Nemirovsky Aleksander

Nemirovsky Aleksander (1919–2007) – historian of classical epoch, translator, author of popular books and historical fiction, poet.

In 1937, he entered the Historical Faculty of the Moscow State University, and a year after – to the Literary Institute (poetic seminar of Ilya Sel’vinsky).

He was mobilized with the start of WWII, passed thought training at the Tula Armament-Technical School; since March 1943, he was at the Volkhov, Leningrad, and the First Ukrainian Fronts. He finished the war in Germany, was wounded; he was awarded with the Order of Red Banner.

After the war, he studied at the post-graduate courses of the Moscow State University; in 1950, he defended his Candidate thesis on the class of Riders in the period of crisis and fall of the Roman Republic. Ministry of Education of the R.S.F.S.R. sent him to the Penza State Teachers-Training Institute; since 1950 – Senior Teacher, since 1953 – Docent.

In 1957, he started to work at the Voronezh State University at the initiative of famous Orientalist I. M. Borozdin, who headed the Chair of the World History of the Voronezh State University in 1949-1959. In Voronezh N. soon headed the newly founded Chair of the Ancient History and Ancient Languages, defended his Doctor’s thesis in the most ancient period of the history of Rome (1965); in 1977, he returned to Moscow.

He composed many school manuals and reading books on the history of Ancient Greece and Rome, as well as a number of books about mythological systems of the Ancient World. There are still actual research works by N. on the religion of Etruscans and the most ancient layers of the Roman mythical-epic tradition, the origin of historical studies in its connection with mythology and so on. He published several articles on the New Testament (Jesus of the Gospel as a Man and a Prophet // Voprosy istorii. 1990, No 4, pp. 112‒132; John the Baptist // Voprosy istorii. 1993, No 9, pp. 59‒72). Together with V. I. Ukolova, N. Published materials about the biography of B. М. Zubakin, and about the religious mystical movement of 1920-s - 1930-s.

Compositions

The History of Early Rome and Italy: Origin of the Class Society and State. Voronezh, 1962. (in Rus.)
Ideology and Culture of Early Rome. Voronezh, 1964. (in Rus.)
At the Sources of Historical Thought. Voronezh State University, 1979. (2nd publ.: The Birth of Clio: At the Sources of Historical Thought. Voronezh State University, 1986.) (in Rus.)
Etruscans: From Myth to History. Moscow, Nauka Publishing House, 1983. (in Rus.)
Reading Book in History of the Ancient World: for Pupils of the 5th year, secondary school. Moscow, Prosveshchenie Publishing House, 1986. (in Rus.)
Myths of the Ancient Hellas. Moscow, Prosveshchenie Publishing House, 1992. (in Rus.)
Classical Epoch: History and Culture: for pupils of senior years of secondary school, in 2 vol. Moscow, Aspect-Press Publishing House, 1994. (in Rus.)
Myths and Legends of the Ancient East: for pupils of middle and senior years. Moscow, Prosveshchenie Publishing House, 1994. (in Rus.)
The History of the Ancient World: Greece and Rome: for pupils of secondary school, in 2 vol. Moscow, Drofa Publishing House, 1995. (together with V. I. Ukolova) (in Rus.)
Star Light, or the Last Russian Rosicrucian: On the Poet, Scholar, Sculptor B. М. Zubakin. Moscow, Progress-Kul’tura Publishing House, 1995. (in Rus.)
Myths of the Ancient Hellas: Classical Heritage, Moscow, Labyrint Publishing House, 2000. (in Rus.)
Ancient Myths: Near East. Moscow, Labyrint Publishing House, 2001. (in Rus.)
Ancient Myths: Italy, Classical Heritage. Moscow, Labyrint Publishing House, 2001. (in Rus.)
Ariadne’s Thread: In the Labyrinths of Archeology. Moscow, Veche Publishing House, 2007. (in Rus.)

Bibliography

Аleksander Josephovich Nemirovsky: Index / Comp., introd. А. N. Akin’shin. Voronezh, 2000. (in Rus.)

About him

Pisarevsky N. P. А. J. Nemirovsky and Historiography of Classical Epoch of the Secon Half of the Twentieth Century: By the 80th Anniversary of Scholar // Vestnik of the Voronezh State University. Seria 1: Humanitarian Studies. 1999, No 1, pp. 164-181. (in Rus.)
Аleksander Josephovich Nemirovsky (1919-2007) // Vestnik drevnei istorii. 2007, No 3, pp. 239-240. (in Rus.)
Korotkikh L. М., Pryakhin А. D. А. J. Nemirovsky and Studying of Classical Epoch at the Voronezh State University // Vestnik of the Voronezh State University. Seria: History. Politology. Sociology. 2007, No 1, pp. 147-151. (in Rus.)
Volkov Aleksander. Penza Roots of Аleksander Nemirovsky // Site ‘Ulitsa Moskovskaya’. 03.06.2017 http://www.ym-penza.ru/index.php?option=com_k2&view=item&id=3686:penzenskie-istoki-aleksandra-nemirovskogo&Itemid=278 date of the request 10.11.17 (in Rus.)

D. B.