The Khurul Through the Eyes of Elista College of Arts Students

At the heart of their creative works stands the khurul.

Every year, on the grounds of and near our temple, first- and second-year students of the painting department of the Elista College of Arts carry out their study practice.

Painting outdoors, it is important for the young artists to capture not merely the appearance of “The Golden Abode of Buddha Shakyamuni,” but to convey its lines and proportions, to show the play of light and shadow, and to emphasize its unique national character.

As the students themselves note, for them this is not just an ordinary study practice, but an opportunity to feel the connection between art and spiritual space, to learn to convey on paper not only form, but also the atmosphere of the place — the very atmosphere that makes the khurul a point of support for many people.

According to Yuri Davydov, a teacher at the College of Arts, it is precisely here that their students take a noticeable step forward: “Working with such an expressive subject, the young people learn to sense light more subtly, to build composition more confidently, and to notice the details that make up the character of a building. Each study — is an individual view of a young artist, an attempt to catch and preserve the mood of the moment.”