The darkhans of Buryatia, a Buddhist region of Siberia, were craftsmen and blacksmiths highly esteemed for their artistic skills, ability to work with fire, and shamanistic talent. Dashi Namdakov, a descant of darkhans, began to learn the craft not long after a Buryat shaman cured him of a life-threatening illness as a young man. Today he is internationally celebrated as an artist and sculptor. Namdakov carries on his ancestors' ways,... see more