Buddha's statue returns to Europe's most northern Buddhist temple

Buddha's statue restored in Thailand was handed over to believers in Europe's most northern Buddhist temple in St. Petersburg. The restoration of the statue was the present of the Kingdom of Thailand to the 300th anniversary of the Russian northern capital which is celebrated in 2003.

The ceremony was held as part of Thailand's Days in Russia's second largest city. Thai Vice Premier Chaturon Chaisang and Culture Minister Uraivan Thienthong took part in the ceremony.

The Buddhist temple was open in St. Petersburg in the beginning of the 20th century. The ancient statue of Buddha presented by the King of Thailand was one of its shrines. During the Communist revolution of 1917 the statue was seriously damaged and restored in Thailand only a year ago.