PIS'MENNYE
PAMYATNIKI
VOSTOKA

Vol. 15, No. 2 (33)
Summer 2018

Journal based in 2004
Issued quarterly

Selected Materials as a *.PDF file

PUBLICATIONS

A Letter of the Khan of Khiva Shir Ghazi to the Russian Tsar Peter I. Introduction, Publication and Commentary by Mark A. Kozintсev — 5
The article presents a source for the history of the Russo-Khivan relations in the beginning of the 18th c., a letter written by Khan Shir Ghazi after the extermination of Russian exploratory mission, and adressed to the Tsar Peter I. In 1717, a Russian expedition under Prince Alexander Bekovich Cherkassky was sent to Khiva for exploratory and diplomatic mission, as well as to establish military relations. It was destroyed by the Khivans; most of the participants were brutally murdered, and some taken as prisoners. Written soon after the incident, the letter represents an attempt of Shir Ghazi to apologise in order to avoid a possible military conflict with Russia. The text of the letter is of philological interest being a good example of the early 18th c. literary Old Uzbek language.
Key words: Russo-Khivan relations, Khivan campaign of 1717, Alexander Bekovich Cherkassky, Shir Ghazi, letter

A Letter of Iakinf Bichurin to the Board of Colonial Affairs (Lifanyuan). Introduction, Translation from Manchu and Commentary by Tatiana A. Pang — 25
The Manchu collection of the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts, RAS, keeps a short letter of Iakinf Bichurin, the head of the 9th Russian Ecclesiastic mission to Peking, to the Lifanyuan. The letter is written in Manchu according to the rules of official communication, and is a rare document written by Bichurin in the Manchu language. The letter concerns a robbery at the house of the head of the mission, and it gives some details about the inner life of the mission.
Key words: the 9th Russian Ecclesiastic mission, Iakinf Bichurin, the Manchu language, Manchu collection, IOM RAS

RESEARCH WORKS

Alexandr L. Khosroyev. A Commentary on the Word ϪꞶΚM̄ (λουτρόν? βάπτισμα) in the “Second Logos of the Great Seth” 58.15–16 (NHC VII.2) and Early Christian “Baptism” Generally — 32
This is the second part of the article critically analyzing the usage of the term “baptism” and related concepts in such later texts of the New Testament as Ephesians (Eph.), 1 Petеr, Titus (Tit.), and Hebrews (Heb.). According to the analysis, it is unlikely that those texts have strong evidence of “baptism by water” (even of its real existence, let alone of its widespread occurrence) in the Church Christianity of the late 1st century A.D. The passages 1Peter 3.21 and Heb. 10.22 are to be discussed yet. To be continued in the next issue.
Key words: Early Christianity, baptism, the New Testament, Christian authors, Gnosticism

Zare A. Yusupova. On the History of the Yazidism Studies — 56
The article introduces one of the ancient religious teachings of the Kurdish people: Yazidism. The purpose of the article is to provide a review of the existing literature on Yazidism as well as basic data on the gist of this teaching. It considers a number of disputable issues concerning the origin of Yazidism, the authorship, creation date and language of the Yazidis’ Sacred Writings: the “Jelva” (“The Book of Revelation”) and the “Maskhaf Rash” (“The Black Book”). In conclusion, the author supports the view-point expressed earlier in some publications on the subject that Yazidism is an original independent religion which is erroneously defined by some scholars as a “sect”.
Key words: Yazidi-Kurds, Yazisizm, religious books “Jelva”, “Maskhaf-a Rash”, Lalis temple

HISTORY AND HISTORIOGRAPHY

Nelly V. Kozyreva. Southern Mesopotamia in the Middle of the 2nd Millennium B.C. New Materials on the History of the Sealand Dynasty (1730–1450) — 67 The last page in the history of Southern Mesopotamia of early antiquity was the rule of the so-called Sealand dynasty, which controlled the south of Mesopotamia, presumably for nearly 300 years (about 1730–1450), approximately coinciding with the end of the reign of the 1st Babylonian dynasty and the beginning of the reign of the Kassite dynasty. Until recently, very little was known about it. The lack of information generated among the researchers the notion that, in the 18th–15th centuries B.C., the southernmost part of Mesopotamia (the Delta of the Tigris and the Euphrates and the coast of the Persian Gulf) was abandoned and in decline. In recent years, there have been numerous new evidences concerning the history of this region in the reign of the Sealand dynasty, and that evidence is of two kinds — monuments of material culture and a large number of archival documents. The study of this new material refutes the notion that the south was in decline. It becomes obvious that the Sealand dynasty that ruled at this time was a political reality, and the southern economy and culture continued and developed the traditions of the previous period.
Key words: Southern Mesopotamia, early urbanization, Sealand dynasty, the Martin Schoyen Collection, the conquest of the Sealand by the Kassites

COLLECTIONS AND ARCHIVES

Karine G. Marandjan. The Personal Collection of E.G. Spalvin in the Funds of the IOM RAS — 88
The article introduces to the readers the part of Spalvin personal collection sent to Leningrad from Harbin after his death in 1935. The items from his collection are kept in the library holdings, manuscript department and the IOM RAS archive. The analysis of IOM RAS Spalvin collection testifies that it is only a small part of his personal collection which until now was unknown to the specialists.
Key words: Japanologist Spalvin E.G. (1872–1933), personal collection, Harbin, archive, IOM RAS manuscript department

ACADEMIC LIFE

Vladimir P. Ivanov. Open Lectures of IOM RAS in 2017 — 98

Anna A. Turanskaia. International Research Conference “The Turko-Mongol World: History and Culture” Dedicated to 90th Birth Anniversary of Sergei G. Klyashtorny (St. Petersburg, February 15–16, 2018) — 103

Youli A. Ioannesyan. Annual Conference on Iranian Studies in Memory of O.F. Akimushkin (St. Petersburg, February 19, 2018) — 107

Elena V. Tanonova. Diploma of “Memory of the World” International Register of UNESCO Delivery Ceremony (St. Petersburg, April 4, 2018) — 113

REVIEWS

Garfield J.L., Westerhoff J. (eds). Madhyamaka and Yogācāra: Allies or Rivals? Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015. 280 + xiv pp. (Sergey L. Burmistrov) — 118

Zorin A.V., Maruev B.L., Sabrukova S.S., Sizova A.A. The Catalogue of the Works of the Tibetan Buddhist Canon from the Collection of the IOM, RAS. Vol. 1. Bka’ ‘gyur and Bstan’gyur. Ed. by A.V. Zorin. St. Petersburg: St. Petersburg Centre for Oriental Studies Publishers, 2017. 512 pp. (Andrei Al. Bazarov) — 125

Ye Jiaying. “Various Judgments on Ci Poetry” by Wang Guowei. Seven Lectures. Translation from Chinese by E.A. Zavidovskaya. Mockow: Nauka — Vostochnaya Literatura, 2017. — 263 pp. (Igor A. Alimov, Liu Ruo-mei) — 128

IN MEMORIAM

Ivan Mikhailovich Steblin-Kamensky (Оlga M. Chunakova) — 132

Sergei Remirovich Tokhtasyev (Irina V. Tunkina) — 136