Zorin A. Some Critical Remarks on the Book “Russian Orientalism” by the Canadian Slavist David Schimmelpenninck van der Oye // Vestnik of Saint Petersburg State University. Asian and African studies, vol. 12, no. 3, 2020. P. 466—475.
The book that will be discussed in this review was published quite long ago. It seems to have brought D. Schimmelpenninck van der Oye an international reputation of the leading expert in the field of the history of Russian Oriental studies, although more among the Slavists than the scholars of the Orient. In 2019, a Russian translation was published. It does not present a revised version of the book, therefore my review can
be considered regarding both English and Russian editions. <...> What is going to be said below does not mean that the book has no value at all. It is well-written from the stylistic point of view and the reader will probably enjoy it and get a lot of interesting facts about old Russia. My intention is only to warn scholars from uncritical use of this book in
regard of the history of Oriental studies in Russia.
This year’s Diakonoff Readings marking the 110th birthday anniversary of Igor M. Diakonoff (1915‒1999) will be held at the Hermitage Museum (Saint Petersburg) on April 17‒18, 2025.
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