Several events related to Kalmyk culture, Buddhism, sports, and diaspora heritage are scheduled in the near term. Note that exact details can change, and some information draws from announcements published in late July or early August 2026.

The "Song - the Soul of the People" project continues through August 14 with concerts and master classes across Kalmykia settlements, paired with exhibitions on Russian peoples' holidays.

On August 8, the sports festival for Physical Culture Day takes place in Elista as described above.

The Fifth Lotus Festival runs August 8-9 in Lagan and Dzhalykovo, featuring cultural performances, sports including SUP challenges, yoga, and ecological activities centered on the sacred lotus fields.

On August 15, 2026, the Kalmyk American Culture and Arts Foundation hosts a Naadam Festival (also called Jangariad) at Cruz Golf Club in Farmingdale, New Jersey, starting at 10:00 AM. This marks part of the 75th anniversary of Kalmyks in America. Planned activities include a golf tournament, traditional Naadam games, community soccer, performances, and culture and arts workshops. Registration is required via the organizers' site.

The exhibition "The Diamond Chariot. Buddhist Art of Russia" continues at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow through November 1, 2026, featuring Kalmyk Buddhist artifacts among over 700 items from multiple regions.

Later in August, the IV International Buddhist Forum is planned for August 17-20, 2026 (location details point to ongoing series involving Kalmykia, Buryatia, and others; previous editions were held in Kalmykia in 2025). Additional local Buddhist observances and heritage gatherings may occur in Elista's Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni and restored khuruls such as Dund Khurul in Khanata, which reopened earlier in the summer after restoration.

Trips to observe blooming lotuses from Elista continue into mid-August.

On August 8, 2026, a major sports festival dedicated to the All-Russian Day of the Physical Cultural Worker will take place at the stadium of the Vostochny sports complex in Elista's 8th microdistrict. The opening ceremony is scheduled for 18:00. Organizers invite residents and guests of the Kalmyk capital to participate actively.

The program includes women's volleyball (from age 16), streetball as part of the nationwide "Orange Ball" action, a 1000-meter run, arm wrestling, and GTO multi-event competitions with categories for beginners, advanced (including family teams), and "GTO without borders" for people with limited mobility. Additional activities feature the national game of alchiki, a laser rifle shooting tournament for parent-child teams (from age 12), and doubles badminton.

Registration details are available through the sports department of MCU MC "Initiative" by phone or email.

From August 5 to 14, 2026, Kalmykia is hosting a large-scale cultural initiative called "Song - the Soul of the People." The project aims to revive interest in folk song traditions, support the region's musical culture, and create opportunities for amateur groups in smaller communities to perform alongside professional artists.

It features 10 concerts and 6 master classes at venues throughout the republic, including Elista, Yashkul, Komsomolsky, Lagan, Iki-Burul, Priyutnoe, Troitskoe, Ketchenery, and Malye Derbety. Performers include international competition laureate Artem Mulaev and Galina Marfina, a candidate of art history and associate professor at the V.S. Popov Academy of Choral Art. Marfina will also lead master classes on contemporary folk singing practices. Participants will receive certificates.

Accompanying the events are 10 traveling exhibitions titled "Holidays of the Peoples of Russia," timed to the Year of the Unity of the Peoples of Russia. These display posters illustrating 30 unusual festivals created by ethnographers and young artists. Exhibitions open one hour before each concert.

Buddhist artifacts from the National Museum of Kalmykia named after N.N. Palmov will form part of a large-scale exhibition titled "The Diamond Chariot. Buddhist Art of Russia" at the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow. The project, organized in cooperation with the State Museum of the East and museums from Buryatia, Tyva, and Kalmykia, marks the Year of the Unity of the Peoples of Russia.

The Kalmyk contribution includes 30 exhibits such as Buddhist thangkas, sculptural images, cult objects, and photographs depicting Kalmyk khuruls and lamas. These items highlight unique aspects of Kalmyk spiritual culture and regional Buddhist art traditions. Overall, the exhibition brings together more than 700 exhibits, including previously unshown statues and paintings.

The display opens on August 3, 2026, and runs through November 1, 2026. Participation by the Kalmyk museum is seen as an important step in promoting Kalmyk culture and Buddhist artistic heritage to a wider audience.

In the settlement of Khanata in Maloderbetovsky District, the Dund Khurul, one of Kalmykia's oldest Buddhist temples, reopened its doors after a 12-year restoration effort. Founded in 1737 on the initiative of Derbet noyon Baatr Malyachi by Lake Khanata, the temple once housed Kalmykia's first higher Buddhist philosophical school of the Tsaniid system, along with schools for painters, physicians, and astrologers, a rich library, and an icon-painting school.

The original structure was destroyed in 1934. Partial markers appeared in the 2000s, but full reconstruction began in spring 2014 through community fundraising led by abbot Zungru Bagsh. Head of Kalmykia Batu Khasikov attended the opening ceremony and thanked the 16 clans for whom the khurul holds ancestral significance, as well as state supporters.

Shajin Lama of Kalmykia Geshe Tenzin Choidak and monks from the Central Khurul performed the consecration and a prayer service for the well-being of all living beings. Other abbots presented sacred relics and thangkas. A festive program with 16 yurts representing the clans featured Kalmyk cuisine and concerts. A rainbow appeared after a light rain at the close of events.

The fifth Lotus Festival will take place on August 8 and 9, 2026, in the Lagansky District of Kalmykia, primarily in the town of Lagan with additional activities in the village of Dzhalykovo. Organizers have framed the event under the concept "Lotus. Steps of Harmony," combining cultural, sports, ecological, and tourism programs.

Deputy Minister of Culture and Tourism of Kalmykia Baira Mikhailova, along with other officials, noted that the festival has become one of the republic's key summer tourist attractions over five years. Guests can expect meditative practices and yoga, children's activities, a foam party, concerts, traditional culture events, modern creative programs, and ecological actions. A theatrical opening on water will serve as a highlight on the first day.

Sports will feature prominently, including the open republican SUP surfing tournament "Lagan SUP Challenge" with sprint, technical, and marathon distances. Additional competitions cover mixed volleyball, beach soccer, long backgammon, and bamboo fights on SUP boards. Organizers anticipate around 3,000 visitors from various Russian regions and have prepared camping sites to support auto tourism.

The official Linktree page for the 75th Anniversary of Kalmyks in the United States serves as a central online hub for the Kalmyk-American community during this milestone year. Titled "75th Anniversary | Kalmyks USA Official," the page brings together information, events, and ways to get involved in celebrating the arrival of Kalmyk refugees in America beginning in the early 1950s.

Key features of the page include links to the official Instagram account, contact email, and a registration form to stay informed about upcoming events, volunteer opportunities, and donation options. The fiscal sponsor for the anniversary initiatives is the Kalmyk American Culture and Arts Foundation.

One of the major events highlighted is the Naadam Festival scheduled for August 15, 2026. The page provides a direct registration link for this celebration of traditional Kalmyk culture. Additional options allow visitors to donate in support of the anniversary year or register for volunteer orientation meetings related to planning and organizing community activities.

The 75th anniversary marks approximately 75 years since the first groups of Kalmyk refugees began settling in the United States after World War II. These early arrivals laid the foundation for the Kalmyk communities that continue today, particularly in New Jersey, New York, and surrounding areas. The official Linktree page helps coordinate efforts to honor that history while keeping the culture alive for younger generations.

Community members interested in participating can visit the page to find the latest updates, register for events, and support the ongoing work of preserving Kalmyk traditions in America.

The Kalmyk American Culture and Arts Foundation will host its Naadam Festival on Saturday, August 15, 2026, at 10:00 AM at the Cruz Golf Club in Farmingdale, New Jersey. This special event will bring the Kalmyk community together to celebrate traditional culture and mark 75 years of Kalmyk presence in America.

Naadam is one of the most important cultural celebrations for Mongolic peoples, including the Kalmyks. Traditionally, it features the “Three Manly Games” — wrestling, archery, and horse racing. These competitions have deep roots in nomadic history and symbolize strength, skill, and community spirit. While modern Naadam celebrations vary by region, they remain a joyful expression of identity, heritage, and pride.

This year’s Naadam Festival in New Jersey will give Kalmyk families, especially the younger generation, an opportunity to experience these traditions in person. Events like this play an important role in preserving Kalmyk language, customs, and cultural continuity outside of the homeland.

The Kalmyk American Culture and Arts Foundation has been actively working to keep Kalmyk heritage alive in the United States through cultural programs, education, and community gatherings. Hosting a full Naadam celebration represents a significant step in that mission.

The festival will take place at:

Cruz Golf Club
55 Birdsall Road
Farmingdale, NJ 07727

More details, including tickets and schedule information, will be shared closer to the date on the foundation’s Givebutter page.

This Naadam Festival is expected to be a meaningful day of connection, celebration, and cultural pride for Kalmyks across the tri-state area and beyond.

The Kalmyk Heritage Center reports significant Kalmyk participation in the Mongolian Naadam Festival in Washington, DC, from July 10–12, 2026. Approximately 80 Kalmyks, including members of three children’s performing groups, traveled to showcase Kalmyk culture, traditions, and performances alongside Mongolian and other participants. This event highlights the vibrant diaspora efforts to preserve and share Oirat-Kalmyk heritage, music, dance, and nomadic traditions rooted in Mongol-Buddhist culture.

Kalmyks, also known as Oirats, are a Mongolic people primarily residing in the Republic of Kalmykia in Russia, with Elista as its capital. They maintain a unique Tibetan Buddhist (Vajrayana) tradition in Europe, alongside steppe nomadic heritage.

Background on Kalmyk People and Culture

The Republic of Kalmykia is Russia's only Buddhist-majority region, home to the Kalmyk (Oirat) people who migrated from Central Asia centuries ago. Elista features iconic sites like the Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni (Burkhan Bakshin Altan Sume), one of Europe's largest Buddhist temples, symbolizing the community's spiritual life.

Cultural preservation includes efforts by organizations like the Kalmyk Heritage Center, documenting language, arts, and history amid historical challenges.

Source: By Original uploader was Buzava at en.wikipedia - Transferred from en.wikipedia, Public Domain, Link

Ingredients:

2 Packages Active Dry Yeast
¼ Cup warm water (105 to 115 degrees Fahrenheit)
Pinch of sugar

2 Eggs
½ cup sugar
1 stick sweet butter melted
1 ½ Cups Milk

3 Cups Flour
And then
2 ½ Cups Flour