There are hundreds of Russian historians who have contributed towards our understanding of Russia and global societies through the ages. Here are some of the Russian historians you may or may not have known about.
1.Tatiana Proskouriakoff
The niche area of expertise of the historian Proskouriakoff (1909-1985) was interpreting hieroglyphs – the writing system – of the pre-Columbian Maya civilization. Born in Russia, she moved to the United States as a child, and became interested in archaeological expeditions after she graduated from university. Her work on Mayan civilizations started when she developed a methodology for dating ancient Mayan monuments, based on the intricacies of the art. She went on to decipher the written language of the Mayans. This work is said by many to have laid the groundwork for understanding historical Mayan texts. In turn, this led to an understanding of Mayan history and politics.
Her work was recognized in many ways. She was named Woman of the Year by Pennsylvania State University in 1971. She was also made an Honorary Doctor at Tulane University in 1977, and she was awarded the Order of the Quetzal by the government of Guatemala in 1984. The decades of work she poured into Mayan history was published posthumously in 1994.
2. Gerhard Friedrich Müller
The Russian-German historian Müller (1705-1783) was also an explorer, and is hailed as being the first academic historian of Siberia. Born in Germany, Müller moved to St. Petersburg when he was invited to be the co-founder of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He was one of 19 scientists and artists to go on the Great Northern Expedition, also known as the Second Kamchatka Expedition. One of the largest exploration endeavors in history, the purpose of the expedition was to map huge swathes of Siberia. The idea was also to study people, cultures, religions and rituals. His role in this incredible undertaking is why Müller is often referred to as the ‘father of ethnography’.
3. Nataly Viko
A historian from our current generation, Nataly Viko (Наталия Вико in Russian) is particularly known for her work on Egypt. An artist and writer too, Viko’s work transcends history into other mediums. This includes her photo exhibition ‘Egypt Through the Eyes of Nataly Viko’ at the Library of Alexandria. She is also well-known for exploring a variety of topics that relate to Egyptian history. Her novel Schizophrenia is one example, which explores the psychosis of individuals who believe themselves to be reincarnations of the kings and queens of Ancient Egypt.
4. Nikita Yakovlevich Bichurin
Also known as his archimandrite name Hyacinth, Bichurin (1977-1853) is widely hailed as being one of the founding fathers of Russian Sinology (Chinese Studies). The son of a Russian priest, Bichurin was anointed a monk in 1800, and was sent to Beijing to promote Christianity. After doing this for almost 15 years, he had developed an in-depth understanding and passion for Chinese history.
With a flair for Chinese languages too, he went on to translate numerous ancient Chinese manuscripts, making them accessible and understood in Europe for the very first time. His published work covered a range of subjects, including the history of China and Mongolia, religion and agriculture. He is also responsible for opening the first Chinese-language school in the Russian Empire, which led to improved trade relations between Russia and China.
5. Alexander Kazhdan
The Moscow-born Kazhdan (1922-1997) is well-known for his historical work on the Byzantine Empire. While he was studying at both the Pedagogical Institute of Ufa and the University of Moscow, there was a Soviet initiative towards Russian-language Byzantine Studies. This led Kazhdan to write his dissertation on the agrarian history during the late Byzantine Empire. His expertise led to Kazhdan taking up a position at the Institute for History within the Soviet Academy of Sciences for more than 20 years. Widely noted as being an incredible scholar, Kazhdan had more than 500 books, articles and reviews published during this time. His work led to a growth in the presence of Soviet Byzantine Studies.
After moving to the United States in 1978, Kazhdan went on to write many English-language publications about the Byzantine Empire. He also became the editor of the Oxford Dictionary of Byzantium – a three-volume historical dictionary with over 5,000 entries in it.
6. Friedrich von Adelung
A German-Russian historian, von Adelung (1798-1843) was born in Leipzig, but spent the majority of his life in St Petersburg. His employment roamed an interesting array of roles, and at one point he was even the tutor of Grand Duke Nicholas, the future Tsar. He was also responsible for the creation of the Russian National Museum in the early 1800s, which was hailed as a celebration of Russia’s diversity. In terms of his historical research, von Adelung is best known for the Time of the Troubles – a time of great political crisis in the early 1600s, also known as Smuta.