Leonid P. Potapov
Encyclopedia
Leonid Pavlovich Potapov was a 20th century ethnographer specialising in the study of peoples of Southern Siberia
.
Leonid Potapov was born in the Altai city Barnaul
. From his early years L.Potapov showed interest to ethnography of his native land, travelling to study the culture of Altaians with a known Altaist Andrey V. Anokhin
. He visited Alatai in 1925 to gather ethnographic material on behalf of the Russian Geographical Society
. He graduated from the geographical department of the Leningrad State University with a major in ethnography in 1928. Here he had studied with Lev Sternberg, Vladimir Bogoraz
, Dmitrii Zelenin
, Sergei Rudenko
. Alexander Samoilovich, and Sergey Malov
tutored him in Türkic languages.
Following his graduation Potapov was appointed a head of scientific department in an Uzbek research institute, leading ethnographic expeditions to various areas of Uzbekistan.
Doctor of Historical sciences, professor, "Tuva ASSR Honored Worker of Science", an outstanding researcher of history and culture of Altaians, Shors
, Khakases, Tuvinians and other peoples of Southern Siberia
. He continued to collect material, publishing his first major text Essays on Shoria history in 1931 and continued with his post graduate work at the USSR Academy of Sciences. He accepted Marxism-Leninism
and its application to ethnography. After completing his postgraduate study, Potapov headed the Siberia and ethnography department of the State Ethnographical Museum of the USSR peoples in the Kunstkamera
and conducted research work at the USSR Academy of Science's History of Material Culture Institute
In 1939, Potapov gained a PhD in Historical Sciences presenting the monograph Relicts of primitive-communal system of Altai peoples. By that time L.Potapov had published about 30 works, including a number of monographs. At the beginning of the World War II
Potapov worked on the evacuation of museum valuables, moving with the museum collection to Novosibirsk
in 1942. In 1946 he published Altaians and was appointed professor. he then headed the Khakass ethnographic expedition, spending the next 11 years with various expeditions to Altai, Shoria, Khakassia and Tuva. He broadened his research materials on shamanism incorporating non-soviet sources. Potapov focussed on pre-Islam beliefs of peoples of Central Asia, ethnogenesis, ethnographic materials, archival, written and archeological sources.
In 1948 Potapov published "Essays on history of Altaians" (Novosibirsk, 1948), which was awarded with "Stalin" (later renamed State) premium. He contributed to Essays on the USSR history, History of the USSR, the five-volume History of Siberia and published Brief Esasay on culture and a life of Altaians (Gorno-Altaisk, 1948), Brief Essays on history and ethnography of Khakases (XVII-XIX centuries) (Abakan, 1952), Origin and formation of Khakass nation (Abakan, 1957), Ethnic Composition and Origin of Altaians (Leningrad, 1969), Essays on native life of Tuvinians (Moscow, 1969).
From 1957 to 1966 the Tuva Archeological Ethnographical Expedition worked on studies of ethnogenesis and history of Tuvinians. working with A.D.Grach, S.I.Weinstein and V.P.Diakonova, he edited the three-volume Works of Tuva complex archeological ethnographical expedition. Participants wrote a collective monograph "History of Tuva" (Vol. 1). In 1956 L.Potapov wrote chapters on 'Altaians', 'Khakases', 'Tuvinians' and 'Shors' for the Peoples of Siberia in Nations of the world series, published also in English by Chicago university. Potapov participated in the 23rd and 25th congresses of Orientalists, and in the 6th and 7th congresses of anthropologists and ethnographers (Paris, 1960).
L.Potapov created a scientific school studying the peoples of Siberia, especially the Sayan-Altai region, and prepared 48 PhD in sciences. A special scientific contribution was his work Altai shamanism (1991) with a rich collection of material brought from uncountable field research materials. L.Potapov joined the names of N.N.Poppe (1970), V.I.Tsintsius (1972), A.N.Kononov (1976), N.A.Baskakov (1980), A.M.Scherbak (1992) who were awarded "PIAK Gold medal" for Altaic studies.
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
.
Leonid Potapov was born in the Altai city Barnaul
Barnaul
-Russian Empire:Barnaul was one of the earlier cities established in Siberia. Originally chosen for its proximity to the mineral-rich Altai Mountains and its location on a major river, the site was founded by the wealthy Demidov family in the 1730s. In addition to the copper which had originally...
. From his early years L.Potapov showed interest to ethnography of his native land, travelling to study the culture of Altaians with a known Altaist Andrey V. Anokhin
Andrey V. Anokhin
Anokhin Andrey Victorovitch was an Altai scientist - Turkologist, ethnographer, composer and educator.A. V. Anokhin was born in a village Right Lamki in Tambov province' Arjan district. In the beginning of 1870 his family moved to Biisk. A...
. He visited Alatai in 1925 to gather ethnographic material on behalf of the Russian Geographical Society
Russian Geographical Society
The Russian Geographical Society is a learned society, founded on 6 August 1845 in Saint Petersburg, Russia.-Imperial Geographical Society:Prior to the Russian Revolution of 1917, it was known as the Imperial Russian Geographical Society....
. He graduated from the geographical department of the Leningrad State University with a major in ethnography in 1928. Here he had studied with Lev Sternberg, Vladimir Bogoraz
Vladimir Bogoraz
Vladimir Germanovich Bogoraz , best known under literary pseudonym N.A. Tan was a Russian revolutionary, writer and anthropologist, especially known for his studies of the Chukchi people in Siberia....
, Dmitrii Zelenin
Dmitrii Zelenin
Dmitrii Konstantinovich Zelenin was a Russian linguist and ethnographer.He led the European Brigade of the Institute of Anthropology and Ethnography, which was formed in 1938 to formulate the list of nationalities to be officially recognised by the Soviet Union.In November 2004 the...
, Sergei Rudenko
Sergei Rudenko
Sergei Ivanovich Rudenko was a prominent Russian/Soviet anthropologist and archaeologist who discovered and excavated the most celebrated of Scythian burials, Pazyryk in Siberia....
. Alexander Samoilovich, and Sergey Malov
Sergey Malov
Sergey Efimovich Malov was a Russian Turkologist who made important contributions to the documentation of archaic and contemporary Turkic languages, classification of the Turkic alphabets, and the deciphering of the Turkic Orkhon script.- Biography :...
tutored him in Türkic languages.
Following his graduation Potapov was appointed a head of scientific department in an Uzbek research institute, leading ethnographic expeditions to various areas of Uzbekistan.
Doctor of Historical sciences, professor, "Tuva ASSR Honored Worker of Science", an outstanding researcher of history and culture of Altaians, Shors
Shors
Shors or Shorians are a Turkic people in the Kemerovo Oblast in Russia. Their self designation is Шор, or Shor. They were also called Kuznetskie Tatars , Kondoma Tatars , Mras-Su Tatars in some of the documents of the 17th-18th centuries.Most of Shors live in the Tom basin along the Kondoma and...
, Khakases, Tuvinians and other peoples of Southern Siberia
Siberia
Siberia is an extensive region constituting almost all of Northern Asia. Comprising the central and eastern portion of the Russian Federation, it was part of the Soviet Union from its beginning, as its predecessor states, the Tsardom of Russia and the Russian Empire, conquered it during the 16th...
. He continued to collect material, publishing his first major text Essays on Shoria history in 1931 and continued with his post graduate work at the USSR Academy of Sciences. He accepted Marxism-Leninism
Marxism-Leninism
Marxism–Leninism is a communist ideology, officially based upon the theories of Marxism and Vladimir Lenin, that promotes the development and creation of a international communist society through the leadership of a vanguard party over a revolutionary socialist state that represents a dictatorship...
and its application to ethnography. After completing his postgraduate study, Potapov headed the Siberia and ethnography department of the State Ethnographical Museum of the USSR peoples in the Kunstkamera
Kunstkamera
The Kunstkamera was the first museum in Russia. Established by Peter the Great and completed in 1727, the Kunstkammer Building hosts the Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, with a collection of almost 2,000,000 items...
and conducted research work at the USSR Academy of Science's History of Material Culture Institute
In 1939, Potapov gained a PhD in Historical Sciences presenting the monograph Relicts of primitive-communal system of Altai peoples. By that time L.Potapov had published about 30 works, including a number of monographs. At the beginning of the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Potapov worked on the evacuation of museum valuables, moving with the museum collection to Novosibirsk
Novosibirsk
Novosibirsk is the third-largest city in Russia, after Moscow and Saint Petersburg, and the largest city of Siberia, with a population of 1,473,737 . It is the administrative center of Novosibirsk Oblast as well as of the Siberian Federal District...
in 1942. In 1946 he published Altaians and was appointed professor. he then headed the Khakass ethnographic expedition, spending the next 11 years with various expeditions to Altai, Shoria, Khakassia and Tuva. He broadened his research materials on shamanism incorporating non-soviet sources. Potapov focussed on pre-Islam beliefs of peoples of Central Asia, ethnogenesis, ethnographic materials, archival, written and archeological sources.
In 1948 Potapov published "Essays on history of Altaians" (Novosibirsk, 1948), which was awarded with "Stalin" (later renamed State) premium. He contributed to Essays on the USSR history, History of the USSR, the five-volume History of Siberia and published Brief Esasay on culture and a life of Altaians (Gorno-Altaisk, 1948), Brief Essays on history and ethnography of Khakases (XVII-XIX centuries) (Abakan, 1952), Origin and formation of Khakass nation (Abakan, 1957), Ethnic Composition and Origin of Altaians (Leningrad, 1969), Essays on native life of Tuvinians (Moscow, 1969).
From 1957 to 1966 the Tuva Archeological Ethnographical Expedition worked on studies of ethnogenesis and history of Tuvinians. working with A.D.Grach, S.I.Weinstein and V.P.Diakonova, he edited the three-volume Works of Tuva complex archeological ethnographical expedition. Participants wrote a collective monograph "History of Tuva" (Vol. 1). In 1956 L.Potapov wrote chapters on 'Altaians', 'Khakases', 'Tuvinians' and 'Shors' for the Peoples of Siberia in Nations of the world series, published also in English by Chicago university. Potapov participated in the 23rd and 25th congresses of Orientalists, and in the 6th and 7th congresses of anthropologists and ethnographers (Paris, 1960).
L.Potapov created a scientific school studying the peoples of Siberia, especially the Sayan-Altai region, and prepared 48 PhD in sciences. A special scientific contribution was his work Altai shamanism (1991) with a rich collection of material brought from uncountable field research materials. L.Potapov joined the names of N.N.Poppe (1970), V.I.Tsintsius (1972), A.N.Kononov (1976), N.A.Baskakov (1980), A.M.Scherbak (1992) who were awarded "PIAK Gold medal" for Altaic studies.