PIS'MENNYE
PAMYATNIKI
VOSTOKA

Vol. 23, No. 1 (64)
Spring 2026

Journal based in 2004
Issued quarterly

Full text as a *.PDF file

PUBLICATIONS
HISTORY, PHILOSOPHY, PHILOLOGY

Artiom V. MESHEZNIKOV. Unpublished Fragments of the Sūtra of Golden Light (SI 1895, SI 3034-1) from the Sanskrit Collection of IOM RAS — 5

The article is devoted to the two previously unpublished Central Asian manuscript fragments in Sanskrit (SI 1895, SI 3034-1) from the Serindia Collection of the IOM RAS, containing excerpts of the Suvarṇabhāsottama-sūtra (“Sūtra of Golden Light”). The Suvarṇabhāsottama is one of the most popular Buddhist texts of the Mahāyāna tradition, widely distributed in Central Asia and the Far East. This sūtra exists in a large number of texts in various languages, and much remains uncertain about the origin and composition of the original Sanskrit work, the history of the various editions of the Suvarṇabhāsottama and their correlation. The uniqueness of the Central Asian fragments lies in the fact that they represent the earliest surviving texts of this sūtra in Sanskrit. The Suvarṇabhāsottama manuscripts, found in the oasis-cities of the Tarim Basin in a rather fragmented condition, are scattered among various repositories around the world, including the St. Petersburg’s Serindia Collection, in which only 9 fragments of the Sūtra of Golden Light have been identified so far. The fragments published in the article apparently belonged to two different manuscript copies of the Sūtra, written on paper in Early Turkestan Brāhmī script (type 2) and, based on paleography, they can be dated to the 5th–6th centuries A.D. The paper includes a description, transliteration, translation, facsimile reproduction of the two manuscript fragments and their comparison with the critical edition of the Suvarṇabhāsottama.
Keywords: Sanskrit manuscripts, Serindia Collection IOM RAS, the Sūtra of Golden Light, Khotan.

Alexey Yu. LUSHCHENKO. Takahashi Kageyasu and His Translation of the Manchu Text of the Letter from Alexander I to the Ruler of Japan — 17

This article examines the first study of the Manchu language in Japan that is directly related to Russia-Japan contacts of the early 19th century. The first Russian embassy to Japan (1804–1805) brought Alexander I’s letter to the ruler of Japan together with its Manchu translation. In 1808, scholar Takahashi Kageyasu (1785–1829) received the order to study this language and prepare a Japanese translation of the letter—a task he successfully accomplished in 1810. This article is the first Russian translation of the manuscript by Takahashi Kageyasu, the first Japanese scholar of the Manchu language.
Keywords: the Manchu language, Russia-Japan relations, Takahashi Kageyasu, N.P. Rezanov, Alexander I, bakufu, translation studies.

RESEARCH WORKS
HISTORY, PHILOSOPHY, PHILOLOGY

Alexandr L. KHOSROYEV. The Apocryphon of James (NHC I.2: 1.1–16.30). Part 1. Introduction, Translation, Commentary — 49

The article (Pt. 1) introduces into scholarly circulation an annotated translation (Pt. 2) from Coptic (Subachmimic, or Lycopolitan dialect) of a very interesting gnosticizing Christian text whose (now lost) Greek original was written at the end of the second century.
Keywords: Early Christianity, James, gnostics, apocrypha, apocalypse.

Evgeniya A. DESNITSKAYA. The Teaching of Sāṃkhya in the Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad — 66

The Bṛhadāraṇyaka Upaniṣad (BAU) is usually associated with Vedānta philosophy, yet it also seems plausible to consider it a source for the history of early Sāṃkhya philosophy. Of particular interest is the dialogue between Yājñavalkya and his wife Maitreyī (BAU 2.4/4.5). This passage enumerates concepts that correspond to sixteen of the twenty-five tattvas of classical Sāṃkhya. Notably, Yājñavalkya refers to the “great essence” (mahat bhūta), which later tradition identifies with Ātman. A comparative analysis of different versions of Yājñavalkya’s teaching in BAU 2.4/4.5 suggests that the “great essence” may represent a distinct concept analogous to the Sāṃkhya’s tattva of buddhi. This interpretation finds support in epic Sāṃkhya traditions, where buddhi is described as universal and non-individual. Significantly, the Mokṣadharma (12.224.31) explicitly designates this evolute of Prakṛti as the “great essence” (mahat bhūta).
Keywords: the Upaniṣad, the Bṛhadāraṇyaka, Sāṃkhya, Yājñavalkya, Indian philosophy, Ātman.

Mikhail S. PELEVIN. Theory and Practice of Hunting in Pashto Literature of the 17th and 18th Centuries — 78

The article offers new material for the study of historical ethnography of Pashtuns, containing a survey of systematized data on hunting extracted from primary sources in the Pashto language of the 17th and 18th centuries: the writings of the Pashtun tribal rulers Khushhal Khan Khatak (d. 1689) and Afzal Khan Khatak (d. ca. 1740). Based on Khushhal Khan’s works The Book of the Turban, The Book of Separation, The Book of the Falcon, the verses from his collection of poetry, and the narratives of The Khataks’ Chronicle compiled by Afzal Khan, the article examines various aspects of theory and practice of hunting among the Pashtun tribes in the early modern period. The sources studied in the article, on the one hand, provide valuable and unique factual information about the types, functions and ideological implications of hunting among Pashtuns in pre-colonial times. On the other hand, they testify to the great practical importance of this occupation in the social, economic, and cultural life of the Pashtun tribes, allowing us to better understand the reasons for the rapid emergence of the theme of hunting in the developing Pashto literature of various genres: educational texts, lyrical poems, diaries, chronicles and historical accounts.
Keywords: Pashtuns, early modern period, Mughal empire, everyday culture, historical ethnography, hunting, falconry, Pashto literature.

HISTORY AND HISTORIOGRAPHY
TEXTOLOGY, CODICOLOGY, PALEOGRAPHY, ARCHEOGRAPHY

Tatiana D. SKRYNNIKOVA. Mongolian Manuscripts on the Space of the White Old Man — 93

The article brings to light the ways in which space, a key component of the image of the White Old Man, is represented in Mongolian traditional culture. Analysis of the sources demonstrates the symbolism of the locus, i.e., the specific place where the White Old Man resides, the mountain called Fruit-bearing, as the centre of the world, the Axis mundi. This defines the main component of his image — his function as a sacred ruler. Another category of the space of the White Old Man — the universum — is marked by various concepts in the manuscript texts: he is the Master of the ground (Mong. γajar-un ejen), the Master of Mother Earth (Mong. etügen eke ejen), the Master of the whole world (Oir. altan delekeyin ezen). The universum, an open space, reveals the limitlessness of his power. Because the White Old Man resided in the sacred centre of the world and possessed the power (küčü), he was able to harmonize and civilize the space within his reach — the whole world, acting as the Pantocrator (the Almighty, the Omnipotent).
Keywords: the White Old Man, space, locus, universum, the Lord, the ground, Mother Earth.

Daria S. ANOFRIEVA. A Reconstruction of a Korean Marriage Ritual Based on the Novella The Old Maid’s Song — 102

This article analyzes and partially reconstructs a traditional Korean wedding ritual based on the novella The Old Maid’s Song. This xylograph, being one of the few written records providing a detailed description of the wedding ceremony, is of considerable cultural and historical interest. A comparison of the information from this text and ethnographic data from scholarly works led us to the conclusion that the Korean novelist was well acquainted with the wedding tradition, which is reflected in the text.
Keywords: Korean xylograph, Korean novels, traditional Korean wedding, Korean literature, Korean collection of IOM RAS.

COLLECTIONS AND ARCHIVES

Vladimir S. TIMOFEEV. Ilya Schiffmann’s Scholarly Legacy — 109

The proposed publication contains an overview of scholarly legacy and a complete annotated bibliography of Ilya Schiffman (1930–1990), a noted Soviet historian. A number of studies related to the social structure, state institutions, trade routes and economic ties, epic traditions and the history of several Ancient Near Eastern regions and states were cut short by his sudden death. Despite the fact that 35 years have passed since his death, Schiffman’s research works and personality have not been the subject of careful consideration as yet. This paper is intended as the first stage in the study of works and views by Ilya Schiffman. The author also hopes to draw the attention of interested scholars to the legacy of this remarkable person.
Keywords: the history of Soviet Oriental studies, personalia of the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts, Phoenician studies, Semitic epigraphy, Classical epigraphy.

ACADEMIC LIFE

Sofiia-Aleksandra MICHANOVICH. Seminar in Memory of A.A. Freiman–2025 (St. Petersburg, May 28, 2025) — 128
Keywords: A.A. Freiman, A.Z. Rozenfeld, Iranian philology.

Igor V. GERASIMOV. The IVth International Scientific Conference “History and Culture of Sudan: Ancient and Modern Times” (St. Petersburg, October 2–3, 2025) — 132
Keywords: Sudan, Arab tribes, archaeology, manuscripts, West Africa, ivory.

REVIEWS

Islam in Crimea: An Encyclopaedic Dictionary. Group of authors; Editor-in-chief Damir V. Mukhetdinov; Comp. and ed. by Ilya V. Zaytsev. Moscow: “Medina” Publishing House, 2024. 192 pp., illus. (Mark A. KOZINTCEV) — 137
Keywords: Islam in Russia, history of Crimea, history of the Crimean Tatars, the Crimean Khanate, Russian history.