Expeditionary Activity of Aleksey Pozdneev (1851—1920) with the Reference to the History of the Development of Scientific Mongolian Studies in Russia

Abstract

The article deals with the expeditionary work of an outstanding Russian specialist in Mongolian studies Aleksey Matveyevich Pozdneev. He can be characterized by a wide range of work, from collecting field materials, compilation of manuscripts in oriental languages and objects of the religious cult of Buddhists to the creation of fundamental works in the history of the development of scientific Mongolian studies and the organization of leading centers for practical Mongolian studies in Russia, whose tasks were to train specialists in the modern East. The author of the article gives details of the scientist's expeditionary activities, revealed both from his published works and manuscripts from the archives of scientific institutions of St. Petersburg as well as shows the importance of scientific trips in general for the formation and development of scientific Mongolian studies in Russia and obtaining objective knowledge about the Mongolian peoples of Inner Asia.Multiple scientific trips to the territory of Mongolia and China, to the nomad camps of the Trans-Baikal Buryats and Kalmyks of the Astrakhan steppes of Russia contributed to the formation of A. M. Pozdneev as an authoritative scholar of Mongolian studies. Knowledge of history, culture, language and experience accumulated during a long stay among the Mongolian peoples determined the direction of his work as a state and public figure who made decisions about organization of education in national schools and conducted surveys on the situation and role of Buddhist Church. He thoroughly collected materials about life and religion, the administrative structure and social structure of Mongolian society in the late 19th — early 20th centuries which allowed to create a comprehensive picture of Mongolia at that time. The richest collections of manuscripts and woodcuts, which make up “A. M. Pozdneev Fund” of the scientific library in St. Petersburg University, contributed to the formation of new directions in Mongolian studies - linguistic, comparative-historical.