, listening to the stories of a local guide who professes this religion. Our tour was organized by the Russian Railways TOUR, but you can book an excursion to Elista yourself.
The Pagoda of Seven Days
The cultural complex of the Seven Days Pagoda stands on the main square of Elista — Lenin Square. This 7-tier structure was built by monks from India in 2005. There is a prayer drum inside the pagoda, and it and other Buddhist drums should be turned clockwise. There are 75 million mantras in the drum, so one circle is enough.
There is a modern fountain “Three Lotuses” between the Pagoda of Seven Days and the monument to Lenin. The silver pillars are crowned with golden lotus flowers, a symbol of purity and perfection. Behind the fountain is the central hotel “Elista”.
The lotus Festival is held in Kalmykia near the Caspian Sea in the village of Dzhalykovo, Lagan district. Lotuses bloom from mid-July to mid-August. The program of the lotus festival is similar to the tulip festival. In addition to lotus contemplation and a festive concert, it includes a craft fair, workshops and national games.
The Triumphal Arch (South Gate) was installed in Elista on Pushkin Street in 2012 in honor of the 200th anniversary of Russia’s victory over Napoleon.
Next, you need to move along the Alley of Heroes, where other Buddhist attractions of Elista are located.
Shakyamuni Buddha Statue is the only Buddha statue in Russia installed outside the Buddhist hurul.
Golden Gate “Altn Bosch” with 28 paintings telling the story of the Kalmyk people.
Next to the statue of the White Elder, the patron saint of the Kalmyks, Tsagan Aav, colored ribbons are tied.
Buddhist buildings are interspersed with civilian ones: a war memorial, an eternal flame and a monument to the folk storyteller of the Kalmyk epic — dzhangarchi Elyan Ovla. There is a small Eastern Rotunda in the middle of the Alley of Heroes.
The Golden Abode of Shakyamuni Buddha
The main Buddhist temple of Kalmykia is visible from afar (height 63 meters). The Buddhist Hurul was inaugurated on December 27, 2005 after a visit to Elista by the spiritual leader of the Buddhists, His Holiness the Dalai Lama XIV. The temple “Golden Abode of Shakyamuni Buddha” is called “the pearl of the Kalmyk steppes.”
Under the guidance of a guide, we made a kora (clockwise detour) around khurul, turned 4 large prayer drums dedicated to various benefits and examined all 17 sculptures of the great Pandits of Nalanda Monastery.
On the day of the tulip festival, there was a long queue at the entrance. In the hurula of Elista there is the tallest 9-meter Buddha statue in Russia and Europe, covered with gold leaf. Sacred objects for Buddhists are hidden inside the statue: mantras, prayers, incense and earth from all over the republic. You cannot take photos inside the temple.
2.5 km from the main temple of Kalmykia there is another Buddhist monument of Elista — the Stupa of Enlightenment (1999). It is called “Monlam Tamched Drupa” or “Fulfillment of all wishes”. It is believed that the Stupa of Enlightenment brings good luck, harmony and protection. A meditation room is located at the base of the 11-meter stupa, and valuable Buddhist relics are laid inside.
Arriving at the tulip festival in Elista, I learned not only about the nature of Kalmykia, but also about the history, traditions and religion of people living in this region of Russia. It’s worth staying here for a few days. There are not many hotels in Elista, book in advance, especially for weekends and holidays.
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