Red Shambhala: Magic, Prophecy, and Geopolitics in the Heart of Asia

This title is an attempt to chart out how, after the demise of Manchu-ruled China (1911) and Tsarist Russia (1917), nationalist sentiments of various Mongolic peoples seeking independence, coupled w/ a regurgitated (Indo-) Tibeto-Mongol Shambhala myth, were exploited by the Soviets for exporting Commie internationalism and by other participants for their selfish ends (i.e., Theosophist/senior AMORCist Nicholas Roerich's 'Great Plan' to establish his own theocracy in the region). Hence the analysis spans the period from the 1910s through the 1930s, the focus being on the events of the 1920s. The best parts are those that draw heavily on Russian sources."[T]he Bolsheviks were apprehensive about building large anticolonial alliances involving people of the same religion and the same language family...This explained the Bolsheviks' uneasiness about and even fear of such supranational units as pan-Mongolism, pan-Turkism, and pan-Buddhism. While working to anchor themselves in Asia, they were ready to tolerate such coalitions for a short while as an unavoidable evil. But as a permanent solution they were totally unacceptable" (p. 113).Among the major topics and persons involved, arranged below in a somewhat chronological order, we encounter the following:A) The Kalmyk Dambi-Dzhamtsyn/Ja-Lama's liberation war against the Chinese (1911-14) and the Soviet-backed Red Mongols (chapter 2 & pp. 138-41); a brief account of Cossack platoon leader, monarchist 'mad baron' Roman von Ungern-Sternberg incursion into Mongolia in 1921 (pp. 117-25).B) Two members of the "Kabbalistic Order of Rose + Cross" (KORC, founded in 1888) from Ukraine, Alexander 'Red Merlin' Barchenko and Jew Gleb Bokii: the former was a spiritual seeker and Martinist whose "positive occultism" was initially influenced by Synarchist Saint-Yves d'Alveydre's ideas, while the murderous Bokii worked as chief cryptographer at the autonomous Special Section of the Soviet secret police/OGPU (ch. 3-4)."In the 1920s, when the Bolshevik utopia firmly entrenched itself in power, there was no shortage of quacks who besieged the Soviet government and the secret police, advertising their miraculous remedies and technologies designated to advance the country toward a bright future" (p. 84).Barchenko aspired to aid the Communist cause with the scientific knowledge gained from Shambhala, which in his mind was located in the Himalayas/Tibet. The ambitious plan he and Bokii had for an expedition to Tibet eventually was aborted in 1925, thanks to the intrigues of Commisar for Foreign Affairs, Georgy Chicherin and Meer Trilisser, chief of the OGPU foreign intelligence bureau.C) Cursory mention of Red Mongols like the Buryat intellectual Elbek-Dorji Rinchino, his Buddhist monk compatriot named Agvan Dorzhiev/Dorjieff (not to be confused w/ con-man Gurdjieff) who - after serving as a tutor of the 13th Dalai Lama Thubten Gyatso and being an envoy to Lhasa in Tsarist times - jumped on the Bolshevik bandwagon only to become disillusioned by the mid-1920s; ex-monk Khaian Khirva and the Tibetan Naga Naven, the Mongol Choibalsan and Sukhe-Bator, et al.D) Three Soviet expeditions to Tibet, disguised as Mongol pilgrims, between the fall of 1921 and February 1928, which were headed by the Kalmyk Vasili Khomutnikov, Oirat Sergei Borisov, and Kalmyk Arishi Chapchaev, respectively (pp. 142-53). The aims were either to lure the Dalai Lama to their side, or plant revolutionary cells among low-rank monks, and to establish a Mongol embassy in Lhasa. Fortunately, none of these came to fruition.E) Please look elsewhere if you want to understand the enmity between Thubten Gyatso and the 9th Panchen Lama Chökyi Nyima.For a fairly recent study, see French Tibetologist Fabienne Jagou's  Ninth Panchen Lama (1883-1937), The: A Life at the Crossroads of Sino-Tibetan Relations , English translation by Rebecca B. Buechel, 2012 Chiang Mai (original edition 2004 Paris).F) An extensive discussion concerning the life and adventures of traveler, painter, dreamer of self-grandeur Nicholas Roerich and his family/inner circle (pp. 155-222). Of special importance here are his failed expedition to enter Tibet (1927-8) and a "botanical mission" to Inner Mongolia - Manchuria (1934-5)."It is quite possible that Boris [Roerich] was a bargaining chip in some devious and sophisticated spy game that involved Nicholas Roerich...[O]ne cannot totally exclude the possibility that at some point Roerich was simply blackmailed by the Soviet secret police and forced to perform occasional clandestine assignments, especially during his Manchurian venture...They could include monitoring Japanese military activities near Red Mongolia's border, the location of their troops and military hardware, the status of Manchuria as a puppet state, and the general geopolitical situation in the area..." (p. 221).G) Many of the characters featured in the book fell victim to dictator Stalin's paranoia-fueled purges in 1937-8 (epilogue) - decapitating military-intel top brass on the eve of WWII was a smart move indeed.Endnotes - bibliographical references (pp. 237-56), illustration credits (p. 257), index (258-67); 40 b&w pics + 1 sketch map.Corrigenda/addenda:After an introductory summary of the Shambhala myth in chapter 1, the author demonstrates his gross misunderstanding of what Buddhist Tantra (as per Kálachakra) and related iconography are about. No wonder, though, since one of Znamenski's chief sources with four references happens to be Victor and Victoria Trimondi's - pseudonym for a former (?) Maoist German named Herbert Röttgen and his wife, Mariana - Tibet-bashing hatchet job entitled  Der Schatten des Dalai Lama. Sexualität, Magie und Politik im tibetischen Buddhismus. ('The Shadow of the Dalai Lama' 1999).> "Kalachakra teaching[s ...were] translated into Tibetan in the 1200s" (p. 8) - Said Tantra cyle was introduced to Tibet in 1027 and the first translation was done by Gyi-jo lotsawa, which were followed by many others over the centuries (see p. 97 in the monumental 15th century Tibetan religious history called  The Blue Annals (Two parts in One) (Pt. 1 & 2)  that was rendered into English by none other than Nicholas Roerich's travel companion and Orientalist son, George; for the transmission lineages of Kálachakra precepts, see book 10 on pp. 753-838 in the same work).> The classification of Buddhist Tantras as "father, mother, dual [sic; correctly: non-dual]" (p. 9) which correspond to Mahá-, Anu, and Atiyoga/Dzogchen.> He claims the "stage of perfection" (Tib. rdzogs rim) is a secret initiation of the highest level (p. 10), whereas in tandem with the "stage of production[/generation]" (bskyed rim) they are common phases of creative visualization.> The baloney according to which Kálachakra empowerment involved initiation of sexual kind and that Buddhist tántrikas reach "eternal bliss through mastering bodily fluids" (pp. 9-11). Znamenski even goes as far as suggesting that the "drinking and group sex" at the above mentioned womanizer Gleb Bokii's summer cottage were inspired by Kálachakra (pp. 88-90). Equating subtle body workings with or reading them into processes of human anatomy is a grave error, no matter what.> One is under the impression that in the author's understanding the two Manchu resident commissioners (amban) were posted in Lhasa only as late as 1908 (pp. 22-3), while in reality the first pair was installed in 1728 (or 1721?).> "Kalon...felowship, a sacred brotherhood of the Panchen Lama's devoted followers..." (p. 23). Not quite: bka'-blon (pronounced kalön) denotes 'ministers' in the Dalai Lama's government.> In reference to the epic king Gesar (pp. 25-7), it is worth to note that his name is a cognate of the Latin 'Caesar' > German 'Kaiser'.> "Sikkim, a small Indian principality" (p. 175) can be rather misleading because it was a hereditary Buddhist kingdom, then under the protection of British India, ruled by the Namgyal Dynasty (1647-1975) with their origin being traced back to Kham in Eastern Tibet.> "[T]he town of Darjeeling (a corrupted version of dorje lingam [hard penis], the capital of Sikkim" (p. 176) -- This place name in fact derives from the Tibetan rDo-rje gling, that is 'Diamond/Thunderbolt Island', which is said to commemorate a Nyingma treasure revealer of the same appelation (1346-1405). Darjeeling has never been the capital of Sikkim, what's more it was ceded to British India in the 1830s. The capital of the said country at the time was and still is Gantok ('Hilltop').> The caption to the photo on p. 177 says, "Nicholas Roerich with visiting Buddhist monks." They are more likely to be Tibetan or Bhutiya tradesmen, local porters and hill people with their family members.> According to the caption to the photo on p. 203, the third person standing from the left is Konstantin Riabinin, when in fact he appears to be a Tibetan or local Bhutiya dignitary.> I did a little research on the background of two shady characters (Khaian Khirva and Naga Naven - cf. section C above) to independently verify their existence and add to the meagre information provided by Znamenski on pages 62-3. Here is what I've found: 1) As for the first one, whose name is also spelled/transcribed as Namzilun Qayangkirva, Namdjilin Khayankhirvaa, or Xajan Xirva, he was a monk from Urga (Mongolia) who studied and taught Buddhist philosophy in the monastic colleges of Kalmykia. He also travelled to Turkey. From November 1926 to the end of December 1928, Khirva served as the head of Mongolian secret police (the Bureau of Internal State Protection, same as the dreaded Dotood Yam?). However, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison camp during the so-called "Lhümbe Affair" in 1934 but was found dead a day after his conviction. Source: fn. 23 on p. 295 in a paper by Alexandre Andreev, titled 'Le Mythe de Shambhala revisité: l'occultiste Alexandre Bartchenko et le pouvoir Soviétique,' in: Slavica Occitania no. 29: pp. 287-310, 2009 Toulouse, referencing a 1997 publication of a Mongolian author by the name of G. Düinxerzav.2) The only information about the enigmatic, alleged Tibetan Naga Naven - "the governor of Western Tibet," no less -, although his name is in Hindi, can be gleaned from the protocols of Barchenko's interrogation, dated 10 June, 1937, as cited in Shishkin 1999 and Andreev 2004 (see relevant titles under endnotes 8 and 10 on p. 238). My suspicion is that the "Red Merlin" made up this fictional character to please his interrogators not long before his execution in 1938. Alternatively, there may have been an impostor posing as 'Naga Naven' of the bogus "Great Brotherhood of Asia" in 1923, who assumed a new identity after this assignment. Another interesting title by Alexandre Andreev, not listed by Znamenski among his sources -  Okkul'tist Strany Sovetov  ["Occultist of the Country of Soviets/Councils. The Mystery of Doctor Barchenko"], 2004 (or 2005) Moskva.> Not mentioned in the book, but the following is worth considering (in connection w/ section D above): "In 1928 another visitor, believed to be a high military official of the Soviet, arrived at Lhasa where he lived in considerable style for over a year. This mysterious figure, a large red-faced man, possibly a Buriat, whose name was Po-lo-te, is said to have been on intimate terms with many high officials at Lhasa, and to have been received by the Dalai Lama. In March 1930 he was reported to be traveling to India [south], but he disappeared, in the direction of Nagchuka [northeast]." See Hugh Richardson's "Tibetan Precis" 1945: p. 36, reproduced in  High Peaks, Pure Earth: Collected Writings on Tibetan History and Culture  p. 564, 1998 London.

This twisted tale of Russian revolution and mysticism comes alive off the pages of the book. Interweaving a story of epic proportions, Andrei Znamenski reveals to the reader some of the stranger sides of Central Eurasian occults. A great read for any student of history, especially those who enjoy some very flamboyant and colorful characters. From the Mad Baron to Ja-Lama, the eccentric cast help reveal the nature of Shambhala.

This well-researched and fascinating book, balances the right side of the equation , (i.e. the Nazi attraction to Tibetan Buddhism and the occult ) , with the long history of the Left totalitarian aspirations of fanatics, that have been attracted to the Shambhala myth for their political 'utopian' movements. A very important book and a warning that Tibetan Buddhism and its myths are being used again by the same groups.

I could not put this book down. Being quite ignorant of this part of the world it enlarged and expanded my knowledge and compassion. Also being a student of the theosophical and ancient universal wisdom teachings for many decades this book has refined my understanding and will certainly influence my future thinking on these topics.

If you wondered about latest new age shambala myth originated and how russian politicans of early bolshevik era used it , this is the book for you. Well researched , concise,honest with no dogma.

Perhaps this history is not to be trusted perhaps the scholarship is problematic perhaps the story is fantastic in the extreme but it is an interesting diversion from standard histories of central Asia.

I heard about this book from a pod cast called stuff they don't want you to know. I really dig anything about shambhala and discoveries of lost culture s

Boring and absurd. Unless you are an occultist and take the silliness of the East seriously, save your money. I thought this book was about communist subversion of the East, actually it was the nuttiness of mixing communism and Buddhism to conquer the world!!???

Excellent synopsis of political shenanigans on the Eurasian steppes through to Mongolia in the early Bolshevik era, often masquerading as mystically inspired enterprises, but more likely led by deluded individuals, often megalomaniac, who did not really understand the milieu they were operating in - as many found out to their cost.As concise an analysis and as complete a debunking of the myth of Shambhala as anyone could want. With Shambhala having become somewhat of a hippie / New Age symbol for the modern West, it is too easy to forget that originally it was an avenging "Return of the King" myth. This book is the story of how various individuals attempted to exploit that myth.Essential reading, especially for anyone that has ever had an interest in the Roerich husband and wife team.

Ottimo