The contribution of V. I. Filonenko to the development of Russian Oriental Studies: the Crimean stage

Abstract

This article is dedicated to examination of pedagogical and scientific activity of the Russian and Soviet Oriental scholar of the XX century V. I. Filonenko. Having acquired excellent education in the field of Oriental Studies in St. Petersburg University, he devoted his entire life to the development of science, leaving behind a rich legacy. The goal of this research lies in systematization of the records on the Crimean stage of scholar’s activity (1915–1935), when he proved himself as a remarkable scientist and pedagogue, head of the oriental department in Crimean Pedagogical Institute, and deputy head of Tauride Society of History, Archeology and Ethnography that often dealt with Arabic, Iranian, and Turkic philology. Although several brief biographies of V. I. Filonenko, including such compiled by his colleagues, are widely known, there is yet no comprehensive research on his contribution to the development of Oriental Studies in Crimea. This article attempts to provide a briad picture of V. I. Filonenko's scientific and pedagogical activity in the field of Oriental Studies and preparation of specialists in Oriental Studies. The article employs autobiographical materials, correspondence of Filonenko with Academician Krachkovsky, as well as minutes of the session of Tauride Society of History, Archeology and Ethnography. The acquired results reveal the role of V. I. Filonenko in the development of Russian Oriental Studies.