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In Celebration of Aleksandr Leskov

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In Celebration of Aleksandr Leskov In Celebration of Aleksandr Leskov Aleksandr Naymark* Hofstra University Professor Aleksandr Leskov is multiple institutions, and kurgans like the Maikop barrow known in Ukrainian and Russian coordinating the daily work of to the burials of the Belo- archaeology as “Sasha the dozens, if not hundreds, of rechenskaia culture filled with Golden Hand.” Indeed, gold people. Leskov manages such objects brought by the Levantine jewelry and toreutic from his undertakings with an iron will trade of the 14th and 15th excavations in the Crimea and and in turn inspires devotion from centuries CE. The last link in the south Ukrainian steppes those he is supervising. During logical chain leading to Leskov’s constitute a significant part of the Adygeia excavation seasons discovery of the now famous the collection in the Ukrainian of the 1980s, I remember him Uliap barrow field was his Museum of National Treasures in repeating again and again: “You knowledge of the collection of Kiev, while his excavations on have only one excavation season the local museum - a cauldron the northwestern Caucasus in your life. It is this very one. The delivered there by a tractorist (Adygeia) formed the core of the next season will be different and from Uliap field belonged to the “Golden Chamber” in the will take place in a different year. type which, as Leskov knew, Moscow Museum of Oriental Art. You have to do the maximum could be found only in the richest Leskov is undoubtedly respon- today.” Doing the maximum of of Scythian burials. sible for more discoveries of itself should maximize the ancient gold than any living results. Scythian archaeologist. The third and most important factor is Leskov’s personal Given that the odds of finding Yet his success requires a philosophy: “The archaeology of true treasures in archaeological second talent, the ability to select the steppes has its own dialectic excavations are about the same the best excavation site through — only quantity brings quality as for winning a major lottery consideration of all the geo- there.” In other words, only large, jackpot, everybody unavoidably graphic, topographic and long-term excavations requiring asks: what is the secret of historiographic data about the years and years of self-discipline Leskov’s never-fading luck? The steppes. For example, his and patience can bring major truth is, there are no miracles selection of Adygeia for the results. To test this conclusion, which lead to buried treasure. At excavations in the 1980s began one would need, like Leskov, to least three serious factors have from his understanding that the excavate more than 400 barrows always significantly increased major passes through Caucasian with thousands of graves, the the probability of Leskov’s mountains were the shortest lion’s share of them belonging to success. route to the rich coastal areas of the Bronze Age period. In fact, the Black Sea and further to the Leskov’s most important books The first is his organizational centers of Near Eastern civili- are not devoted to his ability which enables him to zations in the northwestern spectacular Scythian finds but marshal substantial resources Caucasus. These considerations rather deal with the less effectively. Excavation of a major were supported by his analysis impressive but equally in- Scythian barrow involves of a great number of exciting teresting period of the late obtaining sizeable funding and discoveries in the area ranging Bronze Age and the transition to supplies, interacting with from the early Bronze Age the Early Iron Age in the steppes. 12 In short, the secret of The archaeological expedition Kherson archaeological team Leskov’s success is prosaic: his of Kharkov University, headed by sang a song with semi-political dedication and focus, his ability the then young Boris Andreevich Russian words to the tune of the to mobilize knowledge, and hard Shramko, served as Leskov’s first famous “Sholom Aleyhem.” work. What shaped this man’s school of field work. It was during Exposure of the “Zionists” strong personality? Born in a visit to this expedition, that followed, and since their chief Kharkov, Ukraine, on 19 May Professor Bibikov, Director of the Leskov tried to rescue them, he 1933, Aleksandr lost his father to Institute of Archaeology of the was accused of failing to provide Stalin’s purges at age four and Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, sufficient “political guidance” in grew up with his mother partially noted the bright student and his division. Note was taken of in Ukraine and partially (during invited him to apply for graduate the fact that Leskov’s expedition the five years of World War II) in school in Kiev. An early doctorate did not have a single member of evacuation in Central Asia and in 1961, the publication of the the Communist Party in it. After Azerbaijan. His interest in ancient first book in 1965, and major a short delay, Leskov was fired art and archaeology goes back success in field work promised on 20 April 1973. As if it were not to the age of thirteen — as a Leskov a great career. His image enough, this measure was sixth-grader he came across a as a very promising young followed by an unofficial stack of books on the ancient scholar was certainly reinforced moratorium on any publications Orient while visiting a cousin by the epic sum of one million by Leskov and even on any studying history at Baku Uni- rubles (a worker’s daily salary reference to his work in printed versity. This interest quickly being 1.59 rubles), which he matter produced in Ukraine. For developed into a passion and squeezed from the Ministery of the next three months Leskov even pushed into second place Melioration of the USSR for the was unemployed and then was chess, where Leskov already excavation of endangered “sent” to the institute of showed great promise by monuments in Kherson province. cybernetics of the Ukrainian earning “master candidate” On the basis of this financial Academy of Sciences, where he status at the age of 15. (To this support, the first Soviet was to take part in the day he still can play blindfolded department of contract archae- development of the keyword three matches simultaneously.) ology was formed in the Institute vocabulary for a computer search His lack of interest in natural of Archaeology of the Ukrainian system being designed for sciences almost turned Leskov’s Academy of Sciences. The archaeological databases. This high school studies into a following decade was a busy “appointment” lasted for a year disaster, but fortunately the time filled with huge field and a half and very much grades on the high school projects, a large number of resembled involuntary con- diploma were not the major publications, honorable official finement intended to prevent his criterion for university admission appointments such as the acting having any connection with real at that time. Entrance examina- editorship of the three-volume archaeology. tions were more important and, Archaeology of Ukraine project, given Leskov’s field of special- and even some recognition No one at all familiar with ization, the ones that counted beyond the Iron Curtain. For Leskov would expect him to have were those in humanities, i.e. example he was invited to accepted this defeat. He cut his literature, history and languages. consult on the volume The First losses and used this time to Horsemen in the Time-Life complete the gigantic text of his Books series, and a special habilitation dissertation “The number of Antike Welt was Pre-Scythian Period in Southern devoted to Leskov’s work Ukraine,” which he submitted for on Scythian barrows. His consideration to the Moscow discoveries even won him Institute of Archaeology of the an important state prize. Academy of Sciences of the USSR. The Department of Yet, in the weird, Scythian and Sarmatian unstable political climate of Archaeology of this leading the Brezhnev “Era of institution deemed this work Stagnation” almost any- ready and assigned the date for thing could be pregnant public defense. Yet the story of with unexpected trouble. At this dissertation turned into one a New Year’s party held in of the most famous political the Kiev Archaeology scandals in the Soviet archae- Leskov and his associates at Institute in 1972, four ology of the 1970s. The so-called the Uliap excavation. members of Leskov’s external review from the 13 Department of Archaeology of turn this case into the beginning was issued in 1980 leading to the Moscow University was com- of an academic “war.” Leskov, creation of a special archae- pletely positive as were the however, chose another ological department in the examination reviews provided by approach. Within the next Moscow Museum of Oriental Art. the three major specialists in the several months he reworked That is when somebody in the field employed in the process of 60% of the text (as the official administration of the Ministry of the defense as the official rules required for the re-defense) Culture remembered about opponents: Academician and and in less than in a year brought Leskov, who was offered the Director of the State Hermitage his dissertation to the same opportunity to head the new Museum, B.B. Piotrovskii; the committee again. This time even venture. Director of the Moscow Rybakov wanted to avoid Department of Scythian and confrontation and sent an Several successful excavation Sarmatian Archaeology, Pro- unofficial message to Leskov seasons in the Northern fessor K.F. Smirnov; and the Head asking him to submit the work to Caucasus followed. Among the of the Department of Scythian another committee (it could also discoveries were stunningly Archaeology at the Kiev Institute be done at Moscow University, or interesting archaeological of Archaeology of the Ukrainina in the Leningrad or Novosibirsk monuments — the first Scythian Academy of Sciences, Dr.
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