On November 10, 2026, RIA Kalmykia reported that speakers have been announced for the Youth Buddhist Forum 2026, set to begin in a couple of days in the steppe capital of Elista. The venue is the Agroprompark, located south of the airport territory. Participants can be young people aged 18 to 30 inclusive. The forum is supported by the Fund for Supporting Buddhist Education and Research and will unite representatives of the clergy, tourism sector, modern technologies, and social initiatives.
Invited speakers include Geshe Yonten, Chairman of the Central Spiritual Administration of Buddhists; Dolgan Zurgadaev, President of the Yoga Federation of Kalmykia; Maria Kiselyova, strategic partner of the regional tourism consortium Trends Travel Consulting; Nikita Glukhov, creative producer, AI products developer, and author of DJ BlockNote; and Anastasia Tsybulevskaya, General Director of ANO "Klassnaya Strana" and Director of Socio-Economic Initiatives at Strategy Partners. The program includes discussions on developing youth initiatives, tourism, and modern technologies. Experts will share professional experience and views on these areas. This updates earlier announcements of the November 12-16 event focused on Buddhist values, philosophy, culture, meditation, and Kalmyk traditions.