For all, who are interested in the Orient

The Oriental Collection magazine is 5 years old. The opening remarks of Aleksandr Poleschuk, Editor-in-Chief, are devoted to this occasion.

The «Impressions» section features a photo essay about Myanmar.

Jan Jacob Maria de Groot. Chinese New Year Festivities. Translation of a chapter from the book by a prominent Dutch Sinologist of the 19th century, with introduction by Konstantin Tertitsky. The publication is accompanied by illustrations that show New Year rituals.

Tatyana Tishunina. Unforgettable «Churaevka». The author tells us about the collection of V.A. Slobodchikov, which consists of the books written by Russian emigre authors who lived in China. The collector donated his books to the Russian State Library.

Dmitriy Voskresenskiy. China: From Present to Past. A series of essays by a prominent Sinologist and translator is devoted to Modern China and its rich cultural heritage. The first essay, entitled Lao She’s Beijing, tells about the environment, in which the writer lived and created his works. We also publish a translation of a short story by Lao She.

Ekaterina Simonova-Gudzenko. Moss Garden in Kyoto. The author visited Saiho-ji temple and garden 60 years after Konstantin Simonov, Russia author who wrote an essay about his journey. Photographs of Konstantin Simonov from the family album are published for the first time.

Vladimir Belyakov. «Golenischev’s authotiry was unquestionable…» The article is devoted to 150th anniversary of V.S. Golenischev, a prominent Russian Orientalist and antiquarian. The collector donated his Egyptian antiquities to the Museum of Fine Arts (now Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts) in Moscow.

Nikolay Listopadov. The People who Hatched from an Egg. Traveller’s notes about the customs, manners, everyday activities and religious life of the Pao people (Myanmar). According to their legend, the first Pao hatched from an egg laid by Cobra Queen.

Olga Bibikova. The Life of Remarkable Carpets. The carpet was very important in everyday culture of Oriental peoples, and it retains this role today. From the Orient it came to Europe. A carpet can tell a lot about its origin, symbols, and the art of its weaver.

Yuliy Khudyakov. Nomad’s Helmet and Armour. The experts from Novosibirsk use archaeological evidence in order to reconstruct helmets and armour of medieval nomads. Thus we can visualise the details of armament, which was typical for Asian nomadic peoples.

Natalia Chekurova. People and Gods of Kullu Valley. An essay about religious ceremonies of the people who live in an Indian valley, mentioned in the writings of Nikolay Roerich, Russian artist and thinker. There is no event in the history of Kullu, which would do without «divine providence»; scanty facts are tightly wrapped in myths and legends.

Sergey Chernitsyn. Phenomenon of Muhammad’s Prophetic Activities. The author studies the prophecies of Muhammad using linguistic methods.

Rustam Mirzaev. Caliph Osman’s Holy Manuscript. The history of one of the oldest copies of the Qur’an, which is now kept in Tashkent.

Svetlana Ryzhakova. «Those Who Cook» and «Those Who Eat» by the Light of Oil Lamp. The traditional theatre show of kuddiyattam in the Indian state Kerala is in fact a modern version of the ancient Sanskrit drama. The scholars think that this is one of the oldest forms of performing art in the world.

Leonid Yakimovich. From Stone and Colour… An interview with Yuriy Mandaganov, master of Florentine mosaic from Buryatia. «The stone is initially full of magic, which is manifested in colour,» thinks the artist.

Marina Morozova. Unity, Faith, Discipline. This motto of Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Pakistan’s founder, is written on the country’s state emblem. The article relates the history and meaning of the Pakistan state symbols.

Aleksandr Mescheryakov. Meiji on the Way to Monogamy. Under the rule of Emperor Meiji the Japanese society underwent considerable changes, including family relations. In 1894 the Emperor himself had shown an example of respect towards his wife, having celebrated their silver anniversary.

Nikita Sokolov. A Game of Trictrac. An article about the origin and development of backgammon, which was known in Europe as «trictrac».

Anna Tsendina. Living God and Khan of the Mongols. An essay about the last Mongolian bogdo-gegen, who was noted for his passion for wine drinking and other bodily delights.

In the end of this issue our reader will find traditional «Reader» and «Orientnet» columns.

Please e-mail your wishes, suggestions and comments to the following address: orientnet@rsl.ru.

You can find the summaries of the previous issues online, by visiting our section of the Russian State Library Web-site: http://orient.rsl.ru/en/