Photographed outside the United Nation building in New York City , March 27, 1959. Kalmyk people were the first to protest at United Nation, calling for a  free Tibet.

Kalmykia is one of the three Buddhist republics in Russia , other two are Buryatia and Tuva. The populations of the three republics follow Tibetan Buddhism and regard the Dalai Lama as their foremost spiritual leader.

Dalai Lama’s last visit to Republic of Kalmykia was in 2004. Despite numerous request from Kalmykiya and other two Buddhist republics, Russia refused to give visa to Dalai Lama.