IVANOVSKIJ, Aleksej Osipovič. 8(20).3.1863 — 25.1.(7.2.)1903. Russian Sinologist, Mongolian and Tibetan Scholar. Professor in St.Petersburg. Born in the old nobility of Herson governement, educated in St.Petersburg. From 1881 studies of Chinese, Manchu, Mongolian and Tibetan at Oriental Faculty of St.Petersburg University. Student of Vasil’kov, also listened to Pozdneev, Minaev, et al. Kand. 1885, Mag. 1887, Doctor 1889. From 1885 taught Manchu, later as Docent. From 1.7.1889 to 1.7.1891 in Manchuria and China. From 1893 also taught Chinese, in 1894 succeeded S. M. Georgievskij as eo. Professor of Chinese philology.

Ivanovskij was mainly a scholar of Buddhism. A great amount of his work consisted of commented translations of original sources, according to his opinion it was not yet time for generalizations. The planned comparative study of the Vinaya of various schools remained unachieved. Death of his son caused a severe depression, which led to insanity. After 1900 he was no longer able to work.

Publications: Mag.diss. Materialy dlja istorii inorodcev jugo-zapadnago Kitaja. 1. 1889 (manuscript?); dr. diss. Jun’nanskie inorodcy v period dinastij Juan’, Min’ i Daj-cin’. St.P. 1889; further works on Chinese, Manchu and Mongolian.

– “Dsandan dsou yin domok, légende de la statue de Bouddha”, Le Muséon 2, 1883, 93-104; “De la conquête du Tibet par les Chinois”, Le Muséon 3, 1884, 165-181.

– ““Poslanie k učeniku” soč. Čandragomina. Tibet. tekst s vvedeniem”, Zap. Vost. Otd. Rus. Arh. Obšč. 4, c. 1890, 53-82 (Śiṣyalekha); “O kitajskom perevod buddijskago sbornika Jātakamālā”, Ibid. 7, 189?, 265-292.

– Glava iz biografii Milarajby o vstreče ego s’ohotnikom, perevod s tibetskago teksta. 1893 (an article?).

– “Sur une traduction chinoise du recueil bouddhique Jâtakamâlâ”, RHR 47, 1903, 298-335.

Sources: S. F. Ol’denburg, Žurnal Ministerstva narodnago prosveščenija 346:4:4, 1903, 127-132; Biogr. slovar S.-Peterb. Univ. 1, 1896, 268f.; *H. Walravens, Aleksej Osipovič Ivanovskij, a Little Known Russian Orientalist: A Biobibliographical Sketch. 1982; Russian Vikipedija with photo.