Indology in Russia (Photographic Presentation and Select Articles)

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We are very happy to publish this volume entitled ‘Ideology in Russia (Photographic presentation and Select Articles)’, which is mainly based on the Exhibition ‘Ideology in Russia’ organized by the I3haratiya Vidya Bhavan and the Cultural Centre of Russia, Mumbai during February 25-29, 2000. This photographic journey surveys the Russian Ideological studies during last two centuries.

We are grateful to the Cultural Centre of Russia, Mumbai and the Centre for Indian Studies, Institute for the Oriental Studies, the Russian Academy of Sciences, Mos cow for making available the details of the Russian scholars and their works.

We are specially thankful to Dr. D.E.Chelyshev and Dr. (Mrs.) Irma Chelysheva of the Cultural Centre of Russia, Mumbai and Dr. Ms. Eugenia Varian of Moscow for their active and sustained co-operation in preparing this volume.

We hope this publication ‘Ideology in Russia’ will not only stimulate. the interest of Indian scholars in the Russian Ideology, but will also bring both Russia and India closer in friendship.

With a feeling of privilege and great joy am presenting this publication “Ideology in Russia” (Photographic presentation and select articles) - the tweet ripened fruit of more than two years’ tapas (ardent dedicated effort) to all those interested in Oriental studies. Let me briefly outline the interesting details of this delivery. The Govt. of India declared the year 1999-2000 to be celebrated as the Sanskrit Year. This announcement enlivened my heart’s deep desire to prepare a substantial article/exhibition appreciating the Russian contribution to Ideology, in which I was interested while referring to the works of Leedey, Bonnard-Levin and others.

One auspicious morning we expressed our above-mentioned desire to Dr.D.E.Chelyshev and Dr.Mrs.Irina Chelysheva of the Cultural Centre of Russia, Mumbai. They readily and warmly appreciated our idea and assured us their best co-operation in organizing an Exhibition. Dr. Chelyshev supported this illuminating event in view of the forthcoming Silver Jubilee Celebrations of the Cultural Centre of Russia, Mumbai in the year 2000. The baby, thus conceived, grew steadily in our minds; and the result is being presented to the scholar’s to-day in a book-form.

The Exhibition was inaugurated on 25th February 2000 at the Gita Mandir Hall of the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mumbai. It was blessed by the presence of H.H.Kanchi Shankaracharya Shri Jayendra Saraswati Swamigal and FLH.Shri Shankara Vijayendra Saraswati Swamigal and it was inaugurated by Mr. Dmitry Kazennov, the Consul General, and Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Mumbai. The Exhibition included more than 200 photographs of the Russian Indologists, select Russian Indological publications, the Russian paintings on Indian themes, meetings of the eminent Russian and Indian personalities as well as postal stamps depicting Indo-Russian friendship. Dr. Ms. Eugenia Vanina, (Head, Section of History and Culture of Medieval India, Centre for Indian Studies, Institute of the Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow), who kindly accepted our invitation to grace the occasion, delivered the key-note addiess on ‘Russian Indology Past and Present” at the Inaugural function. The function was presided over by Justice Shri. B.NShrikrishria, the Judge of Bombay High Court.

This Exhibition was also displayed at New Delhi during 27-3- 2000 to 4-4-2000 under the auspices of Bharatiya Vidya Rhavan, New Delhi; Russian Centre of Science and Culture, New Delhi and the Indian Council of Historical Research, New Delhi. Some details and photographs of this programmer given under Appendixes in this book.

Let me confess that this exhibition is our humble and limited attempt to highlight and admire the Russian contribution to Ideology I am fully aware of the academic and practical limitations with which the Exhibition has been prepared This is only a hand full presentation (anjah) from the ocean of Russian Ideology The scholars will forgive us for all our lapses in form and content In this book, an attempt is made to maintain the chronological order of scholars and their works as best as possible. The details given in the exhibits and the articles are as in the year 2000.

This publication includes seven specially invited articles of Russian scholars viz Dr V V Vertogradova, Dr 0 V Mezentseva, Dr A A Vigasin, Dr N V Isayeva, Dr Irma Chelysheva, Dr C V Strelkova and Dr M I Mikhail to whom we are extremely grateful This volume also contains the proceedings of the Inaugural function of the Exhibition “Ideology in Russia”, photographs of the exhibits, and six appendices giving miscellaneous relevant information pertaining to Russian Ideology.

I am grateful to H E Mr A Kadakin, the Ambassador of the Russian Federation to India, for his encouraging message and best wishes, to Mr. Dmitry Kazennov, the Consul General, Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Mumbai for kindly inaugurating this Exhibition and to Justice Shri B N Shrikrishna for presiding over the Inaugural function I am highly indebted to Dr D E Chelyshev, Dr Mrs Irma Chelysheva and their son Mr Andrey for their continuous guidance and help in making this exhibition an unforgettable event I am also deeply thankful to Dr Ms Eugenma Vanma for her untiring co-operation in digging up and dressing the exhibits with dedication My thanks are also due to Shri R M Suvarna, Dr Ms Suniti Deshpande and Shri T V Rajeev of the Cultural Centre of Russia, Mumbai, Dr P L Dash, Head, Centre for Central Eurasian Studies, University of Mumbam and Dr Laxmi S Mikaelyan, Reader, German-Russian Dept, Univei sity of Mumbai for their kind help No words are adequate to express my sincere gratitude to Shri S.Ramakrishnan, Executive Secretary and Director General of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, who nurtured the seed of this exhibition from the very beginning to the end with his encouraging guidance and incessant support. It is indeed very unfortunate that he is not alive to-day to see this publication which he had envisaged and eagerly awaited. My sincere thanks are also due to Shri H.N.Dastur, Shri A.N.Chaturvedi and my other colleagues at the Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan for their unfailing co-operation.

How can I forget the incessant editorial assistance and useful suggestions given to me by my colleagues Shri G.B.Jani and Smt. Prachi A. Moghe in publication of this volume?

Many thanks to Shri Atulbhai Goradia of Siddhi Printers for the excellent printing of this work.