Nikolay Dorjeev Archpriest, missionary and translator of the Bible into Mongolian Date of Birth: 01.01.1815

1. Early Life and Buddhist Education
2. Conversion to Christianity
3. Missionary Work and Bible Translation
4. Later Career and Legacy

Early Life and Buddhist Education

In 1815, Nikolai Dorjeev was born into a Buriat family of the Dzaalair-Udzon tribe. As a child, he received the name Nagmat. His father, Gunga Dorji, intended for him to become a monk and eventually became a getsul (Buddhist priest) himself.

Dorjeev received an excellent Buddhist education. He initially studied at the Gujirtai Datsan school and later with various lamas. During his time as a getsul, he studied under Lama Dandaran at the Tsugol Datsan. This experience gave him an in-depth knowledge of Buddhist religion and lamaic medicine.

Conversion to Christianity

Despite his high rank as a gelun (Buddhist monk), Dorjeev remained dissatisfied and took the vow of diyanchi (hermit). He lived an ascetic life until encountering Bishop Nil of Irkutsk. This meeting had a profound impact on Dorjeev, leading him to convert to Orthodox Christianity and receive the baptismal name Nikolai in 1848.

Missionary Work and Bible Translation

Subsequently, Dorjeev became a teacher of the Mongolian-Buriat language at the Irkutsk Seminary. He also embarked on translating liturgical books into Mongolian. To further his missionary work among the Buryats, he built a wooden church in the village of Gujirsk in 1852. In 1853, he was ordained as a priest and served at this church.

In 1854, Dorjeev moved to Yaroslavl with Bishop Nil. His primary task there was to translate the Bible into Mongolian. He was ordained as a protopriest in 1860 and returned to his homeland. However, he was required to continue his translation work as a condition of his leave.

Later Career and Legacy

Dorjeev rebuilt the wooden church in Gujirsk as a stone church in 1860. He also participated in discussions regarding the translation of liturgical books in 1867. He returned to Yaroslavl to complete his Bible translation with Bishop Nil.

Dorjeev's translations were highly regarded for their accuracy and literary merit. In 1873, he became a lecturer in Mongolian language at the Faculty of Oriental Languages at the University of St. Petersburg. He was confirmed as a full professor in 1876.

Despite his academic achievements, Dorjeev's financial situation remained precarious. He retired in 1885 due to ill health and passed away on July 10 (22), 1891.