An article published on November 8, 2026, by Geeks Around Globe highlights the Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni in Elista, Europe's largest Buddhist temple (approximately 63 meters high), built by the Kalmyk (Oirat) people after their return from Soviet-era deportation.
The piece recounts the 1943 deportation of more than 93,000 Kalmyks (with significant loss of life), their 13 years in Siberian exile, the survival of only a few trained monks by 1989, and the rapid construction of the temple in nine months after the return. It frames Kalmyks as western Mongols/Oirats who settled on the lower Volga in the early 1600s and remain Europe's only predominantly Buddhist people. The article draws on sources including Wikipedia, RFE/RL, and others for historical context.