September 19, 2024 is the birthday anniversary of Irina Vladimirovna Kulganek, Doctor of Sciences in Philology, Chief Researcher, Head of the Section of Central Asian Studies of the Department of Central Asian and South Asian Studies, IOM RAS.

Irina V. Kulganek graduated from the Leningrad State University (Department of Oriental Studies, Mongolian philology) in 1974. She joined the Leningrad Branch of the Institute of Oriental Studies in 1977. Her rise through all the levels of academic career led her to become Chief Researcher in 2014 and the Head of the Section of Central Asian Studies at the IOM RAS. In 1989 she successfully defended her Candidate of Sciences dissertation titled “Poetics of Mongolian folk songs (based on manuscript sources kept at the Institute of Oriental Studies)” [Поэтика монгольских народных песен (по материалам из рукописного фонда ЛО ИВ СССР)] and in 2009 her Doctor of Sciences dissertation on the topic of “Short genres of Mongolian poetic folklore” [Малые жанры монгольского поэтического фольклора].

Research interests of I.V. Kulganek span folklore studies, literature studies, translation theory, history of science, archival studies, culture studies, art history. Working at the Institute for many years, she became one of the leading experts on Mongolian studies in Russia. Her works on folklore and literature of Mongolian peoples, as well as on the history of Mongolian studies are highly recognized in Mongolian studies centers in Russia (Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Ulan-Ude, Elista, Irkutsk, Kazan), in Mongolia and in Europe. Her works are cited widely and she holds membership in many international academic organizations. I.V. Kulganek actively participates in conferences in Russia and abroad, organizes Russian and international academic events in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Elista, Irkutsk, Ulan-Ude, Kazan, Ufa. Since 2013 she is co-chairperson of the organizing committee of the Russian-Mongolian conference “Cultural heritage of the Mongols: collections of manuscripts and archival documents” organized under the patronage of the President of Mongolia.

Irina V. Kulganek is the author of 170 publications (including 11 monographs) on poetics of Mongolian folklore, literature and translation studies, history of Mongolian studies.

Since 1993 she is a member of the editorial board and since 2007 the chief editor of the authoritative international Mongolian studies journal “Mongolica”. Irina V. Kulganek has personally prepared 27 journal issues for publication. Since 2013 the journal was published twice a year, after 2021 it is published four times a year.

Since 1992 Irina V. Kulganek has been teaching lecture courses at Saint Petersburg universities: “Oriental art history”, “Mongolian folklore”, “Poetics of Mongolian folklore”. She supervizes students’ works and acts as an opponent. Three Candidate of Sciences (Ph.D.) dissertations were defended under her supervision. Many times she served as a chair on state attestation committees at the Saint Petersburg State University, the Higher School of Economics and the Kalmyk State University.

I.V. Kulganek is active in social work and academic organizational work: she was in charge of postgraduate studies at the Institute for 5 years and was part of the Institute’s professional union committee for more than 5 years.

She plays an active role in the work of international organizations of Mongolian studies: since 2002 she is a vice-president of the Mongolian Folk Song Studies Society of Mongolia, she was elected a foreign member of the Mongolian Academy of Social Sciences in 2008 and the secretary of the International Association of Mongolian Studies Scholars in 2016.

Her work was appreciated by the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences (1999), the National State Library of Mongolia (2005, 2006). She was awarded a “Medal in honour of the 800th anniversary of the establishment of the Unified Mongol state” by the President of Mongolia (2006), a “Khubilai Khan medal” of the Mongolian Academy of Sciences (2006), a medal of the Mongolian Society of Russia-Mongolia Friendship (2008), and also two “Nairamdal” (“Friendship”) medals (2012, 2014) by the order of the President of Mongolia.

I.V. Kulganek is respected and liked by colleagues. She is exceptionally responsive, kind, friendly and ready to help her colleagues in Oriental studies centers in Russia and beyond.

The IOM RAS administration and colleagues congratulate Irina V. Kulganek on her anniversary and wish her health and continuous creative achievements for the benefit of Mongolian studies.

We would like to thank Irina V. Kulganek for productive academic and organizational work.

Irina F. Popova, Corresponding member of the RAS, Doctor of Sciences in History
Director of the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts, RAS