Vengerov S.A., (1855-1920), historian of literature, bibliographer

Categories / Science. Education/Personalia
VENGEROV Semen Afanasievich (1855-1920, Petrograd), historian literature, bibliographer, public figure. Since 1868, Vengerov lived in St. Petersburg, where he graduated from the Faculty of Law of Petersburg University in 1879. From 1897, lectured on Russian literature at Petersburg University (in 1899-1906, he was suspended because of "political unreliability"). In 1906, Vengerov founded in the University Pushkinsky Seminary, from which graduated many outstanding Petersburg philologists. Since 1910, he held professorships at the Women's Higher (Bestuzhev) Courses and the Psychoneurological Institute. In 1917, he initiated the establishment of a Russian Book Chamber (transferred to Moscow in 1920), becoming its first director. Chaired the Literary Collection (1916-19). In 1891-97, Vengerov edited the literature section of the Brockhaus-Efron Encyclopaedia, and from 1911 that of the New Encyclopaedia. Author of monographs and numerous essays on Russian writers. From 1901, editor of the Biblioteka Velikikh Pisateley (wrote criticism on works by Alexander Pushkin, W. Shakespeare, F. Schiller, G. Byron, J.B. Moliere). Headed the publishing house Russian Literature of 20 Century (1890-1910, St. Petersburg, 1914-18, volumes 1-3; reissued in two volumes: Moscow, 2000). Authored several incomplete manuscripts, including A Critical and Biographical Dictionary of Russian Writers and Scientists (St. Petersburg, 1886-1904, volumes 1-6; second revised edition: Petrograd, 1915-18, volumes 1- 2), and Vocabulary Sources for Russian Writers (St. Petersburg, 1900-17, volumes 1-4), which contained biographical essays, bibliographies, and references on over 30,000 people. Vengerov's unique and rich archives are kept safe at the Pushkin Institute of Russian Literature. In the 1910s, he lived at 21 Zagorodny Avenue. Buried at Literatorskie Mostky.

Reference: Калентьева А. Г. Влюбленный в литературу: Очерк жизни и деятельности С. А. Венгерова (1855-1920). М., 1964.

A. A. Kononov. Byron George
Moliere Jean-Baptiste
Pushkin Alexander Sergeevich
Schiller Friedrich
Shakespeare William
Vengerov Semen Afanasievich
Zagorodny Avenue/Saint Petersburg, city, house 21
Калентьева А. Г. Влюбленный в литературу: Очерк жизни и деятельности С. А. Венгерова (1855-1920). М., 1964 State University, St. Petersburg
Bestuzhev's Courses
Bekhterev Psycho-neurological Research Institute, The St. Petersburg
Literary Fund
Literatorskie (Literary) Mostki, the museum-necropolis