Karsavin L.P. (1882 -1952), philosopher, historian

Categories / Science. Education/Personalia
KARSAVIN Lev Platonovich (1882, St. Petersburg -1952), religious philosopher and historian-mediaevalist, Ph.D. (Doctor of History) (1916), Doctor of Theology (1918). The brother of T.P. Karsavina. Graduated from the Faculty of History and Philology of St. Petersburg University (1906), lectured at Higher Women’s Courses (Bestuzhev Courses), Higher Courses of P.F. Lesgaft and at Psychoneurological Institute. In 1913, he was appointed professor extraordinary of Petersburg University, since 1915 - professor in ordinary of the Institute of History and Philology. Karsavin served as treasurer of the Historical Society of Petrograd University, and contributed to journals, such as Vestnik Evropy, Golos Minuvshego, Tserkovny Vestnik, Istorichesky Vestnik and others. One of the founders of Workers' Faculty of Petrograd University (1919), he was later appointed president of the University. In 1918-23, Karsavin took part in a number of philosophic societies, contributed to Science and School Publishers and Phoenix and Sagittarius collections. Karsavin was the creator of an original religious philosophical system according to unity metaphysics principles. He was arrested on charge of counter-revolutionary activities and exiled on the so-called “philosophers steamship” in November 1922. Lived in Berlin and in 1926 moved to Paris. In 1925-26, Karsavin became one of the ideologists of Eurasianism. Since 1927, held a professorship at Kaunas University (Lithuania). In 1940, after the annexation of Lithuania by the USSR, left the University to Vilnius and was suspended from teaching; worked as director of Vilnius Art Museum. In 1949, Karsavin was arrested and sentenced to ten years of imprisonment. In the camp in the village of Abez of Komi Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic, he wrote a number of religious and philosophical works. Karsavin died in a camp hospital. In St. Petersburg, Karsavin lived at 11 Universitetskaya Embankment.

References: Историк-медиевист Лев Платонович Карсавин (1882-1952): Аналит. обзор. М., 1991.

E. V. Rusakova. Karsavin Lev Platonovich
Karsavina Tamara Platonovna
Lesgaft Peter Franzevich
Universitetskaya Embankment/Saint Petersburg, city, house 11
Научно-прикладной справочник по климату СССР: Сер. 3: Многолетние данные. Вып. 3: Карельская АССР, Ленингр., Новгор., Псков. Калинин. и Смолен. обл. Л., 1991 State University, St. Petersburg
Bestuzhev's Courses
Lesgaft's Courses
Historical-Philological Institute
1922