Nikita Yakovlevich Bichurin (1777-1853), also known to his contemporaries under the monastic name Iakinf, went down in the history of Russian science as the founder of Sinology, who left many fundamental works on the history, geography and culture of the peoples of China, Central and Central Asia, Southern Siberia and the Far East. Having a unique knowledge of Chinese history and an extraordinary breadth of scientific interests, he enjoyed great authority in Russia and abroad, where he was considered the first expert on China, despite the criticism of his domestic and foreign colleagues-orientalists. The outstanding sinologist wrote 14 books, among which an important place is occupied by works on Mongolian studies. Not considering himself an expert in the Mongolian language, but actively using it independently or with the help of Buryats, whose services he had to resort to during trips to Transbaikalia, N. Ya. Bichurin worked out the most complex problems of the history and culture of Mongolia. Key words: N. Ya. Bichurin, Russian sinology, Russian Mongolian studies. N. Ya. Bichurin (real name - Pichurinsky) was born on August 29, 1777 (according to the Old style) in the village of Akulovo, Sviyazhsk district (later Cheboksary district, Kazan province) in the family of a deacon. He received his education at the Kazan Theological Seminary, later, as a 22-year-old boy, he became a monk, and with him the new name Iakinf. June 20, 1802. Iakinf was elevated to the rank of archimandrite and soon appointed abbot of the Ascension Monastery near Irkutsk [GAIO, f. 121, op. 1, d. 26, l. 47-48; l. 95-96]. At the same time, he becomes the rector of the Irkutsk Theological Seminary. High demands on himself and his subordinates, as well as exemplary honesty, won him the favor of the Orthodox flock, but due to the biased denunciation of the local clergy, he was later released from his posts and transferred to Tobolsk as a seminary teacher [GAIO, f. 50, op. 1, d. 930, l. 90-91]. He s ... Читать далее