The article substantiates the need to combine both the academic thorough methods and traditional living transmission approach to create a good and accurate translation of a Buddhist work by taking into account the specific of the translations from the Tibetan language in the goal-oriented and methodological aspects. This approach is considered in the categories of the translation goals, adequate delivery of not only the letter but also the spirit of the work; the means – academic, traditional and artistic; as well as the qualities of a translator. A potential result of the translation equipped with such criteria is an exact, congenial, deep and rich in relevant associations text that affects and directly influences the reader’s practice and worldview. Further, based on the periodization of the Russian translation tradition, correlated with the European one in philosophical, historical and theoretical contexts, the author analyzes and generalizes translations from Tibetan made in Russia in 1991–2005, focusing on the activities of translators independent from academic institutions, and noting the most significant works of the reviewed period. A comparison of the volume and quality of published translations and studies allows to state with confidence the dominance of the influence of independent translators on the adaptation of Vajrayana ideas in Russia and, at the same time, on the tendency for the two approaches to converge, in the academic sphere expressed by a tendency to use the method of participant observation research, and in the independent one – the desire to adapt the basic academic techniques. The conclusion indicates the key achievements of Russian and foreign Tibetan Studies over the past fifteen years, confirming the validity of presented principles and proposed directions of development.