The official proclamation by Ignatius Leong, FIDE General Secretary, declares:

“In the steppes was built the world’s first ever ‘chess city‘ which housed the foreign visitors who witnessed how a small city with a small population provided one of the best hospitality to the world chess community. I am sure the visitors today (more…)

Russian Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliev visited Orthodox chapel and Central Buddhist temple of Kalmykia (kalmyk khurul).

Rashid Nurgaliyev is located in Kalmykia with brief working visit. In Elista Rashid Nurgaliev held meetings of the antiterrorist commission and Operations Staff, which was attended by representatives of the National Anti-Terrorism Committee and the Southern Federal District, reports KalmykiaNews agency.

After the meeting, Russian Interior Minister Rashid Nurgaliyev with President of FIDE and Kalmykia Kirsan Ilyumzhinov (more…)

Vice President of the Russian Chess Federation, President of the Kalmyk Chess Federation Mr. Valery Bovaev is appointed Vice Prime Minister of the Government of the Republic of Kalmykia, Head of the Governmental Administration of the Republic of Kalmykia.

In this connection, FIDE President Kirsan Ilyumzhinov congratulated this outstanding chess organizer with the appointment. (more…)

Rosenergomash Concern and the Kalmyk Republic Government commence construction of a new electrical engineering plant.

Kirsan Ilumzhinov, the Head of the Kalmyk Republic, the President of the World Chess Federation (FIDE), and Vladimir Palikhata, the President of Rosenergomash Concern, signed an agreement for construction of Elista Energomash plant at the Hannover Industrial Trade Fair.

Russian Rosenergomash Concern and the Government of the Kalmyk Republic signed an agreement for construction of Elista Energomash plant to manufacture electrical engineering equipment in Kalmykia at the world’s largest International Industrial Trade Fair in Hannover (Germany). This agreement (more…)

King of Kalmykia

Tom Parfitt
The Guardian, Thursday 21 September 2006

Life is not all plain sailing for Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, the flamboyant leader of the Russian republic of Kalmykia. For a start, his Rolls-Royce Silver Spirit II needs constant repairs thanks to the rutted roads of his impoverished fiefdom. And then there is the danger of alien abduction. He has already been pressganged into one trip on a UFO – in (more…)

Chess is a required subject for all children in Kalmykia, a Buddhist region whose authoritarian president, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, also happens to be the president of FIDE.

For years Kirsan Ilyumzhinov has been trying to make chess more appealing to television audiences by expediting the matches and encouraging running commentary. He even pushed successfully for mandatory drug testing for chess players (more…)

BBC News

Mr Ilyumzhinov: Not ruling out independence

By regional analyst Malcolm Haslett:

The colourful leader of the small, mainly Buddhist republic of Kalmykia in southern Russia, Kirsan Ilyumzhinov, has threatened to sever financial ties with Russia because he has not received any federal funds for months. (more…)

Chess delegation from Turkey presented to the President of FIDE and Republic of Kalmykia Kirsan Ilyumzhinov beautiful painting, reports KalmykiaNews.

President of FIDE, President of Republic of Kalmykia, billionaire Kirsan Ilyumzhinov handed this beautiful painting for storage to Museum of Chess Palace. (more…)

News from Kalmykia: Delegation from Japan presented to the President of FIDE and Republic of Kalmykia Kirsan Ilyumzhinov Japanese swords, reports KalmykiaNews.
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