Potebnya Aleksander

Potebnya Aleksander (1835‒1891) – philologist.

In 1856, he graduated from the Historical and Philological Faculty of the Kharkov University; later, he built his own research school of linguists in Kharkov.

For a short time, he had worked as gymnasium teacher of literature; in 1861, he defended his Master thesis ‘On Some Symbols in Slavic Folk Poetry’ and started teaching at the University. In 1862, he went abroad and visited lectures at the University of Berlin, studied Sanskrit, travelled. In 1874, he defended hid Doctor thesis ‘From the Notes on Russian Grammar’. Since 1875, he was Professor of the Kharkov University.

In 1875, he was elected for Correspondent Member of the Ac. of Sc.; Laureate of the Lomonosov Award (1875); Member of the Society of Amateurs of Russian Literature at the Moscow University (1877); he was awarded with two Uvarov golden medals (1878 and 1879), and the Constantine Medal of the Russian Geographical Society (1890); Member of the Czech Research Society.

His works on mythology and folklore played a significant role in the development of religious studies in the Russian Empire.

Compositions

Thought and Language // ZhMNP. 1862. (in Rus.)
On the Mythical Sense of Certain Beliefs and Rites / Readings in the Imperial Society of Russian History and Antiquities at the Moscow University. 1865, iss. II, III, IV. (in Rus.)
Explanation of Small Russian and Relative Folk Songs, in 2 vol. Warsaw, 1883‒1887. (in Rus.)
From the Notes on Russian Grammar, in 2 vol. 2nd publ., Kharkov, 1888; vol. 3, Kharkov, 1899; vol. 4, Moscow – Leningrad, 1941. (in Rus.)
From the Notes on the Theory of Literature: Poetry and Prose. Tropes and Figures. Poetic and Mythical Thinking. Kharkov, 1905. (in Rus.)
Basical Principles of Poetic: On the Base of Lectures by А. А.Potebnya, late 1980-s / Comp. V. Khartsiev // Issues of Theory and Psychology of Creativity. Vol. 2, iss. 2, St. Petersburg, 1910. (in Rus.)
Psychology of Poetic Thinking: From Lectures by А. А.Potebnya; comp. on the base of students’ notes by B. Lezin // Issues of Theory and Psychology of Creativity. Vol. 2, iss. 2, St. Petersburg, 1910. (in Rus.)
On Some Symbols in Slavic Folk Poetry. 2nd publ., Kharkov, 1914. (in Rus.)
Thought and Language. 5the publ. // Collection of Works. Vol. 1, Odessa, 1926. (in Rus.)
From the Notes on Russian Grammar. 3rd publ., Moscow, 1958, vol. 1-2. (in Rus.)
Esthetic and Poetic. Moscow, 1976. (in Rus.)
Word and Myth. Moscow, 1989. (in Rus.)

About him

Voltaire E. А. А. А.Potebnya: 1835–1891. Bibliographical Materials for the Biography of А. А.Potebnya. St. Petersburg, 1892. (in Rus.)
Bely А. Thought and Language: Philosophy of Language of А. А.Potebnya // Logos. 1910, book 2. (in Rus.)
Rainov Т. А. А. А.Potebnya. Petrograd, 1924. (in Rus.)
Bulakhovsky L. А. А. А.Potebnya. Kiev, 1952. (in Rus.)
Presnyakov О. P. А. А.Potebnya and Russian Literary Studies of the Late Nineteenth – Early Twentieth Centuries. Saratov State University, 1978. (in Rus.)
Presnyakov О. P. Poetic of Cognition and Creativity: The Theory of Literature by А. А.Potebnya. Moscow, 1980. (in Rus.)
Baiburin А. C. А. А. Potebnya: Philosophy of Language and Myth// Potebnya А. А. Word and Myth. Moscow, 1989. С. 3–10. (in Rus.)

M. Sh.