Mongolica. Vol. XXVII, No. 4. Dedicated to the 300th anniversary of the Russian Academy of Sciences / Ed. by I. V. Kulganek (editor-in-chief), D. A. Nosov (secretary), M. A. Kozintcev (deputy secretary). St Petersburg, 2024. 78 p. ISSN 2311-5939.

Mivgiyan A. Lidzhiev. Evdokiya E. Khabunova — Specialist in Folklore (On the 70th Anniversary) — 5

Jana D. Lehman. On the Anniversary of Anna Damdinovna Tsendina — 9

SOURCE STUDIES

Igor A. Alimov. «Dong Jing Meng Hua Lu»: Outer and Old City — 15
The article is devoted to a unique Chinese work of the 12th century. «Dong jing meng yua lu» by Meng Yuan-lao is an unprecedented in Chinese history written source of comprehensive information about urban life during the Northern Song. It is the second publication in a series of works dedicated to «Dong jing meng yua lu». It includes a complete annotated translation of the description of the Outer and Old city.
Keywords: China of the 10th-13th centuries, Song era, Chinese city, Meng Yuan-lao, «Dong jing meng yua lu».

Inna O. Sobennikova. Russian Merchants of Transbaikal and Mongolia (Based on the Materials of the History of One Family) — 26
The article highlights the peculiarities of the residence of Russian population in the Trans-Baikal Territory. Special attention is paid to the trade activities of the early 20th century, the mutually beneficial exchange of tea, cattle, leather, wool, fur — between Russia, China and Mongolia. The author traces the history of the creation and development of the Kyakhta “Sobennikov and the Molchanov Brothers” company, which owned several factories in the city of Alasha-iamyn (Melon-yuan-fu) in the center of the Alashan desert (Alashan Gobi). At that time the trading house belonged to Khoshut wang, the son-in-law of one of the emperors of the Qing dynasty; he was engaged in the exchange of Mongolian raw materials, mainly camel wool, for Russian goods: manufactory, hardware and other products. It was possible to conduct business only with knowledge of Mongolian and Chinese languages. The author addresses the issue of similarity of habits, tastes, and worldview of the population of Transbaikal, Siberia, and Mongolia.
Keywords: Kyakhta, China, border, trading, Russian-Mongolian relations, merchants, V. A. Sobennikov, I. A. Molchanov.

Youli A. Ioannesyan. L. F. Bogdanov/L. S. Dugin — an Extraordinary Iranologist, Researcher, Translator — 32
The purpose of this article is highlighting the stages of the biography and a selective review of the works of the Russian and French orientalist and diplomat, a graduate of the St. Petersburg University L. Bogdanov, who spent most of his life outside of Russia and made a valuable contribution to both Iranian studies and to popularizing the achievements of the Russian school of oriental studies abroad. The article uses materials from the Archive of the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts of the Russian Academy of Sciences and examines the main works of the scholar.
Keywords: Iranian studies, Iranian dialectology, history of oriental studies.

STUDIES IN PHILOLOGY AND ARTS

Svetlana G. Batyreva. Constants of the Kalmyk Heroic Epic “Dzhangar” in Folklore Motifs of Gari Rokchinsky’s Works — 43
It seems productive to analyze the constant elements inherent in the epic structure of the narrative, to go beyond the traditional folklore studies and look “deep” into the display of the epic “Dzhangar” in the Kalmyk fine arts. The constant motifs of the heroic Dzhangariada in the works of the People’s Artist of the RSFSR Gari Rokchinsky (1923–1993), who consistently developed epic themes throughout his life, are analyzed in a relevant and innovative approach. The Dzhangariada cycle, a landmark page in Kalmyk art of the second half of the 20th c., clearly outlines the search for an ethnic identity of the individual and an artistic style adequate to the epic worldview. The Image of the epic Universe, characterizing the mythopoetic worldview, is formed in the diversity of works by expressive means of art. The pictorial cycle Dzhangariada (1960–1990s) of the creative personality is represented in the prism of the figurative memory of ancestors, encompassing the space/time of nomadic existence in the constants of the epic narrative. The first undertaken analysis of expressive means of verbal and plastic nature (properties) constitutes the relevance and novelty of the study. A comprehensive approach to interdisciplinary research based on materials of Kalmyk folklore studies will allow the inclusion of Kalmyk fine art of the second half of the 20th c. in the cultural sphere of Dzhangar studies, expanding and deepening the art history perspective of studying the epic.
Keywords: fine art, mythopoetic traditions, artist, time and space of culture, figurative memory of ancestors.

Ts. Tumenbayar. Features of Female Characters in the Works of D. Natsagdorj — 54
The article is devoted to the analysis of the features of female characters in the works of the founder of modern Mongolian literature Dashdorjiin Natsagdorj (1906–1937). The works of this author are studied by Mongolian and foreign researchers. However, female characters are still not given due attention. Only the term paper “Female Characters in the Works of D. Natsagdorj” by E. N. Pavlova, a student of the Faculty of Asian and African Studies of the Saint Petersburg State University, is known on this topic. During any changes, the fate of women is difficult, and sometimes tragic. This is reflected in the works of the writer. In the article, we made an attempt to draw a parallel between the social life of women during the People’s Revolution of 1921 and the Democratic Revolution of 1990 in Mongolia. The presentation of women’s images by the great writer is important for understanding the social life of Mongolia during the collapse of two social systems. The artistic significance of female characters in the works of D. Natsagdorj has not lost its relevance even today. The article uses the writer’s works, archival documents and literary studies of Mongolian and foreign specialists.
Keywords: D. Natsagdorj, female images, female characters, social system.

Maria P. Petrova. Atmospheric Stories by Dan. Nyama — 60
This article is devoted to such a phenomenon as the atmosphere of the text. The material used is stories by modern Mongolian writer Danzangiin Nyama “Arkan” and “The Sky Above the Yurt” (Ulaanbaatar, 2022). Two stories by Dan. Nyama are filled with the atmosphere of nomadic life of modern cattle breeder, which is created due to all the constituent elements of the atmosphere. The atmosphere of these stories consists of such elements as setting, nature and weather, main characters, relationships between the characters. Artistic descriptions of smell, colors, sounds allow the reader to immerse themselves in the psychological climate of each story and invisibly live the plots together with the characters. The atmospheric stories by Dan. Nyama “Arkan” and “The Sky Above the Yurt” are not only literary works, but also deep psychological studies of human nature in the context of Mongolian culture. Using a variety of literary devices, the author creates rich emotional worlds that evoke strong feelings in the reader. His stories make one think about eternal themes such as love, connection with nature, life, death, and the frailty of human existence. Dan. Nyama is one of those writers whose atmosphere helps to understand and feel the uniqueness of Mongolian literature, its richness and diversity.
Keywords: atmosphere, atmospheric text, nomadic life, psychological climate, Mongolian culture.

ACADEMIC LIFE

Svetlana M. Trofimova. “The Scientist’s Activity is Notable Not Only for His Scientific Works, but Also for the Charm of his Human Nature” — 65

Irina V. Kulganek, Dmitry A. Nosov. The international scientific conference “The Seventh St. Petersburg Mongol Readings” (St. Petersburg, October 2–3, 2024) — 72

PDF-files

Keywords