The strange, circuitous history of Europe’s oldest Buddhist temple

Khosheutovsky khurulExcavating GirsuNomadic architecture: the Nenets chumNutag – homelandChinoiseriePersistence of vision IIIVultures of TibetAfrica’s cultural landmarks: rock-hewn churches of Lalibela, EthiopiaKitezh-VladimirskoeMountain manThis video essay from the YouTube channel Kings and Things explores the intricate history and unique architecture of what’s widely considered to be the oldest surviving Buddhist temple in Europe: Khosheutovsky khurul in southwestern Russia. With rich archival imagery, the video traces its founding as a memorial to members of a Kalmyk regiment that fought Napoleon’s army, through its shuttering following the Russian Revolution, to its reopening and continued use today – albeit in a significantly modified form. From the story of this single structure emerges a brief introduction to the Kalmyk people and a unique perspective on two centuries of Russian history.Video by Kings and ThingsvideoArchaeologyWhat’s an ancient Greek brick doing in a Sumerian city? An archeological investigation16 minutesvideoArchitectureCultural wisdom begets cozy temporary homes for the Nenets of the Siberian Arctic32 minutesvideoDemography and migrationPainted frame by frame, a vivid animation restores a history lost to deportation6 minutesvideoArchitectureTour the European architecture that dreamed of a wondrous, fictitious China16 minutesvideoArchitectureWhy they’re dancing at the world’s northernmost medieval cathedral2 minutesvideoRituals and celebrationsTo Tibetan Buddhists, sky burials are sacred. To tourists, they’re a morbid curiosity21 minutesvideoArchitectureExplore the wondrous Ethiopian churches that are carved into the Earth8 minutesvideoTravelPostcards from Vladimirskoye – the sleepy town near the ‘Russian Atlantis’9 minutesvideoEarth science and climateThe only man permitted in Bhutan’s sacred mountains chronicles humanity’s impact22 minutes