Tangut (Xi Xia) Studies in the Soviet Union: Quinta Essentia of Russian Oriental Studies

Grace to the famous discovery of Piotr Kozlov’s expedition, a very rich collection of various Tangut books in a mausoleum in the dead city of Khara-Khoto was found in 1908, and almost all the texts in the Tangut language were then assembled in Saint-Petersburg. Because of this situation Russian Tang...

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Main Author: Sergey Dmitriev
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Institute of International Studies, Mongolian Academy of Sciences 2015-02-01
Series:The Mongolian Journal of International Affairs
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mongoliajol.info/index.php/MJIA/article/view/412
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author Sergey Dmitriev
author_facet Sergey Dmitriev
author_sort Sergey Dmitriev
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description Grace to the famous discovery of Piotr Kozlov’s expedition, a very rich collection of various Tangut books in a mausoleum in the dead city of Khara-Khoto was found in 1908, and almost all the texts in the Tangut language were then assembled in Saint-Petersburg. Because of this situation Russian Tangutology became one of the most important in the world very fast, and Russian specialists, especially Alexej Ivanov, did the first steps to understanding the Tangut language and history, which had for a very long time been hidden from humanity. This tradition persisted in the Soviet Union. Nikolaj Nevskij in 1929 returned to Russia from Japan, where he had stayed after 1917, mainly to continue his Tangut researches. But in 1937, during Stalin’s Purge, he was arrested and executed, Ivanov too. The line of tradition was broken for almost twenty years, and only the 1960s saw the rebirth of Russian Tangutology. The post-War generation did a gigantic work, raising Tangut Studies to a new level. Unfortunately, they almost had no students or successors. The dramatic history of Tangut Studies in Russia could be viewed like a real quinta essentia of the fate of Oriental Studies in Russia – but all the changes and tendencies are much more demonstrative of this example. Mongolian Journal of International Affairs Vol.19 2014: 178-196
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spelling doaj.art-223dbf4cd1df49898d57db9b7af1ef662022-12-22T02:33:23ZengInstitute of International Studies, Mongolian Academy of SciencesThe Mongolian Journal of International Affairs1023-37412709-572X2015-02-011917819610.5564/mjia.v19i0.412408Tangut (Xi Xia) Studies in the Soviet Union: Quinta Essentia of Russian Oriental StudiesSergey Dmitriev0Institute of the Orientology, Russian Academy of SciencesGrace to the famous discovery of Piotr Kozlov’s expedition, a very rich collection of various Tangut books in a mausoleum in the dead city of Khara-Khoto was found in 1908, and almost all the texts in the Tangut language were then assembled in Saint-Petersburg. Because of this situation Russian Tangutology became one of the most important in the world very fast, and Russian specialists, especially Alexej Ivanov, did the first steps to understanding the Tangut language and history, which had for a very long time been hidden from humanity. This tradition persisted in the Soviet Union. Nikolaj Nevskij in 1929 returned to Russia from Japan, where he had stayed after 1917, mainly to continue his Tangut researches. But in 1937, during Stalin’s Purge, he was arrested and executed, Ivanov too. The line of tradition was broken for almost twenty years, and only the 1960s saw the rebirth of Russian Tangutology. The post-War generation did a gigantic work, raising Tangut Studies to a new level. Unfortunately, they almost had no students or successors. The dramatic history of Tangut Studies in Russia could be viewed like a real quinta essentia of the fate of Oriental Studies in Russia – but all the changes and tendencies are much more demonstrative of this example. Mongolian Journal of International Affairs Vol.19 2014: 178-196https://www.mongoliajol.info/index.php/MJIA/article/view/412tangut studiessinologyrussianikolaj nevskijoriental studies
spellingShingle Sergey Dmitriev
Tangut (Xi Xia) Studies in the Soviet Union: Quinta Essentia of Russian Oriental Studies
The Mongolian Journal of International Affairs
tangut studies
sinology
russia
nikolaj nevskij
oriental studies
title Tangut (Xi Xia) Studies in the Soviet Union: Quinta Essentia of Russian Oriental Studies
title_full Tangut (Xi Xia) Studies in the Soviet Union: Quinta Essentia of Russian Oriental Studies
title_fullStr Tangut (Xi Xia) Studies in the Soviet Union: Quinta Essentia of Russian Oriental Studies
title_full_unstemmed Tangut (Xi Xia) Studies in the Soviet Union: Quinta Essentia of Russian Oriental Studies
title_short Tangut (Xi Xia) Studies in the Soviet Union: Quinta Essentia of Russian Oriental Studies
title_sort tangut xi xia studies in the soviet union quinta essentia of russian oriental studies
topic tangut studies
sinology
russia
nikolaj nevskij
oriental studies
url https://www.mongoliajol.info/index.php/MJIA/article/view/412
work_keys_str_mv AT sergeydmitriev tangutxixiastudiesinthesovietunionquintaessentiaofrussianorientalstudies