Publication in Russian on the Zen blog
https://dzen.ru/a/aarLzR-WRwI0jrg6
Catherine II officially recognized Buddhism as one of the state religions of the Russian Empire in 1764, establishing the post of Pandito Khambo Lama to govern Buryat Buddhists.
Her policy, based on Enlightenment ideas, ensured tolerance for Buddhism, which helped strengthen the loyalty of the indigenous peoples (Buryats, Kalmyks) and stabilize the border territories, despite her personal adoption of Orthodoxy.
The Empress was even revered by Buryat Buddhists as the earthly embodiment of the White Tara (Sita Tara), the deity of long life, purity and compassion.
This identification arose due to her religious policy aimed at recognizing Buddhism in Russia and supporting the Buddhist clergy.
Catherine the Great: The Enlightened Empress
https://www.publish0x.com/professional-videoproduction/catherine-the-great-the-enlightened-empress-xzrrmno
I recommend a selection of Oxford Notes in the blog for those who are interested in England.
I've been thoroughly hooked on books and materials on evolutionary biology and psychology, ethology, and neurophysiology, and I don't know how to stop.
Dawkins, Sapolsky, Lorenz, Chopra, Harari, Pinker, Peterson... I listen to lectures by Dubynin (I went to his special course at the Moscow State University Faculty of Biology) and Drobyshevsky.
To be honest, I haven't read fiction for 5 years (but I don't feel like it either), only popular science: biology, genetics, neurology, all kinds of naturalistic topics…
All this intellectual vinaigrette in my head is also accompanied by reading historical blogs about comparing the crisis of the Roman Republic and the transition to empire and the United States now, the Civil War in the States, as well as books about feminism.
Something like that…
Ekaterina Sveshnikova, England, London, Oxford University
And some more facts about England:
Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology, Oxford.
The first public museum in Great Britain.
Its first building was erected in 1678-1683 to house the Cabinet of Curiosities, which Elias Ashmole donated to Oxford University in 1677.
It is also the world's second university museum after the founding of the Basel Museum of Art in 1661 by the University of Basel.
Something interesting from the museum:
1. The History of England
2. God of fertility of pre-dynastic Egypt Min (18+)
3. Neolithic Yorick decorated with shells
4. The god of love, Eros, sleeps sweetly.
