The Newsletter No. 81 Autumn 2018 Celebrating 200 years History and scope of Oriental 51 Studies in Russia Announcement The Network

200 years Oriental Studies in Russia Call for Papers Symposium: The Institute of Oriental Studies against the background Open Pages in of Russian history South Asian Studies,

Dina V. Dubrovskaya Gauhati University, Assam, India his year marks the 200 Years Anniversary 22-23 January 2019 of the Institute of Oriental Studies (Russian TAcademy of Sciences, RAS). To celebrate this grand achievement, we gladly share this fascinating account of the history and scope of Organisers Oriental Studies in Russia. The Symposium is organised by In 1818, the Asiatic Museum, founded in the The Centre for South East Asian Studies capital of Saint Petersburg as a continuation and the Department of Foreign of Russian pursuits in Oriental research (in Languages at Gauhati University, India Moscow, Kazan and elsewhere), became the and the The International Centre for new platform of academic endeavour in all During World War II, IOS/SAS continued and epigraphic sources, linguistics, literature South Asian Studies and the Faculty of things Asian, from numismatics to linguistics, its work, both in besieged Leningrad (Saint and culture, vast expeditionary activities, International Relations and Area Studies to history. For the Russian Empire, this interest Petersburg), led by A. Boldyrev, and led by translations of works of the East and Africa at the Russian State University for the was not recreational. Since before Peter the Struve, ‘in evacuation’, a time passed mainly in and the composition of dictionaries, the most Humanities, Moscow, Russia. Great, Russia’s orientation was towards the Tashkent (Uzbekistan), where Soviet scholars famous being the legendary Big Chinese- East. It bordered on Turkey, China and Russian did their best to both carry on their general Russian Dictionary. After twenty years, Central Asia, embraced Georgia and Armenia, studies and help the country with up-to-date Gafurov was followed by a very special person Themes and thus had a burning need to understand research, such as Fascist Escapade’s Collapse in Soviet history: Evgeny Primakov (1929-2015), Ethno-linguistic pluralism is both ‘the East’. The Asiatic Museum’s first home was in Iran by G. Gelbras, German Imperialism brilliant political scientist, journalist, diplomat a hallmark of South Asia and a prime Peter the Great’s Kunstkamera (1714), one of in the Far East by A. Guber. Meanwhile, the and the future Foreign Minister and Prime factor of contentious relations among the oldest world museums. Its first Director Moscow Group of IOS/SAS emerged, headed Minister) of Russia, and famous for his drastic its countries and of intra-country was Christian Martin Frähn (1782-1851), who by another outstanding scholar, Academician U-turn over the Atlantic Ocean during the conflicts. Terrorism further derails mutual acquired the outstanding Arabic manuscripts, and Arabist Ignaty Krachkovsky (1883-1951), Yugoslavian Crisis of 1999 (Primakov’s Loop). understanding and harmonious relations. medals and book collection of the French who soon gathered the main orientalist forces In spite of Brezhnev’s stagnation period, Border conflicts make the region volatile diplomat Jean-Baptiste-Louis-Jacques of the country around the Moscow-based Primakov’s years of the second Post War and migrations across borders are an Rousseau (1780-1831). It was thanks to Frähn research of Asia and Africa, including Iran- Renaissance proved to be quite productive issue of contention. Neo-liberal economic that the future of Oriental research could take specialist V. Gordlevsky, Indologist I. Reisner for the Soviet Oriental Humanities. Producing policies have brought both opportunities shape, supporting researchers in both capitals. and Byzantologist N. Pigulevskaya, and many numerous situational analyses for the Foreign and challenges. Progress in terms of GDP From this foundation, the Asiatic Museum others. Affairs Ministry, the Institute’s prestige are accompanied by inequality in income steadily grew in numbers of researchers as In the summer of 1950, IOS/SAS moved soared. It became an eminent think-tank, and social security domains, leading well as materials, including Chinese and to Kropotkinskaya St.12 on the banks of the both profiling modern political problems and to popular outrage. The growing Mongolian collections, the Buddhist collection Moscow River, as per usual absorbing a number producing research in the ‘traditional cycle’ of privatization of essential services raises of Pavel Schilling von Cannstatt, those of of institutions along the way (most notably Oriental Studies. Led by Primakov (from 1979 concerns over ecology and common the Caucasian Fund as well as Armenian the famous SAS Pacific Ocean Institute). After Academician of SAS), IOS/SAS was awarded resources. and Georgian collections, up to the October several other directors, it was finally headed, the Order of Labour Red Banner, with many The symposium cum workshop aims Revolution of 1918. in 1955, by the truly exemplary scholar of its scholars also winning other prestigious to deliberate the following issues and The second Director (1876), Boris Dorn, and Southeast Asia specialist Alexander awards and distinctions, both Soviet/Russian areas, both from the perspective of started the publication Mélanges asiatiques, Guber (1902-1971). Unfortunately, events and international. countries and South Asia as a the first Russian scholarly periodical (in of the liberating 20th CPSU Congress once From 1987, the Institute was led by the transnational region: (1) Understanding French), followed by many other orientalist again shook the Institute hard when Party Sinologist and former Deputy Foreign Minister South Asia as a region; (2) Cultural realm journals. In 1876, the Third International functionary Anastas Mikoyan declared that Mikhail Kapitsa (1921-1995). Economic of South Asia, including religious diversities, Congress of Orientalists was held in Saint “the Orient has woken up, while the Institute of problems had a major impact; together with linguistic and sociological mosaics; Peters, and by the end of the century the Oriental Studies still keeps sleeping”. He was the whole country the Institute survived rather (3) Common Historical Connections; Russian school could boast scholars of neither right, nor helpful. Both young and older than thrived. Yet, somehow, Chernyshevsky’s (4) Linkages of the South Asian region; international merit, including Directors Victor communists-scholars of the Institute had been principle of ‘the worse, the better’ proved to (5) State processes and development Rozen, Ferdinand Videman, Wassily Radloff discussing Khrushchev and his responsibility be true when the Third All-Union Congress of experiences in South Asia; (6) South Asian and Karl Zaleman as well as other eminent in Stalin’s terror. Director Guber was forced to Orientalists in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, declared Regionalism and Integration: Trends, scholars. resign and Party functionary and Soviet Orient its most inclusive umbrella theme ‘Interaction Problems and Prospects; (7) Engaging In order to survive the October 1918 turmoil, expert Bobodjan Gafurov took over, well- of Cultures and Civilizations‘. After Kapitsa, Russia in South Asia. ‘Oriental Studies’, in part, followed the new known in the USSR and abroad as a wise man, the most notable Director of IOS, now part Soviet government to Moscow, where the diplomat and a perfect ‘Oriental sage’. of the Russian Academy of Sciences, was Moscow Institute of the Orient (МИВ) was Gafurov’s time was the first period after the Vitaly Naumkin (presently Scientific Director), Proposals established. In Saint Petersburg, Oriental war that the Institute flourished, profiting from established Arabist and Yemeni history Speakers will be given 15 minutes Studies embarked on a new chapter in 1930 Khrushchev’s Thaw and blessed with manifold researcher and author of the acclaimed for their presentation, followed by under its present name of ‘Institute of Oriental theoretical discussion, new breakthrough ‘Corpus of Soqotri language’, declared the 10-15 minutes for discussion. The working Studies’ at the then Soviet Academy of Sciences scholarly journals, its very own publishing second most important scholarly achievement language of the workshop will be English. (IOS/SAS), led by the outstanding Orientalist house and a massive increase in personnel. The of 2014. Postgraduate students are encourage and Head of the Russian Buddhology School, Institute thrived under Gafurov. Many liberal Since 2015, the Institute is headed by to participate as well. Academician Sergey Oldenburg (1863-1934). intellectual leaders (among them J. Brodsky Professor Valery P. Androsov, notable The 1930s were a very difficult and tragic and A. Solzhenitsyn) gave talks at the Institute. Buddhologist, Sanskrit specialist and author Abstracts can be sent to any period for Soviet Oriental Studies, attacked Soviet orientalists participated in all orientalist of many books. Nowadays IOS/RAS holds of the following: both theoretically by the Leninist-Stalinist scholarly activities of the time. In 1960, Moscow numerous domestic and international Prof Kandarpa Das demands of Marxist approaches to the hosted the 25th International Congress of conferences, undertakes expeditions in Egypt, Head Dept. of Foreign Languages, Humanities and by up-front attacks: arrests, Orientalists with about 1400 visitors from Sudan, Yemen, the Crimea and Central Asia, Gauhati University prosecutions, exiles and executions of scholars, around the world, and in 1964, 38 Soviet and publishes multiple journals (among which [email protected] or under false pretences. One victim was the next scholars participated in the 26th International the Journal of IOS/RAS, whose Executive [email protected] Director of IOS/SAS, Academician/Turkologist Congress in Delhi, publishing their talks and Editor is the author of this article) as well as Prof Nani Gopal Mahanta Alexander Samoilovitch (1880-1938). Accused articles in English and French. numerous monographs and edited volumes. Director CSEAS, Dept. of Political of being a Japanese spy, he vanished in In 1977, IOS/SAS moved to the centre of Most importantly, the Institute is raising new, Science, Gauhati University 1937 and was shot in 1938. His successor, Moscow, where it still resides today in the old young scholars in the field of Oriental Studies [email protected] Egyptologist Wasily Struve, managed to spacious mansion on Rozhdestvenka Street 12. to carry on our 200 years of research, service Prof Alexander Stolyarov establish a shaky balance between the This period is marked by scholarly discussion, to the Humanities and to the country, and our Director Centre for South Asian Humanities and the regime by putting forward thousands of publications, the establishment of love for the Orient. Studies, Russian State University the pseudo-Marxist idea of the ‘Five-part leading Schools of Sinology as well as Arabic, for the Humanities Theory’ of socio-economic formations. It was Turkic, Indian, Pakistani, South-East Asian, Dina V. Dubrovskaya PhD, Senior Research [email protected] so highly appreciated by Stalin that Struve was Japanese, Israeli, and Middle Eastern Studies. Fellow, Institute of Oriental Studies, RAS, elevated in the Academy ’on the basis of merit’. Their activities include research of written Moscow. [email protected]