IVANOV, Vladimir Alekseevič (W. Ivanow). St.Petersburg 3.11.1886 — Tehran 19.6.1970. Russian Iranian (Persian) Scholar in India and Iran. Son of an army surgeon. Studies at St.Petersburg (Arabic under von Rosen, Persian under Žukovskij), graduated 1907 (1911?9. In 1910-14 worked in Russian Bank’s subsidiary in Tehran, 1912-13 fieldwork in Khorasan. Studied dialects and folk poetry. Back in St.Petersburg he joined the Asiatic Museum of the Academy, finally Assstant Keeper of Manuscripts there. In 1915 in Bukhara studying manuscripts, again 1918, but now decided to emigrate and went to Iran. In 1918-20 Persian interpreter to Anglo-Indian forces in Eastern Iran, 1920-28 working on manuscripts in Calcutta, then in Bombay concentrating on Isma‘ilian studies. In 1957 moved to Tehran for the rest of his life.

Publications: “On the Language of the Gypsies of Quainat (in Eastern Persia)”, JASB N.S. 10, 1914, 439-455, also on gypsies in JASB 18, 1922.

– “Ismailitica”, MASB 8:1, 1922, 1-76.

– “A ‘Whitch-case’ in Medieval India”, JASB 19, 1923, 43-50, and other papers.

– “Rustic Poetry in the Dialect of Khorasan”, JASB 21, 1925, 233-313; “Notes on Khorasani Kurdish”, JASB 23, 1927, 167-245; “Persian as spoken in Birjan”, JASB 24, 1928, 235-351.

– Edited & translated: Kalāmi Pīr. A treatise on Ismaili Doctrine. 68+146+117 p. Islamic Res. Assoc. Series 4, Bombay 1935; transl. “Ummu’l-kitāb”, Der Islam 23, 1936, 1-132.

– Fifty Years in the East: The Memoirs of Wladimir Ivanow. 256 p. L. 2015.

– Many further works on Persian, Arabic Islam (Isma‘ilism), manuscript catalogues, etc.

Sources: F. Daftary, Encyclop. Iranica 14:3, 2007, 298-300 (online 2012 with photo), *bibliography by the same, Iskamic Culture 45, 1971, 56-67 & 56, 1982, 239f.; *A.A.A. Fyzee, JASBombay 45-46, 1970-71, 92-97; Wikipedia with three photos (more details in French version).