TPI delegation with Prof Baatr Vitinov and researcher Anastasia Lyulina of the Peoples’ Friendship University
Two researchers from the Tibet Policy Institute, Dr Tenzin Desal and Mr Karma Tenzin recently concluded a visit to Russia. The delegation left Dharamsala on 27 October and returned back to Dharamsala on 7 November 2018.
During their visit, they met with academics and young researchers specializing in Tibetan studies in Moscow and St Petersburg.
The visit to Russia is coordinated by the Office of Tibet, Moscow.
On their visit to Moscow, they met with Dr Sergey Kuzmin of the Institute for Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences.
Honorary Representative of H.H. the Dalai Lama, Telo Rinpoche and staff of the Office of Tibet arranged their visit to academic institutions researching on various fields of Tibetan studies.
The researchers met with Prof Baatr Vitinov and researcher Anastasia Lyulina of the Peoples’ Friendship University, Moscow. During the meeting, the delegation briefed them about the Tibet Policy Institute and suggested future collaboration in academic research.
TPI researchers at the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts, Russian Academy of Sciences. (From left to right) Tenzin Desal (Research Fellow, TPI), Mr Karma Tenzing (Office of Tibet, Moscow); Dr Alexander Zorin (IOM, Russian Academy of Sciences); Mr Hortsang Jigme (Author and independent researcher) and Mr Karma Tenzin (Research Fellow, TPI)
On 1 November the researchers visited St Petersburg. They were received by Dr Alaxander Zorin of the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts, Russian Academy of Sciences. Dr Alaxander Zorin of the institute gave a detailed brief on Tibetan manuscripts housed at the institute and projects concerning cataloging and publications on Tibetan studies.
The researchers also visited the Datsan Gunzechoinei, a Buddhist monastery in St Petersburg built by Tsenshab Agwan Dorjiev in early decades of twentieth century. According to a report on its centennial anniversary since its founding, filed by the Office of Tibet in Moscow, quoting a researcher A. Andreev, it said: “in 1908 Tsenshab Agwan Dorjiev brought an official letter from His Holiness the 13th Dalai lama to the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs containing a request to build a prayer house for the local Buddhists in Saint-Petersburg, a capital city of Russia at that time. Previously, in 1906, 13th Dalai Lama, even though he had never been in St. Petersburg, mentioned to Tsenshab Agwan Dorjiev that the temple should be built in the northern part of the city. 1909 Agwan Dorjiev applied for the permission to build “a house with the prayer facilities”. He enclosed a certificate showing he has necessary amount of money (80 thousand rubles out of which 50 thousand was offered by the 13th Dalai Lama).”
The researchers then visited the St Petersburg State University and met with the faculty and research scholars of the department of Mongolian Studies and Tibetology, Faculty of Asian and African Studies. The meeting was attended by Prof Pavel Grokhovskii and Prof Vladimir Uspenskiy and research scholars of Tibetan studies.
The delegation from the Tibet Policy Institute briefed the scholars about their institute and their research projects. The students and research scholars of the department also introduced themselves and texts they have been working on as part of their academic investigation in Tibetan studies.
TPI researchers at Datsan Gunzechoinei, a Tibetan Buddhist monastery in St Petersburg