Sergey Oldenburg
Encyclopedia
Sergey Fyodorovich Oldenburg ' onMouseout='HidePop("3150")' href="/topics/Nerchinsk">Nerchinsk
- 28 February 1934, Leningrad
) was a Russia
n orientalist
who specialized in Buddhist
studies. He is remembered as the founder of Russian Indology
and the teacher of Fyodor Shcherbatskoy
.
Oldenburg's father was of the lesser nobility; his grandfather was a full general in the Imperial Russian Army
. During the 1880s while at St. Petersburg University Oldenburg participated in the Scientific-Literary Association of Students, a brotherhood which shared liberal and radical ideals. Here he met Aleksandr Ulyanov
as they were both in the inner circle of this organisation. Ulyanov dropped out of the inner circle when he started to plan an assassination attempt on the life of Tsar Alexander III
. The attempt failed, and following the execution of Ulyanov in 1887, his brother, Vladimir Lenin
visited Oldenburg in St Petersburg in 1891. Oldenburg had just returned from a two-year trip to London
, Paris
, and Cambridge
.
Oldenburg was elected into the Russian Academy of Sciences
in 1900 and served as its permanent Secretary in 1904-29. From 1905 he became active in the Imperial Russian Geographical Society. In 1909-10 and 1914-15, he travelled in Central Asia, where he discovered a number of hitherto unpublished Sanskrit
texts. He instigated several scientific expeditions to Tibet
and Dzungaria
, which brought to light a collection of unique Buddhist manuscripts. In order to publish the newly-found manuscripts, Oldenburg launched in 1897 an authoritative edition of Buddhist texts, Bibliotheca Buddhica, which continues to this day.
Oldenburg joined the Kadet Party in 1905; he was a member of the State Council of Imperial Russia
(1912-17), and following the February Revolution
he served in the Russian Provisional Government
as Minister of Education. He set up the Commission for the Study of the Tribal Composition of the Population of the Borderlands of Russia
at this time. Unlike his colleagues from the Constitutional Democratic Party
, chose to spent the rest of his life in Russia following the olshevik seizure of power
. Based on his acquaintance with Vladimir Lenin
, he was able to develop an alliance between the Bolsheviks and Russian ethnographers, the former being more interested in nationalism
amongst European peoples of the former Russian Empire, the ethnographers focusing more on the national question amongst the Asian peoples of the former Russian Empire.
Although he was briefly apprehended by the Cheka
in 1919, Oldenburg was allowed to run the Academy of Sciences until 1929, when, in connection with the ongoing Bolshevization of the Academy, he was ousted from his posts. Oldenburg devoted the remainder of his life to administrating the Soviet Institute of Oriental Studies
, whose antecedent (the Asian Museum) he had been a director of since 1916.
His granddaughter Zoé Oldenbourg
became a well-known French novelist and historian.
Nerchinsk
Nerchinsk is a town and the administrative center of Nerchinsky District of Zabaykalsky Krai, Russia, located east of Lake Baikal, east of Chita, and about west of the Chinese border on the left bank of the Nercha River, above its confluence with the Shilka River, which flows into the Amur...
- 28 February 1934, Leningrad
Leningrad
Leningrad is the former name of Saint Petersburg, Russia.Leningrad may also refer to:- Places :* Leningrad Oblast, a federal subject of Russia, around Saint Petersburg* Leningrad, Tajikistan, capital of Muminobod district in Khatlon Province...
) was a Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n orientalist
Orientalism
Orientalism is a term used for the imitation or depiction of aspects of Eastern cultures in the West by writers, designers and artists, as well as having other meanings...
who specialized in Buddhist
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
studies. He is remembered as the founder of Russian Indology
Indology
Indology is the academic study of the history and cultures, languages, and literature of the Indian subcontinent , and as such is a subset of Asian studies....
and the teacher of Fyodor Shcherbatskoy
Fyodor Shcherbatskoy
Fyodor Ippolitovich Shcherbatskoy or Stcherbatsky , often referred to in the literature as F. Th. Stcherbatsky, was a Russian Indologist who, in large part, was responsible for laying the foundations in the Western world for the scholarly study of Buddhist philosophy...
.
Oldenburg's father was of the lesser nobility; his grandfather was a full general in the Imperial Russian Army
Imperial Russian Army
The Imperial Russian Army was the land armed force of the Russian Empire, active from around 1721 to the Russian Revolution of 1917. In the early 1850s, the Russian army consisted of around 938,731 regular soldiers and 245,850 irregulars . Until the time of military reform of Dmitry Milyutin in...
. During the 1880s while at St. Petersburg University Oldenburg participated in the Scientific-Literary Association of Students, a brotherhood which shared liberal and radical ideals. Here he met Aleksandr Ulyanov
Aleksandr Ulyanov
Aleksandr Ilyich Ulyanov was a Russian revolutionary and a terrorist, convicted of attempted assassination of Alexander III. He was an older brother of Vladimir Lenin.- Life :...
as they were both in the inner circle of this organisation. Ulyanov dropped out of the inner circle when he started to plan an assassination attempt on the life of Tsar Alexander III
Alexander III of Russia
Alexander Alexandrovich Romanov , historically remembered as Alexander III or Alexander the Peacemaker reigned as Emperor of Russia from until his death on .-Disposition:...
. The attempt failed, and following the execution of Ulyanov in 1887, his brother, Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and communist politician who led the October Revolution of 1917. As leader of the Bolsheviks, he headed the Soviet state during its initial years , as it fought to establish control of Russia in the Russian Civil War and worked to create a...
visited Oldenburg in St Petersburg in 1891. Oldenburg had just returned from a two-year trip to London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, and Cambridge
Cambridge
The city of Cambridge is a university town and the administrative centre of the county of Cambridgeshire, England. It lies in East Anglia about north of London. Cambridge is at the heart of the high-technology centre known as Silicon Fen – a play on Silicon Valley and the fens surrounding the...
.
Oldenburg was elected into the Russian Academy of Sciences
Russian Academy of Sciences
The Russian Academy of Sciences consists of the national academy of Russia and a network of scientific research institutes from across the Russian Federation as well as auxiliary scientific and social units like libraries, publishers and hospitals....
in 1900 and served as its permanent Secretary in 1904-29. From 1905 he became active in the Imperial Russian Geographical Society. In 1909-10 and 1914-15, he travelled in Central Asia, where he discovered a number of hitherto unpublished Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
texts. He instigated several scientific expeditions to 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...
and Dzungaria
Dzungaria
Dzungaria, also called Zungaria, is a geographical region in northwest China corresponding to the northern half of Xinjiang. It covers approximately , lying mostly within Xinjiang, and extending into western Mongolia and eastern Kazakhstan...
, which brought to light a collection of unique Buddhist manuscripts. In order to publish the newly-found manuscripts, Oldenburg launched in 1897 an authoritative edition of Buddhist texts, Bibliotheca Buddhica, which continues to this day.
Oldenburg joined the Kadet Party in 1905; he was a member of the State Council of Imperial Russia
State Council of Imperial Russia
The State Council was the supreme state advisory body to the Tsar in Imperial Russia.-18th century:Early Tsars' Councils were small and dealt primarily with the external politics....
(1912-17), and following the February Revolution
February Revolution
The February Revolution of 1917 was the first of two revolutions in Russia in 1917. Centered around the then capital Petrograd in March . Its immediate result was the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II, the end of the Romanov dynasty, and the end of the Russian Empire...
he served in the Russian Provisional Government
Russian Provisional Government
The Russian Provisional Government was the short-lived administrative body which sought to govern Russia immediately following the abdication of Tsar Nicholas II . On September 14, the State Duma of the Russian Empire was officially dissolved by the newly created Directorate, and the country was...
as Minister of Education. He set up the Commission for the Study of the Tribal Composition of the Population of the Borderlands of Russia
Commission for the Study of the Tribal Composition of the Population of the Borderlands of Russia
The Commission for the Study of the Tribal Composition of the Population of the Borderlands of Russia was set up in February 1917 by Sergey Oldenburg under the auspices of the Russian Academy of Sciences...
at this time. Unlike his colleagues from the Constitutional Democratic Party
Constitutional Democratic party
The Constitutional Democratic Party was a liberal political party in the Russian Empire. Party members were called Kadets, from the abbreviation K-D of the party name...
, chose to spent the rest of his life in Russia following the olshevik seizure of power
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
. Based on his acquaintance with Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Lenin
Vladimir Ilyich Lenin was a Russian Marxist revolutionary and communist politician who led the October Revolution of 1917. As leader of the Bolsheviks, he headed the Soviet state during its initial years , as it fought to establish control of Russia in the Russian Civil War and worked to create a...
, he was able to develop an alliance between the Bolsheviks and Russian ethnographers, the former being more interested in nationalism
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
amongst European peoples of the former Russian Empire, the ethnographers focusing more on the national question amongst the Asian peoples of the former Russian Empire.
Although he was briefly apprehended by the Cheka
Cheka
Cheka was the first of a succession of Soviet state security organizations. It was created by a decree issued on December 20, 1917, by Vladimir Lenin and subsequently led by aristocrat-turned-communist Felix Dzerzhinsky...
in 1919, Oldenburg was allowed to run the Academy of Sciences until 1929, when, in connection with the ongoing Bolshevization of the Academy, he was ousted from his posts. Oldenburg devoted the remainder of his life to administrating the Soviet 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...
, whose antecedent (the Asian Museum) he had been a director of since 1916.
His granddaughter Zoé Oldenbourg
Zoé Oldenbourg
Zoé Oldenbourg was a Russian-born French historian and novelist who specialized in mediæval French history, in particular the Crusades and Cathars.-Life:...
became a well-known French novelist and historian.