Nikolay Durnovo Russian linguist, Slavist and Russianist. Date of Birth: 23.10.1876 Country: Russia

1. Early Life and Education
2. Academic Career before the Revolution
3. Post-Revolution Academic Career
4. Recognition and Acclaim
5. Suppression and Harassment
6. Arrest and Execution
7. Scientific Contributions
8. Dialectological Work
9. Historical Linguistics
10. Lexicographical Contributions
11. Lost Manuscripts

Early Life and Education

Nikolay Nikolaevich Durnovo was born on October 23 (November 4), 1876 in Moscow, Russia. In 1899, he graduated from Moscow University, where he studied under the renowned linguists Filipp Fedorovich Fortunatov and Alexey Alexandrovich Shakhmatov.

Academic Career before the Revolution

Before the Russian Revolution, Durnovo taught at Moscow University and Kharkov University.

Post-Revolution Academic Career

In 1918-1921, Durnovo served as a professor at Saratov University. He subsequently worked in Moscow before living in Czechoslovakia from 1924-1928. Upon returning to the Soviet Union, he taught in Minsk from 1928-1930.

Recognition and Acclaim

In 1924, Durnovo was elected as a corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences. In 1928, he became an academician of the Belarusian Academy of Sciences.

Suppression and Harassment

In 1930, Durnovo faced persecution and was expelled from the Belarusian Academy. He was forced to relocate to Moscow, where he lived without permanent employment until his arrest.

Arrest and Execution

In late 1933, Durnovo was arrested on fabricated charges of "counter-revolutionary activities." In 1934, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison and sent to the Solovetsky labor camps. In October 1937, he was sentenced to death and executed on October 27, 1937 near Medvezhyegorsk, Karelia.

Scientific Contributions

Durnovo's research interests spanned several fields, including the history of the Russian and Slavic languages, Russian dialectology, modern Russian language, and Old Russian literature.

Dialectological Work

Durnovo was a key figure in the Moscow Dialectological Commission and co-authored the influential "Map of Russian Dialects" (1915). He also conducted extensive research on specific Russian dialects.

Historical Linguistics

Durnovo's 1924 "Outline of the History of the Russian Language" and 1927 "Introduction to the History of the Russian Language" remain seminal works in the field.

Lexicographical Contributions

Durnovo published the first modern dictionary of linguistic terms in Russia, "Grammatical Dictionary" (1924), based on the principles of Fortunatov's school.

Lost Manuscripts

Several of Durnovo's works, including the second volume of "Introduction to the History of the Russian Language" and a grammar of Serbo-Croatian, remain unpublished and their manuscripts have been lost.