Elista ()) - Travel & Tourism Guide Elista ()) - Russie

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With only a hundred thousand inhabitants, Elista is the capital of the Republic of Kalmykia, located in the middle of the Ponto-Caspian steppe. The Kalmuks, of Mongolian origin, are the only Buddhist people in Europe. They were still nomadic in the 1930s, but this way of life has almost completely disappeared. Elista, with its air of an oasis at the end of the world, is a timeless place that stands out from other Russian cities. The dry, ochre-coloured Kalmyk steppe that surrounds the city is breathtaking: you have to venture there, but on horseback. In spite of the dust, Elista is nicknamed "Little Paris", because the Kalmuks (who are also particularly Francophile) have the reputation of being very well dressed!