Boris Piotrovsky

Boris Piotrovsky
Born	February 14, 1908 Petersburg, Russian Empire
Died	October 15, 1990 Leningrad, Soviet Union
Occupation	Archaeologist, historian
Known for	Excavations of Karmir Blur (Teishebaini); studies on Urartu
Political party	Communist Party of the Soviet Union (from 1945)

Boris Borisovich Piotrovsky (Russian: Бори́с Бори́сович Пиотро́вский; also written Piotrovskii; February 14 [O.S. February 1] 1908 – October 15, 1990) was a Soviet Russian academician, historian-orientalist and archaeologist who studied the ancient civilizations of Urartu, Scythia, and Nubia. He is best known as a key figure in the study of the Urartian civilization of the southern Caucasus.^[1] From 1964 until his death, Piotrovsky was also Director of the Hermitage Museum in Saint Petersburg.

Biography

Piotrovsky was born in Saint Petersburg in 1908. He specialized in the history and archaeology of the Caucasus region and beginning in the 1930s, he began to acquaint himself with Urartian civilization. He was the head of 1939 excavations that uncovered the Urartian fortress of Teishebaini in Armenia (known in Armenian as Karmir Blur, or Red Hill). Evidence found there has been key in understanding the Urartian civilization. Piotrovsky lead further excavations in Armenia in the ancient settlements of Tsovinar, Redkig-lager, Vanadzor (formerly Kirovakan) and Aygevan until 1971.^[2]

Boris Piotrovsky's plaque on 2 Zakian street, Yerevan

These were not Piotrovsky's sole contributions in the archaeological field, however. Piotrovsky worked elsewhere in the Caucasus, especially on the Scythian culture. In 1961, he was placed at the head of an expedition of the USSR Academy of Sciences to study Nubian monuments in Egypt.^[3] He also spent 26 years as Director of the Hermitage Museum, which has been run by his son Mikhail thereafter. The Hermitage holds an annual conference in his honor. He died of a cerebral hemorrhage in Leningrad 1990 at the age of 82.^[1]

Works

In his lifetime, he published more than 200 works in the fields of archaeology, history and art.^[1] One of Piotrovsky's most important works is The History of Urartu and its Culture, published in 1944 and which went on to receive the USSR State Prize in 1946.^[2] Other notable works include:

• Urartu: The Kingdom of Van and Its Art (1967)
• The Ancient Civilization of Urartu (1969)
• The Hermitage: Its History and Collections (1982)

Honours and awards

• Hero of Socialist Labor (1983)
• Three Orders of Lenin
• Order of the October Revolution
• Three Orders of the Red Banner of Labour
• Medal "For the Defence of Leningrad"
• Medal "For Valiant Labour in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945"
• Medal "In Commemoration of the 250th Anniversary of Leningrad"
• Jubilee Medal "Twenty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945"
• Jubilee Medal "Thirty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945"
• Jubilee Medal "Forty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945"
• Commander of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (France)

^[2]

References

1. Wire report from the Associated Press. "Boris B. Piotrovsky, Archeologist; Director of the Hermitage Was 82." The New York Times. October 17, 1990. Retrieved July 21, 2008.
2. (Armenian) Areshyan, Gregory. «Պիոտրովսկի» (Piotrovsky). Soviet Armenian Encyclopedia. vol. ix. Yerevan, Armenian SSR: Armenian Academy of Sciences, 1983, p. 302.
3. The State Hermitage Museum. The Hermitage Readings in memory of Boris Piotrovsky (1908 - 1990). Accessed July 22, 2008.

External links

• The Art and Culture of the Peoples of the Caucasus: 1100 B.C.–19th century (From the Hermitage website. One of the sections explains the importance of Teishbaini.)
• Conference announcement for the conference in Piotrovsky's honor. Gives some biographical information.