B. I. Pankratov
Encyclopedia
Boris Ivanovich Pankratov (Борис Иванович Панкратов, 1892-1979) was a Soviet Sinologist and Mongolist.
. In 1919, he went to Hankow (Hankou
), China on the pretext of language practise before moving to Peking (Beijing
) in 1921 to take up a job with the local branch of the Russian Telegraph Agency
. In 1923, he took up a position as an interpreter of Chinese
, Mongolian
, and Tibetan
at the Soviet Embassy under Lev Karakhan
, serving until his return to the Soviet Union
1935. The following year, he became one of the first scholars of the Manchu section of the Institute of Oriental Studies
of the Soviet Academy of Sciences, under A. V. Grebenshchikov
. From 1942 to 1948, he again served his government in China, in the Chungking (Chongqing
) and Tihua (Urumqi
) areas.
Aside from his pure linguistic interests, Pankratov was interested in the history of Russian Sinology, especially the lives of Nikita Bichurin and Vasily Vasilyev. He was also respected for his knowledge of Buddhist art
and Buddhist philosophy
. Following his death, he left his personal library to the IOS, including a number of rare 17th-century Manchu manuscripts.
dressed in a monk's robe, carrying a revolver
underneath. V. M. Alekseyev
claimed that once, when he and Pankratov were eating breakfast at Alexander von Staël-Holstein
's house, Pankratov identified himself as serving in the State Political Directorate
. One later scholar suggests he may have played some role in Nicholas Roerich
's schemes to increase Soviet influence in Tibet
, perhaps as a liaison with the Panchen Lama
. His former student, Yuri L'vovich Krol', even confirms that Pankratov met with Roerich.
Academic career
Pankratov was a graduate of the Oriental Institute in VladivostokVladivostok
The city is located in the southern extremity of Muravyov-Amursky Peninsula, which is about 30 km long and approximately 12 km wide.The highest point is Mount Kholodilnik, the height of which is 257 m...
. In 1919, he went to Hankow (Hankou
Hankou
Hankou was one of the three cities whose merging formed modern-day Wuhan, the capital of the Hubei province, China. It stands north of the Han and Yangtze Rivers where the Han falls into the Yangtze...
), China on the pretext of language practise before moving to Peking (Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
) in 1921 to take up a job with the local branch of the Russian Telegraph Agency
Russian Telegraph Agency
Russian Telegraph Agency , abbr. Rosta was the state news agency in Soviet Russia . After the creation of Telegraph Agency of the Soviet Union in 1925, it remained the news agency of Soviet Russia...
. In 1923, he took up a position as an interpreter of Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
, Mongolian
Mongolian language
The Mongolian language is the official language of Mongolia and the best-known member of the Mongolic language family. The number of speakers across all its dialects may be 5.2 million, including the vast majority of the residents of Mongolia and many of the Mongolian residents of the Inner...
, and Tibetan
Tibetan language
The Tibetan languages are a cluster of mutually-unintelligible Tibeto-Burman languages spoken primarily by Tibetan peoples who live across a wide area of eastern Central Asia bordering the Indian subcontinent, including the Tibetan Plateau and the northern Indian subcontinent in Baltistan, Ladakh,...
at the Soviet Embassy under Lev Karakhan
Lev Karakhan
Lev Mikhailovich Karakhan Armenian Կարախանյան Լեւոն Միքայելի, Russian Лев Михайлович Карахан was an ethnic Armenian-born Russian revolutionary and a Soviet diplomat...
, serving until his return to the Soviet Union
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
1935. The following year, he became one of the first scholars of the Manchu section of the Institute of Oriental Studies
Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences , formerly Institute of Oriental Studies of the USSR Academy of Sciences, is Russia's leading research institution for the study of the countries and cultures of Asia and North Africa...
of the Soviet Academy of Sciences, under A. V. Grebenshchikov
A. V. Grebenshchikov
Aleksandr Vasil'evich Grebenshchikov was a Soviet scholar of the Tungusic languages. He was specifically interested in the origin and development of Manchu writing.-Education and career:...
. From 1942 to 1948, he again served his government in China, in the Chungking (Chongqing
Chongqing
Chongqing is a major city in Southwest China and one of the five national central cities of China. Administratively, it is one of the PRC's four direct-controlled municipalities , and the only such municipality in inland China.The municipality was created on 14 March 1997, succeeding the...
) and Tihua (Urumqi
Ürümqi
Ürümqi , formerly Tihwa , is the capital of Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China, in the northwest of the country....
) areas.
Aside from his pure linguistic interests, Pankratov was interested in the history of Russian Sinology, especially the lives of Nikita Bichurin and Vasily Vasilyev. He was also respected for his knowledge of Buddhist art
Buddhist art
Buddhist art originated on the Indian subcontinent following the historical life of Siddhartha Gautama, 6th to 5th century BC, and thereafter evolved by contact with other cultures as it spread throughout Asia and the world....
and Buddhist philosophy
Buddhist philosophy
Buddhist philosophy deals extensively with problems in metaphysics, phenomenology, ethics, and epistemology.Some scholars assert that early Buddhist philosophy did not engage in ontological or metaphysical speculation, but was based instead on empirical evidence gained by the sense organs...
. Following his death, he left his personal library to the IOS, including a number of rare 17th-century Manchu manuscripts.
Suspected political activities
Pankratov was reportedly quite secretive about his exact activities while living in China, leading to speculation that he was involved in espionage. Various people who knew Pankratov in the 1970s tell a story that he once visited Kumbum MonasteryKumbum Monastery
Kumbum Monastery is a Buddhist monastery in Qinghai province, China. Kumbum was founded in 1583 in a narrow valley close to the village of Lusar in the Tibetan cultural region of Amdo. Its superior monastery is Drepung, immediately to the west of Lhasa...
dressed in a monk's robe, carrying a revolver
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
underneath. V. M. Alekseyev
Vasiliy Mikhaylovich Alekseyev
Vasiliy Mikhaylovich Alekseyev was an eminent Soviet sinologist and a member of the Soviet Academy of Sciences. In 1902 he finished the Saint Petersburg University and became a professor...
claimed that once, when he and Pankratov were eating breakfast at Alexander von Staël-Holstein
Alexander von Staël-Holstein
Baron Alexander Staël von Holstein ; was a German-baltic aristocrat, Russian and Estonian orientalist, sinologist, sanskritologist, specializing in Buddhist texts.Related to Madame de Staël's husband, the future baron was born in the province of Estland...
's house, Pankratov identified himself as serving in the State Political Directorate
State Political Directorate
The State Political Directorate was the secret police of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and the Soviet Union from 1922 until 1934...
. One later scholar suggests he may have played some role in Nicholas Roerich
Nicholas Roerich
Nicholas Roerich, also known as Nikolai Konstantinovich Rerikh , was a Russian mystic, painter, philosopher, scientist, writer, traveler, and public figure. A prolific artist, he created thousands of paintings and about 30 literary works...
's schemes to increase Soviet influence in Tibet
Tibet
Tibet is a plateau region in Asia, north-east of the Himalayas. It is the traditional homeland of the Tibetan people as well as some other ethnic groups such as Monpas, Qiang, and Lhobas, and is now also inhabited by considerable numbers of Han and Hui people...
, perhaps as a liaison with the Panchen Lama
Panchen Lama
The Panchen Lama , or Bainqên Erdê'ni , is the highest ranking Lama after the Dalai Lama in the Gelugpa lineage of Tibetan Buddhism...
. His former student, Yuri L'vovich Krol', even confirms that Pankratov met with Roerich.