Maia Berzina
Encyclopedia
Maia Yanovna Berzina was a prominent Russian ethnographer
, geographer
and cartographer (member of Soviet Geographic Society from 1954). Among her scores are "Americans" entry in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia
(3rd ed., 1970) and several maps in the Great Soviet World Atlas (vol. 1 and 2). Overall she was the author of about fifty original ethnic maps.
's geographic faculty as econogeographer. She declared herself a cosmopolite
, even in 1950s, when this word was discouraged in the Soviet Union. Berzina spent only few months of her childhood in Russia, finally settling in Moscow in 1927. In 1937 she married Leonid Vasilevsky, a gifted econogeographer.
, India
, United States
and other countries. During the German-Soviet War, Berzina was evacuated to Tashkent
, returning to Moscow in 1943. She was hired as a junior research fellow to the newly established Miklukho-Maklay Ethnography Institute of Soviet Academy of Sciences and worked there until pensioning off in 1984, being elevated to senior research fellow in 1975. In 1969 she upheld a thesis "Forming of the Ethnic Compound of Canadian Population" and published a book of the same name. Berzina was also a permanent contributor of the Soviet Ethnography journal, translating the journal summaries into English.
Ethnography
Ethnography is a qualitative method aimed to learn and understand cultural phenomena which reflect the knowledge and system of meanings guiding the life of a cultural group...
, geographer
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
and cartographer (member of Soviet Geographic Society from 1954). Among her scores are "Americans" entry in the Great Soviet Encyclopedia
Great Soviet Encyclopedia
The Great Soviet Encyclopedia is one of the largest and most comprehensive encyclopedias in Russian and in the world, issued by the Soviet state from 1926 to 1990, and again since 2002 .-Editions:There were three editions...
(3rd ed., 1970) and several maps in the Great Soviet World Atlas (vol. 1 and 2). Overall she was the author of about fifty original ethnic maps.
Early years
The father, Yan Berzin, a Lett, was arrested and shot in 1938. Mother Roza Garmiza, originally a Jewish socialist-revolutionary, was arrested in the same year and died in imprisonment. Berzina was born in immigration, in Paris and spent most of her childhood abroad, mainly in England, being fluent in English. She graduated from MSUMoscow State University
Lomonosov Moscow State University , previously known as Lomonosov University or MSU , is the largest university in Russia. Founded in 1755, it also claims to be one of the oldest university in Russia and to have the tallest educational building in the world. Its current rector is Viktor Sadovnichiy...
's geographic faculty as econogeographer. She declared herself a cosmopolite
World citizen
World citizen has a variety of similar meanings, often referring to a person who disapproves of traditional geopolitical divisions derived from national citizenship....
, even in 1950s, when this word was discouraged in the Soviet Union. Berzina spent only few months of her childhood in Russia, finally settling in Moscow in 1927. In 1937 she married Leonid Vasilevsky, a gifted econogeographer.
Later work
Berzina joined the fresh-formed Peoples Maps Group at the Ethnography Chair of MSU, where she compiled the maps of ethnic compound of SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and other countries. During the German-Soviet War, Berzina was evacuated to Tashkent
Tashkent
Tashkent is the capital of Uzbekistan and of the Tashkent Province. The officially registered population of the city in 2008 was about 2.2 million. Unofficial sources estimate the actual population may be as much as 4.45 million.-Early Islamic History:...
, returning to Moscow in 1943. She was hired as a junior research fellow to the newly established Miklukho-Maklay Ethnography Institute of Soviet Academy of Sciences and worked there until pensioning off in 1984, being elevated to senior research fellow in 1975. In 1969 she upheld a thesis "Forming of the Ethnic Compound of Canadian Population" and published a book of the same name. Berzina was also a permanent contributor of the Soviet Ethnography journal, translating the journal summaries into English.
Some credits
- Map of the peoples of Hindustan (published 1956)
- Map of the peoples of South-East Asia (with S. Bruk, 1962)
- Maps of South Asia, Indonesia, North, Central and South America (volumes from Peoples of the World series)
- Seventeen maps (some as co-author) for Atlas of the World Nations (1964)