'A State Of Siege': Russian Buddhists, Mining Company In Mountaintop Showdown

By Amos Chapple

A land dispute between a band of Buddhists and a mining company part-owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich is coming to a head following years of stalemate.

After talks broke down between Evraz, a London-headquartered mining company, and a small group of Russian Buddhists occupying a mountaintop in western Siberia, local authorities have vowed to "resolve the issue as soon as possible."

Meanwhile, the Buddhists decry what they say are underhanded tactics to force them off the disputed land.

Shad Tchup Ling was founded in 1995 by Mikhail Sannikov, a former Soviet soldier who saw heavy action during the 1979-1989 occupation of Afghanistan. He converted to Buddhism soon after his return to the U.S.S.R.

Evraz claims the land Sannikov chose to build on sits atop a vast deposit of iron ore, which the mine needs to expand their business and keep thousands of locals employed. Sannikov and his followers never received a permit to build on the isolated mountaintop and have no legal recourse to stop Evraz taking over the site.

But with its photogenic, Himalayan appearance, Shad Tchup Ling monastery has become Instagram-famous, and each year the nearby town of Kachkanar hosts thousands of mostly Russian tourists who come to make the hike to the mountaintop monastery.

The issue of removing the monastery has been further complicated by the building of several stupas, sacred Buddhist shrines, at the site. The optics of Buddhist monuments being crunched into rubble by a demolition crew has the potential to spark an international outcry.