The altar sculpture of the Tubten Shedrub Ling temple in Kyzyl

Abstract

The altar sculpture of the Buddhist temple Tubten Shedrub Ling in Kyzyl has been studied. In 1992, His Holiness the Dalai Lama XIV pointed at and consecrated a site for a Buddhist temple in Tuva. Tubten Shedrub Ling, one of the largest Buddhist temples in Russia, was inaugurated in April 2023. The famous sculptor Dashi Namdakov made six monumental sculptures of Buddhist deities – Buddha Shakyamuni, Maitreya, White Tara, Green Tara, Kalachakra, and Vajrabhairava. The statues are made of modern composite material and covered with polychrome painting. The master created incredibly expressive cult images characterized by an organic fusion of the art traditions of Tibet, Nepal, Mongolia, Buryatia, and modern innovations. The study was performed using methods of stylistic, iconological and comparative analysis.

Keywords

• altar
• canon
• buddhist sculpture
• contemporary art