Prokofiev Georgy

Prokofiev Georgy (1897‒1942) – linguist, ethnographer, teacher.

In 1916, he enrolled the Physical and Mathematical Faculty of the Petrograd University. In 1919, he transferred to the Ethnographical Department of the Geographical Institute, which was transformed into the Geographical Faculty of the Leningrad State University. He graduated from the University in 1925; his supervisors were L. Ya. Sternberg and V. G. Bogoraz.

In 1921, from the Northern Trade Expedition, he was sent for studying Nenets.

In 1925-1928, he was Head of the school for Ostyak-Samoyeds at the trading station of Yanov Stan; in 1928-1930, on the order of the Committee of the North, he became Head of the local base at the Samoyedic station of Khoseda-Khard.

In 1933, at the expedition to Taimyr, he collected much materials on the Nganasan and Enets languages.

In the late 1920-s, he learnt the Selkup language perfectly; later he was able to write an essay on its grammar and to attract Selkup material for analyzing some issues of the origin and evolution of Samoyedic languages. In the result of many years of works, P. composed manuals and grammar books for practical learning the Samoyedic languages.

In 1930-1937. he was Docent of the Institute of the peoples of the North, Head of the Linguistic Section of the Research Association, Docent of the Leningrad Herzen Teachers-Training Institute, and the Leningrad Institute of Philosophy, Literature and History.

In 1930-1933, he was Researcher of the Institute for Studying the Peoples of the U.S.S.R.

In 1938-1942, he was Senior Researcher and Head of the Cabinet of Siberia at the Institute of Ethnography of the Ac. of Sc. of the U.S.S.R.

In 1938-1943, he worked as teacher of ethnography of the peoples of Siberia and the Samoyedic languages at the Ethnographical Department of the Geographical Faculty of the Leningrad University.

Since 1929, he was Actual Member of the Geographical Society of the U.S.S.R.

He died in the Blockade of Leningrad in the January 1942.

Compositions

Ostyak-Samoyedic People of the Turukhansk District // Etnografiya. 1928, No 2, pp. 96-103. (in Rus)
A Ceremony of the Revival the Framed Drum at Ostyak-Samoyedic People // Izvestiya of the Leningrad State University. 1929, vol. 2, pp. 365-373. (in Rus)
A Note on the Article by L. Kostikov ‘God’s Deers in Religious Beliefs of Khasovo’ // Etnografiya. 1930, No 1-2, pp. 132-133. (in Rus)
Three Years in the Samoyedic School // Sovetskyi Sever. 1931, No 7-8, pp. 143-160. (in Rus)
On the Issue of Transitional Voice in the Samoyedic Language // In the Memory of V. G. Bogoraz (1865-1936): Collection of Articles. Moscow – Leningrad, 1937, pp. 309-323. (in Rus)
Nenets (Yurak-Samoyedic) Language // Languages and Writing of the Peoples of the North. Leningrad, 1937, vol. 1, pp. 5-52. (in Rus)
Nganasan (Tavgic) Dialect // Ibid., pp. 53-74. (in Rus)
Enets (Yenisei-Samoyedic) Dialect // Ibid., pp. 75-90. (in Rus)
Selkup (Ostyak-Samoyedic) Language // Ibid., pp. 91-124. (in Rus)
Numerals in the Samoyedic Language // Sovetskyi Sever. 1939, No 4, pp. 5-25. (in Rus)
Ethnic Shaping of the Peoples of the Ob’-Yenisei Basin (Nenets, Nganasans, Enets, Selkups, Kets, Khanty, and Mansi) // Sovetskaya etnografiya. 1940, vol. 3, pp. 67-76. (in Rus)

About him

Prokofieva Е. D. Nenets // The Peoples of Siberia. Moscow – Leningrad, 1956, pp. 608-647. (in Rus)
Prokofieva Е. D. Selkups // Ibid., pp. 665-686. (in Rus)
Omelchuk А. Knights of the North. Sverdlovsk, 1982, pp. 35-98. (in Rus)
Gagen-Torn N. I. The Prokofievs in Yanov Stan // Etnograficheskoe obozrenie. 1992, No 4, pp. 91-110. (in Rus)
Reshetov А. М. Paying the Debt // Etnograficheskoe obozrenie. 1995, No 2, pp. 46-48, 60. (in Rus)
Khomoch L. V. G. N. Prokofiev — Researcher of Languages and Ethnography of the Samoyedic Peoples: for His 100th Anniversary // КПК. 1999, iss. 8-9, pp. 274-277. (in Rus)