Exhibition honors outstanding Asian studies scholar Osip Kovalevsky
Today, the opening of an exhibition dedicated to the 225th anniversary of the birth of the Russian Orientalist, founder of Mongolian studies, and rector of Kazan University in 1855–1860, Osip Kovalevsky, took place at the History Museum of Kazan University. The exhibition is titled “The Road to the Sun: Eastern Collections of Kazan University.”
From a long expedition to Trans-Baikal Region, Mongolia, and China (1828–1833), he brought back a rich collection of manuscripts, paintings, and artifacts – some of which have survived to this day and are being displayed for the first time.
“At the exhibition we talk about the expedition of Kovalevsky, who was also an expert in antiquity. He knew Greek and Latin. Some of his works are devoted to that as well. At the university he began working on opening new Eastern departments. In connection with this, he was given an assignment to go to Mongolia and then to China to study the Mongolian language. The exhibition begins with a kind of retrospective, as if he has already returned from this journey and presented the Eastern collection to Kazan University,” said Svetlana Frolova, KFU Museums Director.
The core of the exhibition consists of items from the university’s Ethnographic Museum collection. Above all, these are exhibits related to Buddhism: statuettes of the Buddha and deities, elements of monks’ clothing, devotional images, musical instruments, and ritual objects.
Part of the exhibition is devoted to items reflecting the everyday life of the peoples of China of that time. These include attributes of a Chinese official, among which a headdress with an attached braid stands out- an essential element of the male appearance during the Qing dynasty – as well as a bufan, an embroidered chest rank badge. On the other hand, the section features women’s accessories and elements of clothing. Special attention is given to footwear and the tradition of foot binding.
“The exhibition presents collections from the Ethnographic Museum of Kazan University and from the Department of Rare Manuscripts and Books of the Lobachevsky Library, as well as original objects that he brought back in the first half of the 19th century. Here, among other things, a Buddhist collection is displayed, showing the diversity of branches of this world religion, including various statuettes and objects of religious worship. The number of exhibits delivered by the scholar exceeds 1,000 items, but unfortunately most were lost. Paintings from the early 19th century are also presented; the portrait gallery of Chinese officials is particularly interesting. It is important to note that Kovalevsky was, in essence, the first to pay systematic attention to the study of the East, so his works are very valuable and remain relevant to this day,” noted Arslan Mingaliev, Head of the KFU Ethnographic Museum.
The exhibits are accompanied by textual annotations and reproductions of photographs from the Ethnographic Museum’s holdings, showing a variety of typical scenes – costumes, people, and sketches of urban life – to immerse visitors in the context of the traditional life of these peoples.
The opening concluded with a short guided tour of the exhibition, during which Arslan Mingaliev spoke in detail to guests about the history of each exhibit.