Once more the Buryat people wake to the sound of conch shells and ritual chanting. The coloured robes of Tibetan monks and gold topped temples are a common sight in this isolated land which has been Russia's cultural centre of Buddhism for 300 years. The monastery's head Llama is a pillar of the community and locals seek his advice on just about everything from marriage to medical problems. On a typical morning his office is full of peasants awaiting his wise words. At the turn of the century this part of Siberia boasted 46 Buddhist temples. Most were destroyed during communism - faith was not necessary to life. Now the ordinary people are rebuilding that faith all over the former Soviet Republic.

Produced by ABC Australia