The book consists of five chapters: the first — «The Country of Snows», gives a concise geographical description of Tibet, its principal districts and their natural features; the second chapter, «People», is historical — beginning with archeological discoveries in a region which until 1950 was forbidden ground to archeologists — and ethnographical. The third chapter, «Gods», is an account of the two main religions traditional in Tibet — Bon and Buddhism. «People and Gods» (the fourth chapter) describes the culture of Tibet as the synthesis of its people’s cultural-historic life and religious conceptions.

A popular-scientific work written for the wider public must provide material of sufficient interest to hold the attention of readers with different tastes and demands. With this in mind, the authors have interwoven with the main fabric of the text the story of the life and work of Tsanyan Jamtso, the Sixth Dalai-Lama. The religious hierarch of Tibet was a poet of originality and importance, and also a politician of tragic destiny who perished in the struggle waged against him by Ching China to establish and strengthen her influence in Tibet.

The authors hope that the sections on Tsanyan Jamtso — brief as they are, but presented with a certain literary inventiveness, while keeping within the bounds of known facts — and also the purely informative «scientific» chapters (which may seem rather dry) will encourage readers who know Russian to glance into the amazing world of the Tibetan past and its culture.

It is thought that readers abroad, including Tibetans will share the authors’ feeling of profound respect for the Tibetan people, who living in the harshest and most difficult natural conditions, yet created a civilization of their own, unique, original, a notable contribution to the cultural treasury of all mankind.

Рис. 1. Тибет — страна гор и долин

Рис. 2. Сонгцэн Гампо и его жены (слева — непальская, справа — китайская)

Рис. 3. Чуба — повседневная одежда тибетца

Рис. 4. Яки и соха

Рис. 5. Цзамба — хлеб Тибета

Рис. 6. Дом тибетца — всегда маленькая крепость

Рис. 7. Банаг — черная палатка тибетца-кочевника

Рис. 8. Состоятельный тибетец с женой в праздничных нарядах

Рис. 9. Дойка ячихи

Рис. 10. Дети Страны снегов

Рис. 11. Молодость Страны снегов

Рис. 12. Учитель

Рис. 13. Икона, изображающая бодхисаттву Майтрейю

Рис. 14. Цзонхава — основатель секты Гелугпа

Рис. 15. Скоро молитва

Рис. 16. Библиотека монастыря

Рис. 17. Потхи — книги Тибета

Рис. 18. Улица Лхасы

Рис. 19. Крыша из золота во дворце Потала

Рис. 20. Тибетский чайник — образец мастерства тибетских ювелиров

Рис. 21. Магическая формула «Ом мани падме хум» на камнях у дороги

Рис. 22. Чаши из человеческих черепов

Рис. 23. Субурганы (чортены)

Рис. 24. Дворец Потала