Pekarsky Eduard

Pekarsky Eduard (1858–1934) – ethnographer, linguist.

In 1877, after a classical gymnasium in Chernigov, he enrolled to the Kharkov Veterinary Institute; in 1878, he was excluded for his participation in students’ protests. He started his revolutionary activity in gymnasium years – as early as in 1874; in 1878, he entered the group ‘Zemlya i Volya’ (Land and Freedom). In December 1879, he was arrested, and on January 12, 1881, the Moscow Military District Court sentenced him to 15 years of had labour, but at the last moment it was changed with exile in the distant part of Siberia ‘with deprivation of all rights and property’. He arrived to Yakutsk in 1881; then he was sent from there to the First Igideisky Nasleg of the Boturussky Ulus (now Tattinsky Ulus), where he learnt Yakutian language. After a while, it became his life affair.

His research in the field of ethnography, folklore ad Yakutian language attracted attention of the East-Siberian Department of the Russian Geographical Society. He was invited to the Sibiryakov Yakutian expedition in 1894-1896; and in 1903, he received a task to make household census of Evenks of the Ayansky District. Studying the life of Evenks, he collected ethnographical materials for the Museum of Aleksander III (now – the State Russian Museum) in St. Petersburg.

On the petition of the Ac. of Sc. P. got a permission to settle in the city of Yakutsk by the end of 1899; since 1905, he was able to return to St. Petersburg.

In 1905-1910, he worked at the Ethnographical Department of the Museum of Aleksander III; in 1911-1930, he was Researcher of the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography, Head of the Gallery of Peter I; and in 1911-1930 he was also Researcher of the Asian Museum; in 1930-1934, he was Researcher of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Ac. of Sc. of the U.S.S.R.

In April 1907, he published the first issue of the ‘Dictionary of Yakutian Language’, composed by P.; the final. Thirteenth issue was published in 1930. Beside the works on the Yakutian vocabulary and folklore, P. wrote several dozens of works on ethnography and archeology.

In 1911, he was awarded with big golden medal of the Department of Ethnography and Statistic of the Russian Geographical Society for his works about Yakuts.

Since 1927, he was Correspondent Member, and since 1931 – Honourary Member of the Ac. of Sc. of the U.S.S.R. In 1915-1920, he was Secretary of the Department of Ethnography of the Russian Geographical Society, and Actual Member of the Russian Geographical Society.

Compositions

On the Origin of the Word ‘Tungus’ // Etnograficheskoe obozrenie. 1906, book 70-71, pp. 206-217. (in Rus.)
Coat and Frame Drum of Yakutian Shaman: Materials on Ethnography of Russia. Vol. I. (together with V. N. Vasiliev) St. Petersburg, 1910. (in Rus.)
Samples of Folk Literature of Yakuts. St. Petersburg/Petrograd, 1911-1918, vol. 1-3. (in Rus.)
The Program for Research the Home and Family Life of Yakuts (together with I. I. Mainov) // Zhivaya starina. 1913, 3‒4, pp. 117‒135. (in Rus.)
Essays on the Life of the Ayan Tunguse (together with V. P. Tsvetkov) // Collection of Articles of the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography. 1913, vol. 2, iss. 1, pp. 1-127. (in Rus.)
The Guidebook in the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography named after Peter the Great: Gallery of Emperor Peter I. Petrograd, 1915. (in Rus.)
Dictionary of Yakutian Language: Proceeding of the Yakutia Expedition, Made on the Resources of I. М. Sibiryakov (1894‒1896). Vol. III, part I, Petrograd, 1917. (in Rus.)
Materials on the Customary Law of Yakuts: Three Documents // Collection of Articles of the Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography. 1925, vol. 5, iss. 2, pp. 657-708. (in Rus.)
The Legend on the Origin of Yakuts // Sibirskaya Zhivaya starina. 1925, iss. 3-4, pp. 137-144. (in Rus.)
Among Yakuts: Occasiona Notes // Essays on Studying the Yakutia Region. Irkutsk, 1928, iss. 2, pp. 23-33. (in Rus.)
Common Yakutian Wedding (together with N. P. Popov) // Vostochnye zapiski of the Leningrad Institute of Living Oriental Languages. 1928, vol. 1, pp. 201-222. (in Rus.)
Dictionary of Yakutian Language, in 13 iss. St. Petersburg/Petrograd /Leningrad, 1907-1930. (in Rus.)
Yautian Folk-Tale // For S. F. Oldenburg: by the 50the Anniversary of His Research and Social Activity, 1882‒1932. Leningrad, 1934, pp. 421-432. (in Rus.)

About him

Pekarsky E. C. // Etnografiya. 1926, No 1-2, pp. 337. (in Rus.)
Azadovsky М. C. E. C. Pekarsky // Sovetskaya etnografiya. 1934, No 5, pp. 105-108. (in Rus.)
Pekarsky E. C. // Bio-Bibliographical Lexicon of Russian Turcologists: Pre-October Period. Moscow, 1989, pp. 185-187. (in Rus.)
Miliband S. D. Orientalists of Russia: Twentieth — Early Twenty First Century. Bio-Bibliographical Lexicon, in 2 books. Moscow, Vostochnaya literature Publishing House, 2008, book 2, pp. 216-217. (in Rus.)