In the early 17th century, the ancestors of Kalmyks separated from the Oirats of Dzungaria and migrated to the region between the Volga and the Don River, north to the Caspian Sea. They brought their own tradition of Tibetan Buddhism with them. On the base of Mongolian alphabet, an outstanding Oirat Lama Zaya Pandita developed a new Oirat alphabet, Kalmyk – Oirat written language and translated many buddhist scriptures from Tibetan into Kalmyk language.  The leader of Kalmyk buddhists was appointed by the Russian tsar and was titled Lama of Kalmyk people. His residence being sutuated in Astrakhan.  The Kalmyks had a unique style of architecture, with temples sometimes built with spires. Most temples, however, were of the portable kibitra type, consisting of a large yurta tent on wheels.  In the beginning of 20th centiry in Astrakhan region (guberniya) there were about 23 big and 40 small buddhist temples. In 1930 – 1937 Lenin – followers – “proletarians” – in furious madness destroyed and plundered the buddhist shrines of Kalmykia. The only building, that those barbarians – atheists failed to destroy completely, was Khosheutovsky khurul. That monastery was built in 1818 by a Kalmyk cavalry officer, the head of Khosheut tribe of Kalmyks, Serenjab Tyumen in Tyumenevka settlement (nowdays Rechnoye villige), a 100 km to the north of Astrakhan. The kalmyk calvary had helped the russians in the war against France, and Tyumen had participated all the way to Paris. Tyumen, being thankfull to Buddha for victory over Napoleonic army, sponsored the construction of a Buddhist temple. Architecturian prototype of that temple is Kazan Cathedral (in St. Petersburg). Both those temples have a large courtyard encircled by a porch with a colonnade.