Vasily Vasilievich Struve
Encyclopedia
Vasily Vasilievich Struve ( in Petersburg
, Russian Empire
— September 15, 1965 in Leningrad
) was a Soviet orientalist
from the Struve family, the founder of the Soviet scientific school of researchers on Ancient Near East
history.
In 1907 he entered the Department of History at the Faculty of History and Philology of the Petersburg University
, where he studied the Ancient Greek
and Latin languages, and Ancient Egyptian language
under the leadership of the famous Russia
n Egyptologist Boris Turaev. He became proficient in all types of Egyptian hieroglyphic writing
, including Demotic
. He graduated from the Petersburg University
in 1911 and continued research work and lecturing at the university until 1913, when he left for Germany
for profound studies of the Egyptian language under Adolf Erman
. After returning to Russia he became a private docent of the Petersburg university in 1916 and a professor there in 1920. He was the head of the Hermitage
Department for Art and Culture of Egypt from 1918 to 1933. Already being a lecturer he began to study Akkadian language
, Biblical Hebrew and other Semitic languages
under the Russian Semitologist academician Pavel Kokovtsov. Struve also began to study Sumerian language
on his own.
In 1928 Struve defended the dissertation Manetho
and His Time for the Master's Degree in history. He received the Doctor of Science
degree honoris causa. In 1935 Struve, nominated by Pavel Kokovtsev, was elected the full member of the USSR Academy of Sciences, becoming an academician
. He was the Head of the Ethnography Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences from 1937 to 1940, and from 1941 to 1950 the Head of the Institute of Oriental Studies
of the Academy and since 1959 the Head of the Ancient East department of the latter Institute.
Struve authored around 400 scientific works in his lifetime. He along with Boris Turaev worked on the Moscow Mathematical Papyrus
and published its translation in 1930. As an Egyptologist he translated and published numerous Demotic documents from fonds of museums of the USSR. But his scientific research field was not limited to Egyptology. His major scientific works were also on the history and history of arts of Sumer
, Babylonia
, Assyria
, Hittite Empire
and other civilizations of the Ancient Near East. He authored numerous research papers and textbooks in these fields, including the generalizing work "History of Ancient East" (1941). Struve was the head of a large research team that began work on the publication of all Greek inscriptions from the Ancient Bosporan Kingdom
. He also published a work on the history of the Ancient Northern Black Sea Coast, Caucasus and Middle Asia civilizations.
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
, Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
— September 15, 1965 in Leningrad
Leningrad
Leningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...
) was a Soviet orientalist
Oriental studies
Oriental studies is the academic field of study that embraces Near Eastern and Far Eastern societies and cultures, languages, peoples, history and archaeology; in recent years the subject has often been turned into the newer terms of Asian studies and Middle Eastern studies...
from the Struve family, the founder of the Soviet scientific school of researchers on Ancient Near East
Ancient Near East
The ancient Near East was the home of early civilizations within a region roughly corresponding to the modern Middle East: Mesopotamia , ancient Egypt, ancient Iran The ancient Near East was the home of early civilizations within a region roughly corresponding to the modern Middle East: Mesopotamia...
history.
In 1907 he entered the Department of History at the Faculty of History and Philology of the Petersburg University
Saint Petersburg State University
Saint Petersburg State University is a Russian federal state-owned higher education institution based in Saint Petersburg and one of the oldest and largest universities in Russia....
, where he studied the Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek
Ancient Greek is the stage of the Greek language in the periods spanning the times c. 9th–6th centuries BC, , c. 5th–4th centuries BC , and the c. 3rd century BC – 6th century AD of ancient Greece and the ancient world; being predated in the 2nd millennium BC by Mycenaean Greek...
and Latin languages, and Ancient Egyptian language
Egyptian language
Egyptian is the oldest known indigenous language of Egypt and a branch of the Afroasiatic language family. Written records of the Egyptian language have been dated from about 3400 BC, making it one of the oldest recorded languages known. Egyptian was spoken until the late 17th century AD in the...
under the leadership of the famous Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n Egyptologist Boris Turaev. He became proficient in all types of Egyptian hieroglyphic writing
Egyptian hieroglyphs
Egyptian hieroglyphs were a formal writing system used by the ancient Egyptians that combined logographic and alphabetic elements. Egyptians used cursive hieroglyphs for religious literature on papyrus and wood...
, including Demotic
Demotic (Egyptian)
Demotic refers to either the ancient Egyptian script derived from northern forms of hieratic used in the Delta, or the stage of the Egyptian language following Late Egyptian and preceding Coptic. The term was first used by the Greek historian Herodotus to distinguish it from hieratic and...
. He graduated from the Petersburg University
Saint Petersburg State University
Saint Petersburg State University is a Russian federal state-owned higher education institution based in Saint Petersburg and one of the oldest and largest universities in Russia....
in 1911 and continued research work and lecturing at the university until 1913, when he left for Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
for profound studies of the Egyptian language under Adolf Erman
Adolf Erman
Johann Peter Adolf Erman was a renowned Egyptologist and lexicographer.-Life:Born in Berlin, he was the son of Georg Adolf Erman and grandson of Paul Erman....
. After returning to Russia he became a private docent of the Petersburg university in 1916 and a professor there in 1920. He was the head of the Hermitage
Hermitage Museum
The State Hermitage is a museum of art and culture in Saint Petersburg, Russia. One of the largest and oldest museums of the world, it was founded in 1764 by Catherine the Great and has been opened to the public since 1852. Its collections, of which only a small part is on permanent display,...
Department for Art and Culture of Egypt from 1918 to 1933. Already being a lecturer he began to study Akkadian language
Akkadian language
Akkadian is an extinct Semitic language that was spoken in ancient Mesopotamia. The earliest attested Semitic language, it used the cuneiform writing system derived ultimately from ancient Sumerian, an unrelated language isolate...
, Biblical Hebrew and other Semitic languages
Semitic languages
The Semitic languages are a group of related languages whose living representatives are spoken by more than 270 million people across much of the Middle East, North Africa and the Horn of Africa...
under the Russian Semitologist academician Pavel Kokovtsov. Struve also began to study Sumerian language
Sumerian language
Sumerian is the language of ancient Sumer, which was spoken in southern Mesopotamia since at least the 4th millennium BC. During the 3rd millennium BC, there developed a very intimate cultural symbiosis between the Sumerians and the Akkadians, which included widespread bilingualism...
on his own.
In 1928 Struve defended the dissertation Manetho
Manetho
Manetho was an Egyptian historian and priest from Sebennytos who lived during the Ptolemaic era, approximately during the 3rd century BC. Manetho wrote the Aegyptiaca...
and His Time for the Master's Degree in history. He received the Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science
Doctor of Science , usually abbreviated Sc.D., D.Sc., S.D. or Dr.Sc., is an academic research degree awarded in a number of countries throughout the world. In some countries Doctor of Science is the name used for the standard doctorate in the sciences, elsewhere the Sc.D...
degree honoris causa. In 1935 Struve, nominated by Pavel Kokovtsev, was elected the full member of the USSR Academy of Sciences, becoming an academician
Academician
The title Academician denotes a Full Member of an art, literary, or scientific academy.In many countries, it is an honorary title. There also exists a lower-rank title, variously translated Corresponding Member or Associate Member, .-Eastern Europe and China:"Academician" may also be a functional...
. He was the Head of the Ethnography Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences from 1937 to 1940, and from 1941 to 1950 the Head of the Institute of Oriental Studies
Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences , formerly Institute of Oriental Studies of the USSR Academy of Sciences, is Russia's leading research institution for the study of the countries and cultures of Asia and North Africa...
of the Academy and since 1959 the Head of the Ancient East department of the latter Institute.
Struve authored around 400 scientific works in his lifetime. He along with Boris Turaev worked on the Moscow Mathematical Papyrus
Moscow Mathematical Papyrus
The Moscow Mathematical Papyrus is an ancient Egyptian mathematical papyrus, also called the Golenishchev Mathematical Papyrus, after its first owner, Egyptologist Vladimir Golenishchev. Golenishchev bought the papyrus in 1892 or 1893 in Thebes...
and published its translation in 1930. As an Egyptologist he translated and published numerous Demotic documents from fonds of museums of the USSR. But his scientific research field was not limited to Egyptology. His major scientific works were also on the history and history of arts of Sumer
Sumer
Sumer was a civilization and historical region in southern Mesopotamia, modern Iraq during the Chalcolithic and Early Bronze Age....
, Babylonia
Babylonia
Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia , with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as a major power when Hammurabi Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq), with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as...
, Assyria
Assyria
Assyria was a Semitic Akkadian kingdom, extant as a nation state from the mid–23rd century BC to 608 BC centred on the Upper Tigris river, in northern Mesopotamia , that came to rule regional empires a number of times through history. It was named for its original capital, the ancient city of Assur...
, Hittite Empire
History of the Hittites
Hittites were an ancient people who spoke an Indo-European language and established a kingdom centered in Hattusa in northern Anatolia from the 18th century BC. In the 14th century BC, the Hittite Kingdom was at its height, encompassing central Anatolia, south-western Syria as far as Ugarit, and...
and other civilizations of the Ancient Near East. He authored numerous research papers and textbooks in these fields, including the generalizing work "History of Ancient East" (1941). Struve was the head of a large research team that began work on the publication of all Greek inscriptions from the Ancient Bosporan Kingdom
Bosporan Kingdom
The Bosporan Kingdom or the Kingdom of the Cimmerian Bosporus was an ancient state, located in eastern Crimea and the Taman Peninsula on the shores of the Cimmerian Bosporus...
. He also published a work on the history of the Ancient Northern Black Sea Coast, Caucasus and Middle Asia civilizations.
External links
- List of publications by V.V.Struve – at the website of the Centre for Egyptological Science of the Russian Academy of Science