Mongolica. Vol. XXVII, No. 1. Dedicated to the 70th anniversary of Russian Mongol scholars L.S. Dampilova and Yu.V. Kuzmin / Ed. by I. V. Kulganek (editor-in-chief), D. A. Nosov (secretary), M. A. Kozintcev (deputy secretary) et al. St Petersburg, 2024. 105 p. ISSN 2311-5939.

CONTENTS

L.S. Dampilova — Researcher of Literature and Shamanic Chants of the Mongolian Peoples (on the 70th Аnniversary of the Scholar) (By Еditorial Вoard) — 5


Yuri V. Kuzmin — Historian and Mongolist from Irkutsk (on the 70th Anniversary of the Scholar) (By Editorial Board) — 9


PHILOLOGY

Serjee Munkhsaikhan. Features of the Phonemes of Vowels “a” and “e” of Medieval Mongolian — 13
The written records that have been passed down to us are valuable sources for investigating the history of the Mongolian language. In particular, Mongolian records, written in Chinese letters are highly suitable for studying various linguistic aspects such as phonology, morphology, and lexicology of medieval Mongolian because they reveal the active spoken language of their time. In this article, based on the facts, the author discussed the features of the vowels “a” and “e” in the Uyghur-Mongol script and phags-pa script based on their phonological articulation. As a result of the research, the author concluded that there were two distinct forms of the vowel “e”, which have differing pronunciations because there are numerous examples of Mongolian records written in Chinese letters that differentiated between them.
Keywords: Uyghur-Mongol script, phags-pa script, Mongolian records-written in Chinese letters, vowel “a”, vowels “e”.

Youli A. Ioanneṣyan. From the History of the Study and Classification of Persian and Other West Iranian Dialects — 18
The article examines the stages of development of researchers’ ideas about Western Iranian dialects with an emphasis on the dialect chain of the closely related languages — the Persian language of Iran, Afghan-Persian (Dari) and Tajik. The latter are variants of the New Persian language, their literary forms go back to the language of the Persian-Tajik (New Persian) classical literature, therefore their dialects, representing a single linguistic continuum (continuous chain), can be correctly considered as a single inextricable whole for constructing a general classification, which does not preclude subdivisions within this larger chain: dialect groups and subgroups. The article traces some stages of the formation of researchers’ views on the classification of these dialects, starting from the 19th c.
Keywords: Iranian linguistics, Persian dialectology.

Ejincairang (Ogyen Tsering). About the Quadrilingual Edition of the “Sutra in Forty-two sections” — 25
The article contains a general survey of the woodblock edition of one of the oldest Chinese Buddhist text in Manchu, Tibetan, Mongolian and Chinese. This sutra was not included into Tibetan Buddhist Canon. In the eighteenth century it was translated from Chinese into Manchu and Tibetan. The Mongolian translation was made from Tibetan. The Manchu translation was included in the Manchu Buddhist Canon while the Tibetan translation was included into a later print of the sDe-dge bKa-’gyur. The quadrilingual edition of this sutra was performed in Beijing in 1781 at the initiative of a certain Henglin. The Tibetan part of this edition including colophon was incorporated without any changes into the sDe-dge bKa-’gyur.
Keywords: Buddhism, Buddhist Canon, sutra, woodblock printing, Tibetan language, Mongolian language.

Vadim Yu. Klimov. Poetic Praises of Shinran dedicated to Dao-cho (562–645) — 30
Dao-cho (Japanese: Doshaku, 562–645) is one of the founders of the Pure Land school. Shinran (1173–1263) placed him fourth on a list of worthy monks consisting of seven hierarchs. Thanks to Daoxuan, a monk and historiographer, as well as the monk Chia-tsai (the years of his life are unknown to us), a novice of Dao-cho, trustworthy information about his life and activities has reached our time. At the age of fourteen he entered a monastery. But soon his monastic service was interrupted, since the third emperor of Northern Zhou Wu-di (Japanese: Hokushu: no Butei, 北周の武帝, 543–578, on the throne 560–578) began persecution of Buddhism in 574. When the persecution ceased after the death of Wu-di, Dao-cho, at the age of 16, again took monastic vows and entered a monastery. In 609, at the age of 48, Dao-cho settled in the monastery of Xuanzhongsi (in Japanese Genchuji) 玄中寺 ("The Hidden Middle"), immersed in the study of the heritage of Tan-luan, and refused further study of the sutra Nirvana and turns to the teachings of the Pure Land. Only seven verses out of 119 are dedicated to Dao-cho in the “Doxologies to the Worthy Monks [of the School of] the Pure Land” (Koso wasan, 高僧和讃). In them, Shinran praises Dao-cho, who calls not to rely on one’s own strength, but to trust in the power of the Basic Vow of Buddha Amida and refuse to perform the numerous practices of way of the sages.
Keywords: school of the “True Faith of the Pure Land”, Amida, Shinran, “Poetic hymns in Japanese”, seven worthy monks, Dao-cho.

Rita P. Sumba. Tibetan manuscripts and Block prints from the collections of the National Museum of the Republic of Tuva — 42
The article considers the history of the formation of the library fund in Tibetan, as well as in Mongolian in the National Museum of the Republic of Tuva. The collection contains canonical texts of Buddhism, popular literature of didactic content, literary collections, as well as texts necessary for religious and ritual practice. Most of the literature was purchased from Tibetan, Mongolian and Buryat monasteries and printing houses, which indicates an economic and cultural-historical connection with these regions. The article used collected documentation from the funds of the National Museum of Tuva, information from former lamas who studied at the Buddhist monasteries of Tuva and the scientific publication of scholars.
Keywords: National Museum; Tuva; funds; manuscripts; xylograph.

HISTORY

Agvaantseren Mandirmaa. Years of Life of A. M. Pozdneev in Vladivostok (1899–1903) — 48
Alexey Matveevich Pozdneev is an outstanding Russian orientalist, a prominent representative of the St. Petersburg school of Mongolian studies, the first director of the Oriental Institute (1899–1903) in Vladivostok, politician, Privy Councilor (1905). A. M. Pozdneev made a huge contribution to the formation of the Eastern Institute, where future diplomats, military officers, financiers and religious leaders who spoke Eastern languages were trained. However, the reason and purpose of the trip of the brilliant scientist, professor of St. Petersburg University A. M. Pozdneev to the Far East is still not so well known to a wide range of researchers. The article reveals the purpose and result of his trip in 1899–1903 to Vladivostok and studied a number of materials on this topic.
Keywords: Oriental Institute, first director, Pozdneev, Vladivostok, practical Oriental studies, Mongolian studies, Sinology, Manchu studies, Far East.

Julia V. Boltach. Mentions of Tibet (Tobeon) and the Reflection of the Early Contacts between Tibetans and Koreans in the Hereditary Houses Section of the History of Goryeo (Goryeo sa) — 57
History of Goryeo (Goryeo sa 高麗史), compiled in the 15th c., is a fundamental source on the history of Korea in 10th–14th cс. During the second part of this period, Korea was a vassal state of the Yuan Empire, which made possible direct contacts between the Koreans and other peoples ruled by the Mongols, including the Tibetans. The paper contains annotated Russian translations of excerpts from the section Hereditary Houses of the History of Goryeo. These passages throw light on the Koreans’ idea of the Tibetans before the first encounter between them, mention the arrival of Tibetan lamas to Korea in 1271, and describe the exile of the Koryo ex-king Chungseong-wang (1275–1325) to Tibet.
Keywords: early contacts between Tibetans and Koreans, Goryeo, Yuan dynasty, Tibet, The History of Goryeo (Goryeo sa).

ACADEMIC LIFE

Dandaryn Yondon (1944–1996) (By Editorial Board) — 68

Osornamzhsimyn Sukhbaatar (1944–2005) (By Editorial Board) — 70

Konstantin A. Beketov, Natalya K. Beketova, Khurelbaatar Damdinsuren. “The Roads of N. K. Roerich”: the Expedition of St. Petersburg Ilya Repin Academy of Arts to Mongolia (Beginning) — 71
In July–August 2018, students of the St. Petersburg Ilya Repin Academy of Arts traveled to Mongolia at the invitation of the President of the country and with the support of the Mongolian Union. The expedition took place within the framework of the 1st International “UB ART” Festival “On the Roads of N. K. Roerich”. The students had the opportunity to get acquainted with the residents of the capital and rural settlements, with Mongolian culture and traditions, to work in the open air, in studios and in galleries. A series of plein-air works painted during the trip reflects the vision of young artists of Mongolian nature. The students managed to depict the expanse of the Mongolian steppes on canvases, capture traditional and modern architecture, and paint portraits of the Mongols in national clothes. Students from Russia, Mongolia, China, Chile and Finland took part in the expedition. The results of the multi-day work were art exhibitions in Ulaanbaatar and St. Petersburg, during which the viewer had the opportunity to visually explore the vast world of Mongolia, immerse themselves in its atmosphere. An important result of the expedition was the resumption of active cooperation between the artistic and educational communities of Mongolia and Russia.
Keywords: Mongolia, fine arts, plein air, intercultural communications, art exhibitions, art education, master classes.

Sergei L. Burmistrov. First Annual International Conference in Memory of Vsevolod Sementsov «Philosophical Sanskrit Texts: Problems of Reading and Interpretation» (Jaipur, November 22–28, 2022) — 89

Julia V. Boltach, Irina V. Kulganek. The Twelfth St. Petersburg Seminar of Tibetan Studies dedicated to 145th anniversary of B. B. Baradiin (1878–1937) (St. Petersburg, November 14, 2023, IOM RAS) — 93

REVIEWS

Tatiana D. Skrynnikova. New Books on Mongolian Studies — 98

Tamara G. Basangova. Proceedings and Publications on Kalmyk Folklore in 2023 — 103

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