Modzalevsky B.L., (1874-1928), literary historian

Categories / Science. Education/Personalia
MODZALEVSKY Boris Lvovich (1874-1928, Leningrad), literary historian, archivist, Associate of the Russian Academy of Sciences (1918). Lived in St. Petersburg from 1884. Graduated from the Faculty of Law of the University of St. Petersburg in 1898. A year later, he assumed a post at the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. In 1899, he assisted L.N. Maykov, Fellow of the Academy, in organising a jubilee exhibition dedicated to Pushkin. On behalf of the Academy of Sciences, Modzalevsky negotiated with the poet's heirs concerning the purchase of A.S. Pushkin's library, brought the library to St. Petersburg, and wrote a bibliography of its contents. From 1903 to 1928, he edited a volume entitled Pushkin and His Contemporaries. He was also one of the founders of the Pushkin House in 1905 (see The Institute of Russian Literature). In 1919, he became the first Scholar Chief Custodian of the Pushkin House, and was promoted to director in 1922-24. From 1907 to 1919, Modzalevsky was in charge of the Archives of the Conference of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. His academic interest included the study of Pushkin, the Decembrists, and various biographical issues. He also compiled and edited documentary collections published under the titles, The Raevsky Family Archives (In 5 volumes, St. Petersburg, 1908-15) and The Decembrist S.G. Volkonsky Archives (Petrograd, 1918. Vol. 1, manuscript unfinished), and wrote commentaries on Pushkin's diaries and letters. Together with A.A. Sivers, he prepared for publication a fundamental biographical reference book called The ABCs of the Decembrists (1925). Modzalevsky also left behind a unique card catalogue of his personal bibliography (165,000 cards; kept at the Institute of Russian Literature). From 1913 to 1928, Modzalevsky lived in the House of Academics. He was buried at the Smolenskoe Orthodox Cemetery.

References: Памяти Бориса Львовича Модзалевского, 1874-1928: Биогр. даты. Библиогр. трудов. М., 1928; Борис Львович Модзалевский: Материалы к науч. биографии. СПб., 2001.

A. A. Kononov. Maykov Leonid Nikolaevich
Modzalevsky Boris Lvovich
Pushkin Alexander Sergeevich
Sivers Alexander Alexandrovich
Volkonsky Sergey Grigorievich, Duke
Памяти Бориса Львовича Модзалевского, 1874-1928: Биогр. даты. Библиогр. трудов. М., 1928
Борис Львович Модзалевский: Материалы к науч. биогр. СПб., 2001 Russian Academy of Sciences
State University, St. Petersburg
Russian Literature of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of
Archive of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Academy House