The second year CERES student Maria Gavrilova is currently in the Autonomous Republic of Buryatia, Russia, researching contemporary Buddhist practices. She is busy visiting datsans ( local Buddhist temples) and local Buddhist communities. She is particularly interested in the only women’s datsan in Russia, where she is interviewing nuns who devoted their lives to the practice despite the social pressure to have family and children.  With the help of a local professor, Maria is also lining up the interviews with important Buddhist figures in Ulan Ude. Some questions that drive her study are:  What is the attitude of regional and national authorities to Buddhist practices in Buryatia? Are there educational opportunities there for young monks/nuns or they must study abroad? What needs to be done to promote and support Buddhism all over Russia? What is the future of Russian Buddhism? After her fieldwork in Buryatia is complete, Maria is planning to visit Mongolia to compare Buryat and Mongolian Buddhism.