Dmitry Sergeevich
Likhachev
1906-1999
Dmitry Sergeevich Likhachev was the Head of the Department of Ancient Russian Literature of the Institute of Russian Literature of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Leningrad. He was born in St. Petersburg in the family of engineer Sergei Mikhailovich Likhachev and Vera Semenovna Konyaeva. In 1914-1916 he studied at the gymnasium of the Imperial Humane Society, in 1916-1920 – at the real school of K.I. May. He studied at the Faculty of Social Sciences of Leningrad State University. In February 1928 he was arrested for participating in the student circle “Space Academy of Sciences”, where shortly before his arrest he made a report on the old Russian spelling, “trampled and distorted by the enemy of the Church of Christ and the Russian people.” In October 1928, by a resolution of the board of the Leningrad GPU, he was sentenced to 5 years for counter-revolutionary activities. In 1928-1931, he was a political prisoner of the Solovetsky special Purpose camp (ELEPHANT). In 1930, the first scientific work was published – “Card games of criminals” – in the magazine “Solovetsky Islands”. In November 1931 he was transferred from the Solovetsky camp to Bel-Baltlag, he worked on the construction of the White Sea-Baltic Canal. In August 1932, he was released from prison ahead of schedule and without restrictions as a drummer. He returned to Leningrad. In 1932-1933 he was a literary editor of the Social Magazine, in 1933-1934 he was a proofreader in foreign languages at the printing house “Comintern”. In 1934-1938 he was a scientific proofreader, literary editor, editor of the Department of Social Sciences of the Leningrad Branch of the Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences. On July 27, 1936, at the request of the President of the USSR Academy of Sciences A.P. Karpinsky, by the decree of the Presidium of the CEC of the USSR, Likhachev’s criminal record was removed. Since 1938 he was a Junior researcher, since 1941 he was a Senior researcher at the Institute of Russian Literature (Pushkin House) of the USSR Academy of Sciences (IRLI of the USSR Academy of Sciences). In 1941 he defended his dissertation for the degree of Candidate of Philological Sciences on the topic “Novgorod chronicle vaults of the XII century”. In 1946-1953 he was a lecturer (associate professor, since 1951 – professor) of Leningrad State University (LSU) named after A.A. Zhdanov. At the Faculty of History of LSU he taught special courses “History of Russian Chronicling”, “Paleography”, “History of Culture of Ancient Russia” and others. In 1947 he defended his dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philology on the topic “Essays on the history of literary forms of chronicling of the XI–XVI centuries”. In the same year, the book “Russian Chronicles and their literary and historical significance” was published. In 1948, he was elected a member of the Scientific Council of the IRLI of the USSR Academy of Sciences. In 1950, “The Word about Igor’s regiment” and “The Tale of Bygone Years” with translation and commentary by Likhachev were published in the series “Literary Monuments”. In 1951 Likhachev’s article “Literature of the XI–XIII centuries” was published in the collective work “The History of Culture of Ancient Russia” (Volume 2. The Pre-Mongol period), which received the USSR State Prize. Since 1952 he was a Member, in 1971-1991 he was the Chairman of the Editorial Board of the USSR Academy of Sciences series “Literary Monuments”. In 1953 he was elected a corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences (since 1991 – RAS). In 1970 he was elected as a a full member (academician) of the USSR Academy of Sciences. In 1975 he was awarded the VDNH Gold medal for the monograph “The Development of Russian literature of the X–XVII centuries”. In the same year, he opposed the exclusion of A.D. Sakharov from the USSR Academy of Sciences. In 1978-1989 he was an initiator, editor and author of introductory articles to the monumental series “Monuments of Literature of Ancient Russia” (12 volumes), published by the publishing house “Fiction” (the publication was awarded the State Prize of the Russian Federation, 1993). 1981-1998 he was a Member of the Editorial Board of the almanac of the All-Russian Society for the Protection of Historical and Cultural Monuments “Monuments of the Fatherland”. In 1983, he was awarded the Diploma of honor of VDNH for creating a manual for teachers “The Word about Igor’s regiment”. Since 1983 he was the Chairman of the Pushkin Commission of the USSR Academy of Sciences. By the Decree of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR dated November 27, 1986 for his great achievements in the development of science and culture, the training of scientific personnel and in connection with the eightieth anniversary of his birth, Dmitry Likhachev was awarded the title of the Hero of Socialist Labor with the award of the Order of Lenin and the Hammer and Sickle gold medal. In 1986-1991 he was the Chairman of the Board of the Soviet, in 1991-1993 – the Russian Cultural Foundation. In 1987 he delivered lectures in France, Great Britain and Italy. In the same year, Likhachev’s “Selected Works” were published in three volumes. In 1988, he participated in the international meeting “International Foundation for the Survival and Development of Mankind”. In 1989 together with other cultural figures, he advocated the return of the Solovetsky and Valaam monasteries to the Russian Orthodox Church. In the same year, he participated in the meeting of Ministers of Culture of European countries in France.
Address: Moscow, 1st Neopalimovsky lane, 4
