The Epistolary Heritage of the Mongolist V. L. Kotvich (1872–1944) about Teaching the Mongolian Language in Russia at the Beginning of the 20th Century

Abstract

2022 marked the 150th anniversary of the birth of an outstanding orientalist and teacher Vladislav Lyudvigovich Kotvich. His early days took place at St. Petersburg University, and his further fruitful activity (until 1923) was associated with scientific and educational institutions of the northern capital of Russia. The article aims to introduce into scientific circulation a previously unknown letter from the teacher of Chita Teachers’ Seminary Innokenty Porfiryevich Malkov to Vladislav Ludwigovich, which reflects the development of teaching the Mongolian language in Transbaikalia. The letter reveals the name of the unfairly forgotten teacher of the Mongolian language Innokenty Malkov, who was competent, responsible, understood the essence of teaching methodology, its features, the importance of knowledge and ability to teach not only the written language of the Mongols but also the variety of its dialects. This document can clarify little-known facts in the biography of V. L. Kotvich – an organizer of oriental education in Russia. Thus, the letter under consideration is a source on the history of Mongolian studies in Russia of the early 20th century, reflecting the development and state of Oriental education in one of the border regions of Russia, where the teaching of the Mongolian language was of practical importance – it was necessary to train translators for maintaining relations with China and Mongolia. The author of the letter also emphasized the problems in training teachers of the Mongolian-Buryat language, such as the lack of teaching staff and teaching aids. At the same time, the information presented in the letter proves the continuity of the traditions of the Russian school of Mongolian studies established by O. M. Kovalevsky, which can be traced in the description of teaching methods by I. Malkov. He described such methods as reading practical documents, using materials of the Society of Oriental Studies in St. Petersburg. The Oriental Academy was founded under the leadership of A. M. Pozdneev, an adherent of practical Oriental studies, whose teaching methods were introduced by Malkov in the seminary: he taught the fundamentals of history, geography, literature simultaneously with the study of the language and practiced reading business papers. Despite the remoteness of the region, the seminary teacher strived to acquire textbooks from reputable mongolists in order to achieve success in teaching the language.