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Dmitry Likhachov, an outstanding Russian philologist, cultural critic, art critic, public figure, academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences and the Russian Academy of Sciences, was born
"To preserve culture, a university is not essential, but a library is"
(From the article by Dmitry Likhachov, "Russian Intelligentsia: A Letter to the Editor" // Novy Mir, 1993, No. 2, pp. 3-9.)
15 (28) Dmitry Likhachov, a doctor of philology, professor, and academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences (1970) and the Russian Academy of Sciences (1991), was born in November 1906. He is the author of many fundamental works on the history of ancient Russian literature and an active defender of culture. Likhachov was also a propagandist for high ideals of peace and humanity.
D.S. Likhachov was born in St. Petersburg into the family of Sergei Likhachov, an electrical engineer (1876-1942), and Vera Likhachova (née Konyaeva) (1881-1971). From 1914 to 1923, he attended various schools, including the gymnasium of the Imperial Human Society, the St. Petersburg School of Charles May, and the Soviet Unified Labour School No. 10 (formerly the gymnasium of L.D. Lentovskaya, now secondary school No. 47 named after D.S. Likhachov). In 1923, he enrolled at the Petrograd (later renamed Leningrad) State University, where he studied linguistics and literature at the Faculty of Social Sciences. While there, he also took courses in Romano-Germanic and Slavic-Russian languages and wrote two dissertations.
After graduating from the university, D. S. Likhachov was arrested on February 8, 1928, for participating in a student comedy group called "The Space Academy of Sciences". He was sentenced to 5 years in prison. From 1929 to 1931, he spent time in the Solovetsky Special Purpose Camp. After that, he was transferred to the Belomorkanal Correctional Labor Camp (Belbaltlag) on the White Sea. In 1930, he published his first academic paper in the magazine "Solovetsky Islands" - "Card Games of Criminals". On August 8, 1932, he was released early from prison and returned to Leningrad.
He worked as a literary editor at the Publishing House of Socio-Economic Literature (Sotsekgiz) from 1932 to 1933, a proofreader of foreign languages at the Komintern printing house from 1933 to 1934, and a scientific proofreader and editor for the Department of Social Sciences at the Leningrad Branch of the Publishing House of the USSR Academy of Sciences from 1934 to 1938. In 1935, he published an article in the "Language and Thinking" collection of the Marr Institute of Language and Thought – it was the article "Features of Primitive Primitivism in Thieves' Speech" based on materials collected during his work.
In 1936, at the request of the President of the USSR Academy of Sciences, A. P. Karpinsky, all criminal records were removed from D. S. Likhachov's record. From 1938, he held the position of junior researcher, and in 1941-1954 - senior researcher at the Institute of Russian Literature (Pushkin House) of the USSR Academy of Sciences. In 1941, he defended his dissertation for the degree of Candidate of Philological Sciences on the topic of "Novgorod Chronicle Vaults of the 12th Century." Until June 1942, he and his wife, Zinaida Makarova, and daughters, Vera and Lyudmila, were in besieged Leningrad.
During the war, D. S. Likhachov continued his scientific activities, resulting in the publication of several important works, including "Defense of Ancient Russian Cities" (1942), "National Identity of Ancient Russia" (1945), and "Novgorod the Great" (1945). He also wrote a book on the culture of Russia during the late 14th and early 16th centuries, titled "Culture of Russia in the Era of the Formation of the Russian National State". In 1942, Likhachov was awarded the medal "For Defense of Leningrad" for his contributions to the war effort. In 1946, he received the medal "For Valiant Labor in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945" in recognition of his work during the war.
In 1947, Dmitry Likhachov defended his doctoral dissertation on "Essays on the History of Literary Forms of Chronicling in the 11th-16th Centuries". In 1954, he became head of the department of ancient Russian literature at the Institute of Russian Literature of the USSR Academy of Sciences (IRLI). His work focused on various aspects of the emergence and evolution of ancient Russian literature.
In 1950, Dmitry Likhachov published a translation and commentary on two important works of ancient Russian literature: "The Tale of Bygone Years" and "The Song of Igor's Campaign", both of which were included in the "Literary Monuments" series. These are his main works:
- Russian Chronicles and Their Cultural and Historical Significance (1947)
- Poetics of Ancient Russian Literature (1967)
- Artistic Heritage of Ancient Russia and Modernity" (1971)
- Development of Russian Literature of the 10th-17th Centuries: Epochs and Styles (1973)
- Russian Chronicles and Their Cultural and Historical Significance (1947)
- Poetics of Ancient Russian Literature (1967)
- Artistic Heritage of Ancient Russia and Modernity (1971)
- Development of Russian Literature of the 10-17 Centuries: Epochs and Styles (1973)
In his research, Likhachov proved the originality of the Russian chronicle's origin and laid the foundations for its study as a literary monument.
In 1953, he was elected a corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences, and in 1970, he became a full member.
Throughout the world, Dmitry Likhachov is known as a prominent public figure who has devoted a great deal of effort to preserving the national historical heritage and protecting intangible and tangible cultural monuments. From 1986 to 1993, he served as the Chairman of the Soviet Cultural Foundation (now known as the Russian Cultural Foundation) established in 1986. The foundation's goal was to preserve and enhance Russian cultural values.
On September 1st, 1995, Dmitry Likhachov delivered a speech at the St. Petersburg Humanitarian University of Trade Unions in which he presented a draft declaration of cultural rights to the public. In this document, he proposed the concept of "humanitarian culture," which focuses on developing creative principles in individuals and society. He argued that the state should act as the guarantor for these principles. A number of provisions from the Declaration can be found in the UNESCO's Declaration on Cultural Diversity, adopted in 2003, and the Convention for the Protection and Promotion of Diversity of Cultural Expression, adopted in 2005.
Dmitry Likhachov passed away on September 30, 1999, at the age of 93. He was laid to rest at the Komarovo Cemetery in St. Petersburg.
Lit.: Д. С. Лихачёв. Воспоминания. М., 2021; Он же. Воспоминания. (избранные главы) [Электронный ресурс]. URL: https://www.lihachev.ru/lihachev/bio/themes/1809/; Запесоцкий А. С. Культурология Дмитрия Лихачёва. СПб., 2012; Он же [Электронный ресурс]. URL: https://www.gup.ru/uni/rektor/kulturologia_Lihacheva.pdf; Лихачёв Дмитрий Сергеевич (1906–1999) // Институт русской литературы (Пушкинский Дом) РАН [Электронный ресурс]. URL: http://pushkinskijdom.ru/istoriya-pushkinskogo-doma/vydayushhiesya-sotrudniki/lihachev-dmitrij-sergeevich-1906-1999/; Лихачёв Дмитрий Сергеевич // Большая российская энциклопедия: научно-образовательный портал [Электронный ресурс]. URL: https://bigenc.ru/c/likhachiov-dmitrii-sergeevich-64e284/?v=8604236; Площадь Лихачёва // Санкт-Петербургский гуманитарный университет профсоюзов [Электронный ресурс]. URL: https://www.lihachev.ru/; Сазонова Л. И. Академик Дмитрий Сергеевич Лихачёв (К 100-летию со дня рождения) [Электронный ресурс]. URL: https://imli.ru/materialy-sotrudnikov/1471-akademik-dmitrij-sergeevich-lihachev-k-100-letiyu-so-dnya-rozhdeniya.
Based on the materials of Presidential Library:
Лихачёв Д. С. Национальное самосознание Древней Руси: Очерки из области русской литературы XI–XVII вв. М.; Л., 1945 (доступно в электронном читальном зале);
М. К. Аникушин, Д. Лихачёв, Д. Гранин: [фотография]. [1990-е гг.];