On September 10, 2010, at the meeting of the Department of Manuscripts and Documents of the IOM RAS, the digital Catalogue of thangka and tsakali icons from the IOM’s collection was presented.

In 2008, the project was supported by the Grant of the President of the Russian Federation and, during 2009, it was realized by the following five participants:

• Dr A.V. Zorin, researcher at the IOM RAS (the author of the idea, chief editor and major performer),
• M.B. Iokhvin, fellow at the Bonch-Bruevich St Petersburg State University of Telecommunications (identification of figures on the icons, edition of annotations and glossary, technical assistance),
• L.I. Kriakina, chief conservator at the IOM RAS (initial restoration of the icons, measurement and description of their material aspects, co-author of the introductory paper),
• S.L. Shevelchinskaya, photographer at the IOM RAS (digitizing of most icons),
• T.F. Yakovleva, conservator at the IOM RAS (initial restoration of the icons, measurement and description of their material aspects).

The Catalogue is made in the HTML format and available as a DVD with a booklet designed by M.B. Iokhvin and J.V. Smirnova:

The Catalogue is preceded with the information on its authors and the introductory paper. The main part consists of the following chapters in accordance with the central figures depicted:

1. The Buddha Śākyamuni
2. Teachers
- Rje-tsong-kha-pa & Tshogs-shing of the Dge lugs pa Sect
- Guru Padmasambhava
- Mar-pa and Mi-la-ras-pa
- Miscellanious Indian and Tibetan teachers
- The Bogdo Gegens
3. Vajradhara
4. Vajrasattva
5. Yidams
- Śrī Vajrabhairava (Yamāntaka)
- Cakrasamvara
- Vajrayoginī
- Guhyasamāja Akshobhyavajra
- Kālacakra
- Hayagriva
- Sarasvatī
- Kurukulle
- Sarvavid Vairocana
- Sitātapatrā
- Ushnishavijayā
6. The Buddhas
- Amitayus
- Akshobhya
- Amitabha
- Bhaishajyaguru
- Nāgeśvararāja
- Tārā
- Miscellaneous Buddhas
7. The Bodhisattvas
- Maitreya
- Mañjuśrī
- Avalokiteśvara
- Vajrapāni
8. The Dākinīs
- Simhamukha
- Miscellaneous Dākinīs
9. The Protectors
- Mahākāla & Trakshad
- Śrī Devi Pārvatī (Dpal-ldan lha-mo dmag-zor rgyal-mo)
- Dharmarāja (Yamarāja)
- Citipati
- Jambhala
- Vaiśravana
- Parnaśavarī
- Mahāpratisarā
- Maricī Kalpoktam
- Pe-har Kings
- Beg-tse
- Dam-can mgar-ba’i nag-po
- Ta’og seng-zhon
- Dgra-lha
- Ge-sar
- White Old Man
10. Unidentified deities.

All the chapters and subchapters are supplied with short annotations and description of the central figures depicted. They contain pages that show all the relevant icons, one after one. Each page looks like this -

On the left side of the page there is a brief description of the icon such as the name(-es) of the figure(-es) depicted, place of origin, dating, size, material, the IOM’s number, notes (reflecting inscriptions or Chinese seals found on some icons). On the right side of the page there is a small (500px wide) digital copy of the icon. By link located on the left side one can get to the bigger (1000px wide) copy of both sides of the icon. By link from the image on the right side one can get to the next page.

The Catalogue contains the data of all (more than 1300) painted icons kept at the IOM’s collection of Tibetan and Mongolian pictures which has remained almost unknown to both wide circles of the society and academics.

The Catalogue is supplied with the indices (of all figures depicted; of icons which can have Chinese origin; of icons in accordance with the IOM’s numbers) and the glossary.

Further, the paper edition of the Catalogue with the DVD as its supplement is supposed to be published.

The authors would like to thank the following colleagues and friends for their help in the realization of the project: J.G. Archakova, D.V. Ivanov, O.I. Kenunen, B.L. Mitruyev, J.V. Smirnova, Dr V.L. Uspensky, Dr N.S. Yakhontova, V.P. Zaitsev, M.A. Zorina.