Russian Literature of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of

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RUSSIAN LITERATURE of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Institute of, located at Pushkin House at 4 Makarova Embankment. It is an institution for literary research and study. It was established in December 1905 for the preservation and display of items and simultaneously to function as a centre for studying Pushkin’s cultural legacy. Pushkin House was established as a result of work of the Commission for Publishing Works by Alexander Pushkin and of the Special Commission for Building a Monument to Pushkin headed by S. F. Oldenburg. Academician N. A. Kotlyarevsky (the first director), corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences B. L. Modzalevsky (professional curator) were among the founding members. In 1918, Pushkin House was included in the structure of the Academy of Sciences. In the 1920s, it was called the Institute of New Russian Literature, receiving its present-day name in 1930. Professional biographies of outstanding Russian literary critics M. K. Azadovsky, V. P. Adrianova-Peretts, M. P. Alexeev, P. N. Berkov, V. V. Gippius, G. A. Gukovsky, V. E. Evgenieva-Maximova, V. M. Zhirmunsky, D. S. Likhachev, N. K. Piksanov, B. V. Tomashevsky and B. M. Eichenbaum et al. were connected with the Institute of Russian Literature. The institute develops research in the history of Russian literature from the 11th-20th centuries including textual criticism (preparing of the editions of collected works by Russian writers), source studies, bibliography, historical and cultural, biographical and comparative investigations. The Institute of Russian Literature possesses over 2,000 manuscripts from the 13th-18th centuries, a considerable part of the manuscript heritage of the classics of Russian literature, also archives of a number of the journals, a collection of folk materials, autographs of letters and works by Russian and Western European writers, public and political figures. Materials of the Literary Fund of the Board of Directors of Imperial Theatres, Department of the Russian Language and Literature, the library of the village Trigorskoe, collections of P. A. Efremov, A. F. Onegin, P. A. Pletnev et al. are kept at the institute. The Pushkin collection includes manuscripts by Pushkin and the poet’s library. The Literary Museum of Pushkin House is the biggest Russian collection of iconographical, memorial and popular historical materials connected with the Russian literature of the 18th-20th centuries. The museum complex devoted to Pushkin includes Pushkin conservancy area, museums in the town Pushkin and Pushkin's last flat. The library of the Institute of Russian Literature contains Pushkin's and Lermontov's studies in its structure. The Institute of Russian Literature has prepared and published Complete Academic Works by Pushkin, M. Y. Lermontov, V. G. Belinsky, I. S. Turgenev, N. A. Nekrasov, F. M. Dostoevsky, of the collective works History of Russian Literature (volumes 1-10, 1941-56; volumes 1-4, 1980-83), History of the Russian Novel (volumes 1-2, 1962), History of Russian Poetry (volumes 1-2, 1968), Lermontov Encyclopaedia (1981), Encyclopaedia of the Lay of Igor’s Campaign (volumes 1-5, 1995), Russian Writers. 1800-1917. Biographical Dictionary (volumes 1-4, 1997-2000, the edition continues) etc.; textological research work in source study (including Annual Report of the Manuscripts Department of Pushkin House, issues 1-7, 1971-84). Classic works by academicians Likhachev and A. M. Panchenko on medieval Russian culture and the epoch of Peter the Great were written at the institute. The institute started the edition of the Library of Literature of Ancient Russia in 20 volumes (volumes 1-10, 1996-2001) and of the Collection of Russian Folklore (volumes 1-2, 2001; both editions continue). Unique facsimile editions of manuscript materials have been accomplished: Alexander Pushkin: Rough Notebooks (volumes 1-8 St. Petersburg; London, 1995-98) etc. The journal Russkaya Literatura has been published since 1958. Pushkin House acquired its first apartment in 1913 in the main building of the Academy of Sciences; addresses have changed several times after October 1917. Since 1927, the institute is housed in the building of the former St. Petersburg Customs House (1829-32, architect I. F. Luchini).

References: Пушкинский дом при Российской Академии наук: Ист. очерк и путеводитель. Л., 1924; 50 лет Пушкинского дома. 1905-1955. М.; Л., 1956; Баскаков В.Н. Пушкинский дом. 2-е изд. Л., 1988.

O. N. Ansberg. Adrianova-Peretts Varvara Pavlovna
Alexeev Mikhail Pavlovich
Azadovsky Mark Konstantinovich
Belinsky Vissarion Grigorievich
Berkov Pavel Naumovich
Dostoevsky Fedor Mikhailovich
Efremov Peter Alexandrovich
Eichenbaum Boris Mikhailovich
Evgeniev-Maximov Vladislav Evgenievich
Gippius Vasily Vasilievich
Gukovsky Grigory Alexandrovich
Kotlyarevsky Nestor Alexandrovich
Lermontov Mikhail Yurievich
Likhachev Dmitry Sergeevich
Luchini Giovanni (Ivan Franzevich)
Modzalevsky Boris Lvovich
Nekrasov Nikolay Alexeevich
Oldenburg Sergey Fedorovich
Onegin A.F.
Panchenko Alexander Mikhailovich
Piksanov Nikolay Kiryanovich
Pletnev Peter Alexandrovich
Pushkin Alexander Sergeevich
Tomashevsky Boris Viktorovich
Turgenev Ivan Sergeevich
Zhirmunsky Viktor Maximovich
Makarova Embankment/Saint Petersburg, city, house 4
Пушкинский Дом при Российской Академии наук: Ист. очерк и путеводитель. Л., 1924
Баскаков В. Н. Пушкинский Дом. Л., 1988
50 лет Пушкинского Дома. М.; Л., 1956 Pushkin Memorial Museum Apartment
1905