CHARITY AND MEDICAL ACTIVITIES OF THE BUDDHIST CLERGY OF EASTERN SIBERIA DURING THE WORLD WAR I (ON THE BASIS OF THE MATERIALS OF THE STATE ARCHIVE OF THE REPUBLIC OF BURYTIA)

Abstract

The author studies some issues connected with the activities of the Buddhist eparchy represented by Pandito Khambo-lamas, abbots of the Buryat datsans, and healing lamas during the World War I. The relationship of the Buddhist clergy with the representatives of the regional authorities – gover-nors-general, district and uyezd authorities, foreign administrations and volost foremen is also considered. The goal of the research is to study all possible as-sistance of the Buryat datsans to the victims of military operations, hospitals, families of dead and wounded soldiers; the Buryats mobilized for rearguard work. For its solution, the following main tasks have been set: 1) to study the interaction of the Buddhist clergy with the Russian Red Cross society, the cre-ation and activities of the All-Buryat Committee for collecting donations for the needs of the war; 2) analyze the activities of lama healers among the Bur-yats mobilized for rearguard work during the World War I. The materials stored in the funds of the State archive of the Republic of Buryatia, as well as the scientific works, mainly the Buryat researchers’ publications, have provid-ed the work basis. As a result of the study, it was found out that the initiative to collect donations among the Buryat datsans initially came from the govern-ment bodies and was later actively supported by the Buddhist clergy of East-ern Siberia and the Buryat elite. Many details of the collection of donations in the Buryat datsans and their parishes to help the victims of the war have been traced. It has been found out that the lama healers provided all possible sup-port to the Buryats mobilized for rearguard work. On the basis of the materi-als of the State Archive of the Republic of Buryatia the names of some lamas healers, who had worked in difficult conditions in the region of Arkhangelsk, were identified. Thus, we have studied and supplemented some topical issues of the charitable and medical activities of the Buddhist clergy during the World War I.