Nartan Kangyur as an Object of Archaeological Research and Cult Practice in Buryatia

Introduction. The article is devoted to the study of the Narthang edition of Kangyur from the collection of the Tibetan fund of the Institute for Mongolian, Buddhist and Tibetan Studies of SB RAS presented there in one complete and three incomplete versions. The relevance of the study is concerned with the need to represent the Buddhist canon not only as a source contains the essence and richness of Buddhism but also as a sacral object of religious veneration and possessing true significance in the constructing and functioning in the spiritual space of various societies. The aim of this work is to introduce the collection of Narthang Kangyurs from Institute for Mongolian, Buddhist and Tibetan Studies of SB RAS into scientific circulation and to describe its structure. Conclusions. The editions of the Nartan Kangyur kept in the Tibetan collection from the Institute for Buddhist, Mongolian and Tibetan studies represent a unique source for various studies primarily in the fields of historical, source-study and archaeographic directions. An analysis of historical and archaeographic datasets revealed that the Narthang Kangyur occupies an important and a unique position among the other woodcut editions of the Buddhist canon, demonstrating its particular significance for the everyday religious culture of Buryat Buddhists. The predominance of Narthang editions of the Buddhist canon allows them to be characterized as the most significant not only in terms of quantity but also in terms of their impact on the religious space of Buryatia.

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