Nikolai talks about his clan, its history, place of habitat and famous people from his clan (including the lama Baazra bagshi, the lama Zhizhetn bagshi, and others). This is his story: I, Nikolai Edlyaevich Oshaev, am from Lamyn arvn (grouping) of the Shabiner clan of Dundu Khurul. I would like to tell you about my arvn, which descends from three brothers. Our Lamyn arvn (meaning ‘arvn of lamas’) derives its name from the fact that many lamas came out from our arvn. The Khambo Lama of Three Hundred Disciples, who was from our arvn, built the Dundu Khurul Temple. The most famous among our lamas was Baazra bagshi. He was born in 1846. When he was six, his father sent him to a temple. Being a smart student, Baazra was quickly promoted. In 1891 he travelled to Tibet, taking with him a document that had been brought to Kalmykia by Zhizhetn 135 years earlier. A person who had this document was obliged to travel to Tibet for an audience with the Dalai Lama three times in seven years. So, with this document Baazra bagshi came to see the Dalai Lama XIII. In the two years that he spent in Tibet Baazra bagshi visited all major temples, making notes of his travel. In Tibet Baazra bagshi was acknowledged as the reincarnation of Tsongkapa and received gifts, including 103 volumes of Ganjur, from the Dalai Lama. Baazra bagshi boarded the boat ‘Saratov’ in China that took the route Singapore – Constantinople – Odessa. In Odessa he got on a train to Sarepta from where he arrived in Kalmykia. Based on his journey notebooks, he wrote a book, which was printed in Russian by Andrei Pozdneev in 1896. Following the publication of this book, Baazra bagshi was elected a member of the Russian Geographical Society. In 1902 Baazra bagshi sent his robe to the exhibition of traditional dresses held in St Petersburg, after which his dress was handed over to the Russian Museum in the same city. For his contribution to the exhibition Baazra bagshi received a Silver Medal. After the Bolshevik takeover of the power, Dundu Khurul was headed by three lamas, all from Lamyn arvn, including Suuman Gavsh bagshi, Monkin Bor bagshi and Ovsh Ernzhene bagshi. There were many famous people from Dundu Khurul. For example, Gavril Davaev joined the Red Army in 1939, and fought in the Far East, for which he received the Medal of Red Star and the Medal of the First Rank. After the war, in 1947 he went to Siberia in search of his family (in 1943 the Kalmyk people were sent into exile to Central Asia and Siberia). When the Kalmyks were allowed to return to Kalmykia, in 1957 Gavril Davaev worked as the director of a secondary school, and in 1963 he became an Honoured Teacher. Another famous people from Dundu Khurul are the writer Aleksei Badmaev, the Hero of Socialist Labour Gakha Andreev, the receiver of all three Medals of Glory Khutsa Sandzhiev, the receiver of the Medal of Red Banner of Labour Donda Nadvidov, Sandzhi Badmaev, the writer Nadvid Ubushiev, the dean of the Biological Faculty of the Kalmyk State University Nina Lidzhieva. Today on the territory of Dundu Khurul we have a temple dedicated to the lama Tsongkapa, which was built by Zungru lama from Lamyn arvn. Before the exile in 1943, in Kalmykia people from Lamyn arvn lived in three villages, including Ik Khoton, Bichkn Khoton and Manzhin Kol. The total number of families in these villages was about 50. After the war, the number of families in Lamyn arvn was 82, and the head of the arvn was Muzra Lantsaev. Today Lamyn arvn has 130 families, excluding families headed by single parents. In 1719 when lord Chitrt divided his property and people among his three sons. The oldest son Chagdr received 780 families (today their descendants live in Arshan’- Zel’men’), the middle son received 1000 families (today they live in Khanata, Zurgan and Teryachi), and the youngest son received 250 families (they live in Malye Derbety). The sons built a temple each. The subjects of the oldest son were named Ik Khurul people, that of the middle son – Dundu Khurul, and the people of the youngest son came to be known as Bag Khurul people. Dundu Khurul consists of 16 arvn groupings. In 1852 there were four wooden buildings on the territory of Dundu Khurul. The first wooden building was built by the Germans who came from Sarepta. The biggest temple housed the Buddha Monkin Zu. The second wooden building was a temple dedicated to Tsongkapa. The third temple was that of Zhizhetn bagshi, and the fourth temple housed a prayer wheel. The temple of Zhizhetn bagshi has the following story. In 1756 a Kalmyk delegation of 60 people set off for Tibet. Among them were 30 people from Dundu Khurul, including a 16-year old lama named Tevkya. Having studied for six years in Tibet, this lama received the name of Zhizhetn bagshi from the Dalai Lama himself and was acknowledged as the reincarnation of Mahakala. The Dalai Lama also gave him gifts, including 108 volumes of Ganjur, five statues of Buddhas, books and a special document with a stamp. Any person who had that document was supposed to come to see the Dalai Lama three times in seven years. 135 years on, Baazra bagshi took that document and went to see the Dalai Lama in Tibet. During World War Two many men from Dundu Khurul joined the Red Army, and many returned home with medals and honours, including Ivan Zhigreev who was the personal adjutant to the Marshal of the Soviet Union Konstantin Rokossovskiy. Today the following people from our arvn are Doctors of Science: Pyurvya Erdniev, Evdokia Khabunova, Nina Lidzhieva, Boris Okonov, Muutl Okonov, and others. There are famous architects and sculptors as well.