Buddhist Traditional Sangha of Russia

St.-Petersburg buddhist monastery

"Datsan Kuntsechoinei"

Official site

last changed 02.11.98

Official Teacher of Datsan Kuntsechoinei, Yelo Tulku Rinpoche
together with the abbot, monks and a small part of the community on July 15 1998 at the walls of the monastery.

The Abbot, monks and parishioners of the St. Petersburg Buddhist Monastery "Datsan Kuntsechoinei" appeal for help!

On Jul. 23, 1998 our Monastery was captured by armed people. The Abbot and monks were banished from the building of the monastery under the threat of firearms and use of brute force. Armed guards from the private concern "Defense" were put at the doors of the Datsan. Since that moment the believers have not been allowed into the building of the monastery. All monks' belongings as well as ritual and other property of the monastery were captured by the aggressors.

During the period from Jul. 23 to Aug. 17, the monks lived in a summer-house in the monastery yard, where they held daily rituals for believers. On Aug. 17 the monks were driven by the guards of "Defense" out of the Monastery area. At the moment, they live in the apartments of lay members of St. Petersburg's Buddhist community.

As soon as the monastery was captured its Abbot Badmayev B.B. (monk name - Jampa Donyod) and representatives of Buddhist communities of the city applied to the St. Petersburg office of Public Prosecutor. Till the present moment the authorities have not solved the problem of the return of the monastery in accordance with Russian law.

On Jul. 26 the muted[?] meeting of monks and parishioners of "Datsan Kuntsechoinei" took place under the monastery walls with more than 150 persons present. Almost all city Buddhist communities took part in this meeting. The Board elected at the meeting demanded of the St. Petersburg authorities the immediate return of the monastery "Datsan Kuntsechoinei" to the monks and its opening for parishioners. At the meeting it was pointed out that the small group of people that had captured the monastery building does not belong to any of the city Buddhist organizations and were not parishioners of Datsan Kuntsechoinei till the moment of the takeover.

It was found out that the aggression was led by Chimitov, Agafonova, Krimpatich, Shablina, Rogovski, and Kalinina. They hired the private concern "Defense" to carry out the capture of the monastery and are planning to use the monastery building for commercial purposes. These people registered their community of 16 persons using counterfeit papers and the monastery address as their place of registration. Neither the Abbot, nor parishioners, nor the leaders of city Buddhist communities knew anything about the registration. And who did the aggressors elect as their community leader? They elected Chimitov who was he convicted twice for abuse of his position of employment, fraud and state and private property theft on a large scale according to the articles: N169, part 1; N22, part 3; N7, part 2; N172 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Our Monastery Datsan Kuntsechoinei is included in the All-Russian Buddhist Church, the Traditional Buddhist Sangha of Russia (till 1996 - The Central Religions Board). Its head Pandido Hambo Lama Damba Ayusheev appoints abbots of Buddhist monasteries and confirms the list of Buddhist clergy. There is no ecclesiastic among the people who captured the monastery. Their community was only registered in July 1998.

On Jul. 26 the Head of the Traditional Buddhist Sangha of Russia (Gelugpa), Pandido Hambo Lama Damba Ayusheev sent the letters to the Governor of St. Petersburg and Government of Russia wherein he asked for the return of the monastery to the monks headed by Abbot Badmayev B.B. and to deal with the people who captured the monastery in accordance with the Russian Law.

You can find more detailed information on the website of our monastery: http://geocities.datacellar.net/Athens/Academy/3528/indexe.html

For the present the English version of our site is not perfect, since we have some problems with translation.

We ask you for help.
We ask Buddhists pray for the return of the monastery to the monks and parishioners, to carry out rituals addressed to the Defenders.

You can help us by sending letters containing the demand to solve this problem immediately - to the President of Russia, to the General Public Prosecutor of Russia, to the Governor of St. Petersburg and Public Prosecutor of St. Petersburg. We ask you to send registered letters so that they have guaranteed delivery, moreover, besides letters, it would be useful to send faxes to the above-mentioned persons.

Will you please also send us copies of these letters to the address: Andrew Zotov Tramvayny prospect, house 9, block 3, apt. 18 St. Petersburg, Russia, 198207 fax (812)254-49-12.

List of addresses:

President of Russia Russia,
190000, Moscow, Kremlin, President of Russia
E-mail: prespr@gov.ru

General Public Prosecutor of Russia:
Russia, 103793, Moscow, Bolshaja Dimitrovka 15-э,
General Public Prosecutor of Russia

Governor of St. Petersburg
Russia, 193060, St. Petersburg,
Smolny, Governor of St. Petersburg
fax: (812) 276-18-27

Public Prosecutor of St. Petersburg Russia,
St. Petersburg, Pochtamtskaya Street 2/9, Office of Public Prosecutor
Phone/fax: (812) 314-42-66

We ask you to inform all Buddhists in your countries of what has happened. We would be grateful for any help. We thank everybody who has already supported and helps us.

Abbot of St. Petersburg Buddhist Monastery Datsan Kuntsechoinei lama Jampa Donyod Badmayev

Press secretary of Datsan Kuntsechoinei, the chairman of St. Petersburg Community of Yelo Tulku Rinpoche Jamyan Dondup (Andrew Zotov)
phone/fax: (812) 254-49-12 dondup-ch@usa.net

Coordinator of St. Petersburg traditional Buryat Community "Gelugpa"
Sambueva Tsiren-Dari
phone: (812) 153-90-96

Chairman of St. Petersburg Community "Sakyapa"
Antsiferov Georg
anciferov@usa.net

Chairman of St. Petersburg Community "Rimei" Fed'ko Vitali
corona@infopro.spb.su, rimei@corona.spb.su

Chairman St. Petersburg Community Zen "Kwan Um"
Fokina Olga
phone: (812) 307-06-93

Dandaron's Tradition.
Montlevich V.M.
vn@sk3269.spb.edu

Buddhists of St.Petrsburg ask for help 24.07.98
Press release 26 of July 1998 release by consensus of an assemly of the monks and lay community of Datsan Kuntsechoinei

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