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| Institute of Oriental Manuscripts (Saint Petersburg) | |
|---|---|
| Name | Institute of Oriental Manuscripts (Saint Petersburg) |
| Native name | Институт восточных рукописей |
| Established | 1818 |
| Location | Saint Petersburg, Russia |
| Parent institution | Russian Academy of Sciences |
Institute of Oriental Manuscripts (Saint Petersburg) is a research institute and manuscript repository in Saint Petersburg associated with the Russian Academy of Sciences and devoted to the study of Asian and African paleography, philology, and history. The institute originated from early 19th‑century Russian collections and developed through imperial, Soviet, and post‑Soviet periods, interacting with scholars from the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, and contemporary international centers such as British Library, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Library of Congress, National Library of China, and Kyoto University. Its mandate connects work on manuscripts, printed books, and epigraphic materials with comparative projects involving Oxford University, Harvard University, University of Tokyo, Leiden University, and Columbia University.
The foundation traces to the manuscript acquisitions of Peter the Great and the collections assembled under Alexander I, with significant additions during the reign of Nicholas I and the activities of explorers like Afanasy Nikitin and scholars associated with the Russian Geographical Society and the Imperial Academy of Sciences. In the late 19th century, expeditions organized by Nikolay Yadrintsev, Pyotr Kozlov, and Sergey Oldenburg expanded holdings through contacts with missions such as British India Office and the French School of the Far East. After the 1917 Russian Revolution, the institute’s predecessors were reorganized amid interventions by figures including Vladimir Lenin and administrators from the People's Commissariat for Education; later the institute participated in Soviet projects alongside the Academy of Sciences of the USSR and collaborated with institutions like State Hermitage Museum and Tretyakov Gallery. During the Cold War, contacts with the Moscow State University, Institute of Oriental Studies (Moscow), East Berlin research centers, and delegations to Beijing and Lhasa shaped acquisitions and scholarship; post‑1991 reforms integrated the institute within the Russian Academy of Sciences structure while fostering partnerships with UNESCO, International Council on Archives, and international universities.
The holdings encompass manuscripts, rare printed books, and inscriptions in languages including Sanskrit, Pali, Tibetan, Mongolian, Old Uyghur, Uighur, Arabic, Persian, Ottoman Turkish, Hebrew, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, Thai, Lao, Burmese, Georgian, Armenian, Avestan, and Akkadian. Significant items include collections assembled from Central Asian caves comparable to finds at Dunhuang, scrolls analogous to those in the Turfan troves, and manuscripts related to the Silk Road networks researched by scholars like Paul Pelliot and Aurel Stein. The institute preserves Buddhist manuscripts, Islamic codices, Manichaean texts, Nestorian materials, and documents from diplomatic missions such as those connected to Ivan the Terrible and Peter von Bohlen. It houses script corpora for paleographers working on Brahmi, Kharosthi, Sogdian, Tocharian, and Old Turkic inscriptions, and comparative collections used by philologists studying works associated with Kalidasa, Rumi, Ibn Sina, Murasaki Shikibu, and Kobo Daishi.
Researchers at the institute publish catalogs, critical editions, and monographs in series comparable to outputs from Oxford Oriental Monographs, Brill, Cambridge University Press, Harvard Oriental Series, and national presses such as Akadémiai Kiadó. Scholarly activity spans philology, textual criticism, codicology, and conservation, with projects on authors like Āryabhaṭa, Nāgārjuna, Al‑Farabi, Nizami, and editors following methodologies from Paul Kirchhoff and Joseph Needham. The institute issues periodicals and collected volumes used by specialists associated with conferences such as those organized by International Association of Sanskrit Studies, Association for Asian Studies, and Congress of Orientalists. Collaborative research has involved grants and fellowships from bodies like European Research Council, Wellcome Trust, Ford Foundation, and exchanges with institutes including Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History.
The institute occupies historic buildings in Saint Petersburg near cultural landmarks such as Nevsky Prospekt, St Isaac's Cathedral, and the Academy of Sciences building. Facilities include climate‑controlled repositories modeled on standards from the International Council of Museums, specialized reading rooms akin to those at the Bodleian Library and Bibliothèque nationale de France, conservation laboratories equipped for paper, leather, and pigment restoration following protocols from ICOMOS and the Getty Conservation Institute, and lecture halls used for seminars with visiting scholars from Princeton University and University of Cambridge. Architectural conservation projects have been carried out with architects and restorers trained in methods from the Hermitage and international teams from UNESCO.
The institute functions under the aegis of the Russian Academy of Sciences and maintains formal affiliations with the Saint Petersburg State University, Institute of Oriental Studies (Moscow), Russian State Library, and international partners including Sino‑Russian cooperative programs, joint initiatives with National Museum of China, and exchange agreements with British Museum and Smithsonian Institution. Directors and leading scholars have included figures akin to Sergey Oldenburg, Vladimir Minorsky, and later administrators connected to networks involving Academy of Sciences of the USSR and contemporary international committees. Governance follows procedures comparable to academic institutes in the Russian Federation with advisory boards that include representatives from foreign universities and cultural organizations such as UNESCO.
Public access policies provide on‑site consultation for researchers affiliated with institutions like Harvard University, University of Oxford, Peking University, and National University of Singapore, while interlibrary loans and document delivery services operate in collaboration with WorldCat partners and national libraries. The institute has undertaken digitization projects in cooperation with the Google Books initiative model, bilateral projects with National Library of China and funding agencies including the Ford Foundation and European Union cultural programs, producing online catalogs interoperable with VIAF and linked data projects associated with Wikidata and the Digital Public Library of America. Conservation and outreach include exhibitions coordinated with the State Hermitage Museum, educational programs with Saint Petersburg Conservatory and public lectures featuring visiting scholars from Columbia University and University of Tokyo.
Category:Archives in Russia Category:Libraries in Saint Petersburg Category:Oriental studies