Nicholas Curchev Mountaineer, collector of mountaineering folklore Date of Birth: 05.08.1911 Country: Russia

1. Education and Early Career
2. Mountaineering and Folklore Collection
3. Wartime Service and Innovations
4. Return to Mountaineering and Folk Music
5. Archival Work
6. Legacy

Nicholas Fedorovich Kurchev: A Pioneer of Mountaineering and Folk Music

Born on August 5, 1911, in the Chelyabinsk region to a working-class family, Nikolai Fedorovich Kurchev's early life was marked by the Civil War, which forced his family to relocate to the Omsk region. There, he completed his schooling and developed an interest in radio technology.

Education and Early Career

In 1931, Kurchev moved to Leningrad, where he worked as a manual laborer and metal turner while pursuing his studies at the Polytechnic Institute. He graduated in 1937with a degree in radio physics and secured a position at the Scientific Research Institute of Television.

Mountaineering and Folklore Collection

Concurrently, Kurchev's passion for mountaineering ignited in 1937. Within two years, he became an instructor. Over the following years, he meticulously gathered a vast collection of mountaineering folklore while working in alpine camps and ski resorts in the Caucasus. He continued to serve as a radio operator in these facilities until 1990.

Wartime Service and Innovations

During World War II, Kurchev served in a radio battalion and an air defense fighter corps. He played a pivotal role in enhancing Leningrad's radio defense by repurposing abandoned television transmitters and receivers. As head of the receiving system, he earned various orders and medals for his contributions.

Return to Mountaineering and Folk Music

After the war, Kurchev resumed his alpine pursuits. In the late 1950s, he developed an interest in folk music. He began chronicling musical events in Leningrad and beyond. He was a founding member of the organizing bureau for the first Leningrad folk song contest and active in the "Vostok" and "Meridian" folk clubs, where he led the music recording sections.

Archival Work

Kurchev became renowned for his extensive archive, which included magnetophone recordings, historical information, photographs, newspaper and magazine articles, and other materials related to folk music. His invaluable collection has been widely used by enthusiasts, the Vysotsky Museum in Moscow, and others for the production of cassettes, CDs, and books.

Legacy

Nicholas Fedorovich Kurchev lived a long and distinguished life, passing away on June 4, 2006, just shy of his 95th birthday. As an accomplished mountaineer and a dedicated collector of alpine and folk music, he left an enduring legacy that continues to inspire and enrich the field.