The first White émigrés — Kalmyk Cossacks — arrived in Serbia via Turkey in 1920. Among the emigrants were several representatives of the high clergy, including Bakshi Manchuda Burinov of the Platovskaya stanitsa khurul and Bakshi Sandzhi Umaldinov of the Denisovskaya stanitsa. A significant group of Kalmyks — several hundred people — settled at the end of the year on the outskirts of Belgrade in the village of Mali Mokri Lug (modern-day Zvezdara municipality). This was the largest Kalmyk colony in Europe. In September 1923, the Kalmyks opened the first Buddhist temple in rented premises very close to the headquarters of their association, entrusting its care to three monks led by Bakshi Gavi-Jimba (Manchuda) Burinov. In 1925, they moved to another house because the first was too small for conducting services. From that time, documents appear regarding financial support from local authorities. In some cases, Kalmyk leaders appealed to the authorities for assistance. For example, in 1925 they requested financial aid from the Ministry of Religious Affairs. A copy of this letter was sent to Patriarch Dimitrije of the Serbian Orthodox Church. There is a sympathetic letter from the Patriarch to the Ministry, in which he urges the Ministry to help the Kalmyks. In 1928, the Kalmyk Association took steps to build a permanent place of worship. In December 1929, the temple was solemnly opened.

Before the construction of the permanent temple, in 1928, the first head of the Kalmyk clergy in Belgrade, Bakshi Manchuda Burinov, died, and his position was held for almost the entire existence of the temple by Sandzhi Umaldinov (1882–1946). Fundraising for the construction of the permanent temple building was undertaken by Colonel Abusha Alekseev, president of the construction board (and president of the Kalmyk Association), and his assistant and secretary Erendzhen Khara-Davan. Monetary donations came from Kalmyks all over Europe. The building was constructed in a few months largely thanks to the free labor of Kalmyk builders. The most significant assistance at this stage was provided by Belgrade businessman Miloš Jachimović (1858–1940), who allocated a plot of his land (about 530 square meters) for the temple’s construction. He also donated 10,000 bricks and more than 7,500 boards, cement, and other materials to the Kalmyks. This generous help attracted the attention of other wealthy members of Serbian society, including members of the royal family. The resulting building could accommodate up to 150 people.

In December 1929, the Buddhist temple in Belgrade was solemnly consecrated. The consecration was led by Bakshi Namzhal Nimbushev, who came from Paris for the occasion. The temple soon became a popular attraction in Belgrade for both Serbs and foreigners. In 1930, it was mentioned in the Guidebook to Belgrade, and a year later the street on which it stood was renamed Buddhist Street (Serbian: Budistička ulica). News about the temple spread widely in the Buddhist world, and it established contacts with the Maha Bodhi Society, the Himalayan Institute of Nicholas Roerich, and other international Buddhist organizations. In 1930, Roerich gifted the monastery an ancient Tibetan thangka. By 1944, the monastery had 16 thangkas. For a long time, the temple lacked a temple statue of Buddha. It was provided by Japan in 1934 after the head of the émigrés in Yugoslavia appealed to the Japanese ambassador in Romania. Soon a shipment arrived from Tokyo containing a large statue and a number of ritual items. The temple served the Kalmyks for weddings, memorial services, and other social needs, which distinctly set it apart from traditional Tibetan temples. A Sunday school was also established there, where classes in the Kalmyk language and Buddhism were held. At that time, Religion was a compulsory school subject, and Kalmyk schoolchildren were sent to the temple for Buddhism lessons, returning to school with grades given by the lama.

The Kalmyks mainly worked in construction; their wives sewed slippers and made lanterns, which they sold at the market. The children attended city schools and gymnasiums, and two Kalmyks even graduated from the University of Belgrade.

In 1935, a reconstruction was carried out to increase the interior space of the temple. The Kalmyk colony in Belgrade ceased to exist at the end of World War II when the Kalmyks, fearing persecution by the Soviet Army, fled to Germany and then to the USA and Western European countries (primarily France). The closed temple suffered heavy damage during the Battle of Belgrade (October 1944); the upper part of the roof ("the Tower") was destroyed. That same year, the Kalmyks left Belgrade — they went to Germany and later to the USA. In 1950, the temple dome was dismantled, and the lower part was converted into a Cultural Center. Later, the Buddhist temple was completely demolished. A new building was constructed on its foundation. Thus, today, both the Belgrade Kalmyks and their "Chinese church" can only be seen in photographs.

Sources:

https://runivers.ru/philosophy/lib/authors/author3051/

https://ru.wikipedia.org/wiki/Буддийский_храм_(Белград)

https://dic.academic.ru/dic.nsf/ruwiki/1366936