Anna Kudriavtceva | Russian academy of sciences, Peter the Great Museum of Antropology and Ethnography (original) (raw)

Papers by Anna Kudriavtceva

Manuscripta Orientalia, 2024

The paper investigates the visualisation of Bedouin tribal identity over time. The first part pro... more The paper investigates the visualisation of Bedouin tribal identity over time. The first part provides a detailed account of the phenomenon of wasm in the Arabian Peninsula within Bedouin culture. For centuries, wasm has served as a distinguishing sign among the Bedouins, and has been used mainly for camel and cattle branding, but also in rock art, carpet weaving, tattooing, etc. The second part is an attempt to lay the foundations for future research into the new phenomenon of tribal codes consisting of Arabic numerals and Latin letters. These codes are said to have gained popularity in Saudi Arabia in the early 21st century and subsequently spread to neighbouring regions. While these codes have an obscure origin and may not have a direct connection to wasm, they are nevertheless intertwined with it in discussions of the nature and functions of such symbols. The paper does not provide a comprehensive account of this subject, which would require more extensive fieldwork. Instead, it offers a perspective on how these codes are used in South Sinai as a means of asserting the visibility and presence of the Bedouin community among Egyptians and foreign lifestyle migrants.

Manuscripta Orientalia, 2023

The Arabic manuscripts collection at St. Petersburg State University is one of the most significa... more The Arabic manuscripts collection at St. Petersburg State University is one of the most significant of its kind in Russia. Its cataloguing and descriptions are the result of extensive and long-term work. The collection's distinguishing feature is its involvement in teaching university programs. Using a series of significant publications on the subject as an example, this article presents the history of the creation and description of the collection, along with new prospects for researching and publishing the manuscripts comprising it, as well as potential applications in the realm of education.

Manuscripta Orientalia, 2023

Alexander Romaskevich (1885—1942) was a distinguished Russian specialist in Persian language, his... more Alexander Romaskevich (1885—1942) was a distinguished Russian specialist in Persian language, history, and culture during the early Soviet period. He made several trips to Persia to study dialects, folklore, and various aspects of everyday folk culture as part of the development of current trends in Russian Iranian studies initiated by his teacher V. A. Zhukovsky (1858—1918) and actively continued later by younger Soviet scholars. A. A. Romaskevich donated to the MAE RAS ten collections that he had gathered in Persia. One of these, MAE No. 2471, consists mainly of photographs and largely reflects traditional spectacular art. The collection comprises a unique set of monochrome postcards featuring watercolour costume pictures known as “Types of people in present and recent Persia”, created in a characteristically naive style by anonymous Persian artists. These postcards from the beginning of the 20th century are fascinating examples of the interaction between Eastern and Western cultures, facilitated by the increased accessibility of “exotic countries”. The article forms a part of the “Manuscripts do not burn project”, which commemorates the Orientalists who worked during the blockade and died in besieged Leningrad.

Manuscripta Orientalia, 2023

The present article analyses the preserved and recorded narratives of the Qashqadarya Arabs, obta... more The present article analyses the preserved and recorded narratives of the Qashqadarya Arabs, obtained through the linguistic fieldwork of I. Vinnikov and G. Chikovani from the 1930s to the 2010s. The study sheds light on the ancient beliefs about the origin of the Qashqadarya Arabs. The meaning behind the terminology, together with references to tangible culture, has made it possible to trace a series of ancient myths. These were reborn as a female rite of passage and as an example of female adornment — the septum nose ring (izmam) — which remains the most important symbol of local Arab identity to this day. The traditional legends provide important material for dialectological research, while serving as an autonomous source of historical and cultural information. The study opens up new perspectives for further research into the cultural heritage of the Arabs of Uzbekistan and for maintaining the Russian academic tradition of Arabic studies.

The method of comparative contextual and diachronic analysis of lexical-semantic groups of Qur'an... more The method of comparative contextual and diachronic analysis of lexical-semantic groups of Qur'anic language comparing it with the language material of the time (6th-7th centuries) allows to approach the understanding of different daily life levels of the Arabic society. The stereotype image of an Arabic nomad continues to impact the scientific research. However, nowadays, as well as in ancient Arabia, as soon as a traveller finds himself in "Arabian hinterland" he will easily see the elements of settled agriculture described in the Qur'an. The "agricultural layer" of the Qur'anic text is clearly distinguished by the variety of its terminology and reflects all major stages of cereals production. The analysis of the plotlines connected with the issue of food allows to come to the conclusion that the diet of both settled and nomadic population of Arabia of the time of the Prophet simultaneously included several dishes made of cereals which represent a number of consecutive phases in nutrition evolution: various kinds of pottage and gruel, bread baked by different methods and of different raw materials.

On the eve of the emergence of Islam, a most unstable sociopolitical and economic situation in Ar... more On the eve of the emergence of Islam, a most unstable sociopolitical and economic situation in Arabia and around it, intensified by a range of historic, cultural, climatic and natural factors, once again brought the issue of national starvation and survival to the foreground. That is why it is hardly surprising that the theme of food impregnates the text of the Qur’an, which responds to sensitive issues in a lucid style. The present paper aims to reveal the perception of ideal food as seen by the population of Arabia and to analyze the projection of the known food images onto a highly abstract range of punishment and reward in the afterworld in order to arouse an emotional response to the new religious paradigm.

Manuscripta Orientalia. International Journal for Oriental Manuscript Research, 2022

Archival material related to the activities of Russian intelligence in the late 19th — early 20th... more Archival material related to the activities of Russian intelligence in the late 19th — early 20th centuries that aimed at suppressing the spread of pan–Islamic and pan–Turkish propaganda within the Russian Empire and tracking hajji road networks continues to be of serious academic importance. Being the little–studied primary source to the history of Russian Islam they allow us to see the true goals of official St. Petersburg in its policy towards the world of Islam both within the empire and beyond its borders. The article is based on materials related to a series of trips of Russian intelligence officers to the Middle East (Staff Captain ‘Abd al–‘Aziz Davletshin (Istanbul, Jeddah, Mecca, Medina, 1898), Captain Boris Shelkovnikov (Baghdad, Mosul and Basra vilayets of the Ottoman Empire, 1902—1903), Captain Nikolay Terletsky (the Hejaz railway, 1904, 1910), Staff Captain Ilyas Chanyshev (Turkey, Afghanistan and India, 1909—1910), Panteleimon Antaki (Istanbul and Cairo, 1911). The tit...

Manuscripta Orientalia. International Journal for Oriental Manuscript Research, 2022

Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography of Russian Academy of Sciences holds four ... more Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography of Russian Academy of Sciences holds four collections of watercolours, photographs and material culture items, related to Persia of the 1920s and gathered there by Yuriy and Sophia Marr. Yuriy Marr (1893—1935), the son of Academician Nikolai Marr (1865—1934), who had an unprecedented impact on the development of the humanities in the early Soviet period, devoted his short life to Iranian studies and was among the best experts in the Persian language, literature and daily life of contemporary Persia. In recent decades, Yuriy Marr gained new recognition as a futurist poet due to a series of publications of his literary heritage, carefully preserved for many years by his wife Sophia Marr (1890—1980). In 1925—1926 Yuriy Marr was on mission in Persia to establish cultural ties and collect data on librarianship and publishing activities. The article briefly highlights the features of three collections representing some ethnographic re...

Manuscripta Orientalia. International Journal for Oriental Manuscript Research, 2021

The scholarly and documentary heritage, the museum collections associated with the name of Alexan... more The scholarly and documentary heritage, the museum collections associated with the name of Alexander A. Adamov (1870—1938), one of the leading Russian diplomats and practicing orientalists at the eve of the First World War, are undoubtedly an important source for studying the history of the Middle East at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the history of the rivalry of the great powers in the region. Today, however, the significance of Adamov's texts and collections takes on yet another dimension. It is Qur’anic ethnography, a new scientific field, based on the results of specialized studies of previous years, and it is closely related to the studies of the Qur’anic language and the language milieu of Arabia at the time of the Prophet, to the ethnographical field studies in Arabia and Qur’anic archaeology. Researchers of Arabia are very well familiar with the phenomenon of the long preservation of elements of traditional tangible culture and economic activities here. This ...

Manuscripta Orientalia. International Journal for Oriental Manuscript Research, 2020

The Qur’anic ethnography as self‑contained research area is based on the results of specialized s... more The Qur’anic ethnography as self‑contained research area is based on the results of specialized studies of previous years and is closely related to the studies of the Qur’anic language and the language milieu of Arabia in the time of the Prophet, to the ethnographical field studies in Arabia as well as the Qur’anic archaeology. Researchers of Arabia are very well familiar with the phenomenon of the long preservation of elements of traditional material culture and economic activity here. This phenomenon is mostly based on the specific natural and climatic conditions, which brought about a set of elements of material culture, that have proved to be highly viable throughout many centuries. In this connection we regard the itineraries and works of European travellers to Arabia in the second half of the 18th century — first third of the 20th century as a serious source for our research. Whereas the names and papers of the Western travellers are well‑known and have been often referred to ...

Manuscripta Orientalia. International Journal for Oriental Manuscript Research, 2013

The analysis of the major academic trends allows to suggest that a new level in the understanding... more The analysis of the major academic trends allows to suggest that a new level in the understanding of the most pressing issues in the Qur'anic studies will presumably be achieved during the upcoming twenty to thirty years and will come upon the completion of a number of projects aimed at studying and publishing the most ancient Qur’anic manuscripts similar to the project started but left unfinished by Sergio Noja Noseda, as well as upon the completion of a number of studies on Ancient Arabian dialects and comparative textual analysis of the Qur’anic terminology and pre-Islamic poetry. Last year as part of the new Russian Qur’anic translation preparation we started the project entitled “The Qur’anic lexicon as a source on material culture of Arabia at the turn of the 6th—7th centuries”. It provides for studies of lexico-semantic groups of the Qur’anic language that allow to distinguish and describe most important daily life structures (trade, cult, cattle farming, agriculture, crafts, cropping, houses and settlements, household features and household culture). In addition to etymology of the material culture terms, models of their spread and distribution are studied as well.

Manuscripta Orientalia. International Journal for Oriental Manuscript Research, 2014

The article presents continuation of the study of lexico-semantic groups of the Qur’anic language... more The article presents continuation of the study of lexico-semantic groups of the Qur’anic language that allow distinguishing and describing of the most important daily life structures of the early Islamic Arabia. It is devoted to the adornments (hilya, zina) mentioned in the Qur’an, including bracelets, necklaces, amulets, etc that make up an important part of one's type of clothing, thus identifying its value and the status of its owner.

Manuscripta Orientalia. International Journal for Oriental Manuscript Research, 2014

Last year as part of the new Russian Qur’anic translation preparation the project entitled “The Q... more Last year as part of the new Russian Qur’anic translation preparation the project entitled “The Qur’anic lexicon as a source on material culture of Arabia at the turn of the 6th—7th centuries” was started in MAE RAS. It provides for studies of lexico-semantic groups of the Qur’anic language that allow distinguishing and describing of most important daily life structures. The current article is devoted to the clothing of inhabitants of Arabia which was simple and functional. In the article we have tried to show that the materials at hand make it possible to identify certain functions in clothing of inhabitants of Arabia at the turn of the 6th—8th centuries, such as utilitarian, aesthetical, social, sexual, climate‑ and weather‑related as well as religious and ideological functions.

Manuscripta Orientalia. International Journal for Oriental Manuscript Research, 2017

Authors aim to reach a new level in understanding Qur' nic fragments depicting heavenly maidens, ... more Authors aim to reach a new level in understanding Qur' nic fragments depicting heavenly maidens, or houris, following the principle that "the Qur' n explains itself" and the methodology of comparative contextual analysis of the lexical items in the Qur' n and pre-Islamic poetry. The article presents multiple excerpts describing basic features of female beauty in pre-Islamic poetry, where it is associated primarily with a high social status allowing to pass one's time in sweet delight. The features refer less to the visual and more to the kinaesthetic image of the ideal female body-dense and three-dimensional, slowly moving through space, palatable and fragrant. Within the representations fixed in the text of the Qur' n, one would not find a description of the houris' tectonics. Their image is formed through a series of metaphors that may be generally understood based on the image system of pre-Islamic poetry, while some descriptive terms (abk r, kaw 'ib, 'urub, atr b) concern mainly their age as pre-Islamic poetry demonstrates. Referring to pre-Islamic poetic texts allows, on the one hand, for a clearer understanding as to how contemporaries conceived an ideal Arab woman of the turn of the 6th century AD, and on the other, for approaching an understanding of the Qur' nic image of houris, beautiful young maidens who, in the minds of the Prophet's contemporaries, corresponded to the ideal woman as reflected in poetry. Key words: the Qur' n, pre-Islamic poetry, Qur' nic terminology, houris, women in pre-Islamic Arabia and the Qur' n, Qur' nic paradise Acknowledgment. The study was realized in the framework of the scientific program of the International Center for Islamic studies (Saint-Petersburg, Russia).

Manuscripta Orientalia. International Journal for Oriental Manuscript Research, 2018

The article starts a series of publications devoted to the scientific heritage of Ksenia Kashtaly... more The article starts a series of publications devoted to the scientific heritage of Ksenia Kashtalyova (1897-?-1939), a disciple of the prominent Russian Arabist Ignaty Krachkovsky. Her works on Qur'anic terminology, which have not lost their relevance to this day, marked the beginning of one of the important directions of the Russian, but first and foremost, St. Petersburg Qur'anic studies. Today, it is her method of analyzing the vocabulary of the Qur'an that formed the basis of "Qur'anic Ethnography", the concept of which was developed by Efim Rezvan. Works by Ksenia Kashtalyova are virtually unknown to the Western colleagues. In the framework of the research devoted to the study of the material culture of Arabia and the terminology of the Qur'an, we undertook a search for surviving works of Ksenia Kashtalyova and archival materials related to her. A rich historical and scientific material on the topic is stored in the funds of St. Petersburg branch of the Archive of the Russian Academy of Sciences. They contain an epistolary heritage of Ignatius Krachkovsky and Nikolai Dmitriev, Kashtalyova's husband. The proposed series of publications aims to embody the unrealized dream of the researcher-to collect and publish her book titled Qur'anic Studies. The publication will be realized in the Electronic Book Series of Manuscripta Orientalia. The list of materials related to the life and work of Ksenia Kashtalyova and stored in St. Petersburg Branch of the Archive of the Russian Academy of Sciences is published as an Appendix to the article. The present article precedes the English translation of Ksenia Kashtalyova's article "Qur'anic Terminology in a New Perspective" (1928).

Manuscripta Orientalia. International Journal for Oriental Manuscript Research, 2018

The article continues a series of publications devoted to the study of everyday life of Arabia at... more The article continues a series of publications devoted to the study of everyday life of Arabia at the time of the Prophet. In the eschatological fragment of the Qur'an (56:27-38), two shrub trees characteristic for Arabia are mentioned, one of which, talh, is identified by a number of authoritative classical and modern commentaries and dictionaries of the Qur'an, either as the Arabian acacia or as a tropical plant belonging to the genus banana usa L., whose appearance in the Mediterranean region approximately coincides with the period of the emergence of Islam. The study is based on the method of lexico-semantic analysis proposed by Ksenia Kashtalyova and developed in the framework of the concept of "Qur'anic ethnography" by Efim Rezvan. Basing on the linguistic sources of pre-Islamic and early Islamic times and modern ethnobotanical data we found out that the Qur'anic phytolexeme talh corresponds to the plant species Acacia raddiana (Savi) Brenan / Acacia gerrardii Benth. In this fragment, talh and sidr (Ziziphus spina-christi (L.) Willd. (Rhamnaceae)) shrub trees are of major functional importance, pointing to one of the levels of Paradise, the bliss of which is comparable to the rest under the canopy of trees at the edge of wadi with a cool spring after a long and heavy caravan crossing of the desert.

Manuscripta Orientalia. International Journal for Oriental Manuscript Research, 2019

Dwelling has been a most important part of the material tangible culture throughout the history o... more Dwelling has been a most important part of the material tangible culture throughout the history of humanity. The variety of dwelling features and types is closely linked to the varied economic activity of the peoples living in certain ecological environments. The need for protection and comfort has always required maximum use of available means and technical solutions to organize and improve one's living space. Traditional dwellings acquired and preserved a symbolic role in providing a link to previous generations; it was associated with religious and legal practices and was endowed with properties that went far beyond utilitarian necessity. Researching the traditional types of dwelling in Arabia at the turn of the 6th — 7th centuries is an essential part of the Qur’anic ethnography. A lexical semantics analysis of the Qur’anic text allows to identify and classify the various types of dwelling constructions. The present paper aims to analyze the Qur’anic terms for stationary, temporary and movable dwellings. As for the latter, there is a peculiar type of tents made of animal skin that stands out, and there is no special term to identify them.

Manuscripta Orientalia. International Journal for Oriental Manuscript Research, 2020

The article identifies the properties of Soviet visual narrative of Uzbekistan at the turn of the... more The article identifies the properties of Soviet visual narrative of Uzbekistan at the turn of the 1920's — 1930's, as exemplified in three illustrative collections from Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera), Russian Academy of Sciences. The collections originate from the Central Asian ethnographic expedition of 1931. On the one hand, the political posters, wall newspapers and ethnographic photographs brought from Samarkand Oblast are indicative of the implementation of the Stalinist “Great Turn” doctrine in the Soviet East, which was connected with industrialization and collectivization; and on the other hand, the archival materials connected with the work of the expedition testify to the beginning ideological transformations of the “Great Retreat” period, according to the famous Russian and American sociologist Nicolas Timasheff (1886—1970). The enthusiasm of young researchers from Leningrad, their sincere bewilderment at the absence of support from the officials from the USSR Academy of Sciences, and difficulties in achieving objectives in Samarkand are all indicative of a transitional period.

Books by Anna Kudriavtceva

Арабам, потомки которых живут ныне в Узбекистане неподалеку от Карши, удивительным образом довело... more Арабам, потомки которых живут ныне в Узбекистане неподалеку от Карши, удивительным образом довелось сыграть важную роль и в сохранении древних исламских реликвий, и в судьбе классической арабистики в СССР. Издание включает в себя публикацию труда выдающегося отечественного этнографа и лингвиста И. Н. Винникова (1897–1973) «Кашкадарьинские арабы (язык, фольклор, этнография)», а также оригинальные исследования петербургских ученых, описания музейных коллекций и материалы этнографических экспедиций, привезенные сотрудниками МАЭ РАН и РЭМ в начале 1980-х и начале 2000-х гг. В рамках публикации QR-коды обеспечивают доступ к двум часам экспедиционных видеоматериалов и многим десяткам фотографий, отснятых в ходе экспедиционной работы в Узбекистане.