BIČURIN, Iakinf (Hyacinth, originally Nikita Jakovlevič B.). Akulevo, Tsivil’skij district, Kazan Province 29.8.1777* — St.Petersburg 11.5.1853. Russian (Čuvaš) Monk, Orthodox Priest, Sinologist and Central Asian Scholar. Son of a deacon, graduated from Kazan Ecclesiastical Academy in 1799. Ordained as monk in 1802. Head of the Ninth Spiritual Mission of the…
BESKROVNYJ, Vasilij Matveevič. Šejkovka (Šijkivka), Harkovskaja obl., Ukraine 24.5. (6.6.)1908 — Moscow 1.4.1978. Russian (Ukrainian?) Indologist, specialist in Hindi/Urdu. From 1926 studies at Leningrad Oriental Institute: graduated 1930, Kand. filol. nauk 1943. Naučnyj sotrudnik at Oriental Institute, Academy of Science, Leningrad from 1932, staršij n. sotr. 1943. In 1936-38 taught…
BERNŠTAM, Aleksandr Natanovič. Kerch (Kerč), Crimea 1.(14.)10.1910 — Leningrad 10.12.1956 (when 47). Russian Central Asian Archaeologist. Educated in Sevastopol. Graduated 1931 from Leningrad Inst. of History, Philology and Linguistics. Kand. ist. nauk 1935, Dr. ist. n. 1943. In 1932-35 naučnyj sotrudnik at Hermitage, 1934-56 at Academy of History of Material Culture.…
BERNER, Vil’gel’m Mihajlovič. v Baranovič, Minskoj gub. (now Belarus) 1903 — Leningrad 1958. Russian Indologist. After school from 1917 apprenticed in NW railway, in 1920 volunteer in Red Army and member of Communist Party. In 1922-26 machinist in Soviet Navy, 1926-29 fireman in the factory Krasnaja Zarja, Leningrad, 1929-31 “revizor…
BEREZOVSKIJ, Mihail Mihajlovič. 1848 — St.Petersburg 5.4.1912. Russian Traveller in Central Asia. Born in a noble family, school in St.Petersburg. As young man involved in radical politics, but escaped punishments. Studied zoology at St.Petersburg. From 1876 repeatedly with Potanin in Mongolia, starting as zoologist and botanist, but gradually becoming also interested…
BARTOL’D, Vasilij Vladimirovič (Wilhelm Barthold). St.Petersburg 3(15).11.1869 — Leningrad 19.8.1930. Russian Scholar of Central Asian History and Geography, one of the most famous of his time. Born of a Russianized German family. School and from 1891 studies at St.Petersburg, first of Oriental languages, from 1892 also Asian history. Magistr 1893,…
BARANNIKOV, Aleksej Petrovič. Zolotonoša, Poltavskaja obl. 25.2. (9.3.)1890 — Leningrad (St.Petersburg) 4.9.1952. Russian (Ukrainian) Indologist. Son of a worker, graduated 1914 from Kiev University (learned Sanskrit from Knauer). In 1916-17 taught at Pedagocical Academy, 1919-20 at Pedagocical Institute in Samara, 1920 at Saratov University. In 1921-36 Teacher at St.Petersburg /…
BARADIJN, Badzar Baradinevič. v Mogojtuj Aginsk. ajmaka 16.6.(28.6.)1878 — 24.8.1937. Russian (Buryat) Buddhist, Tibetan and Mongolian scholar. Born in a herder family. Graduated 1905 at St.Petersburg. In 1905-07 further studies in Tibet. In 1908-17 taught at Oriental Faculty, St.Petersburg, then 1917-23 at intermediate school in Ulan-Ude. In 1923-35 chairman of…
BAL’MONT, Konstantin Dmitrievič. Gumnišči, Vladimir gub. 15(3).6.1867 — Noisy-le-Grand near Paris 24.12.1942 (not 1943). Russian Symbolist Poet, Critic, Essayist, Novelist, and Playwright, interested in Theosophy and a Translator of Indian Classics. One of the most important members of the symbolic school in Russian literature. Son of Dmitrij Konstantinovič B., a…
ANDREEV, Mihail Stepanovič. Taškent 11(23).9.1873 — Stalinabad (Dušanbe) 10.11.1948. Russian Iranian Scholar. Son of an official. Graduated from the Turkmenian Teachers’ College in 1893. In 1905-14 interpreter and vice-consul for British and French Colonies in India and Indochina. In 1914-18 inspector of schools in Samarkand Oblast. In 1918-47 teacher and…