Birthday anniversary of Pyotr Ivanovich Sevastyanov, Russian archaeologist, lawyer, founder of the first museum collection of Christian antiquities

On August 4 (16), 1811 in Krasnoslobodka village of Penza province, in the family of an honorable citizen, merchant of the top guild was born Pyotr Ivanovich Sevastyanov, lawyer, councilor of State, traveller, archaeologist, collector and founder of the first collection of Christian antiquities in Rumyantsev museum.

Pyotr Ivanovich was educated at home with direct participation of M. M. Speransky (eminent Russian social and political figure) who had occupied the post of Penza governor in the period of 1816-1819. From 1822 Sevastyanov studied in a private boarding school in Moscow, then at Moscow University Law Department. Having graduated from the university as a candidate of science, he served by turns in the Ministry of Justice, Military Ministry, Ministry of Education, town council and deputy assembly. However, in spite of a successful career, awards and encouragements, Pyotr Ivanovich was indifferent to the service. During his numerous business trips all over Russia and Europe Sevastyanov took a great interest in discovering the monuments of Christian culture.

In 1851 Pyotr Ivanovich, having inherited a fortune, retired and devoted himself to discovery and collection of unique historical and cultural monuments. He was mostly interested by Greek islands, northern shores of Africa, Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Smyrna, Constantinople, monasteries of Athos. Being deeply interested with the sources of Christian art, he dreamed of creating the “Key of Christian iconography” – an integrated encyclopedia of the survived monuments.

Before his trip to sacred places the researcher had studied in the libraries of St. Petersburg and Paris, read special literature on archaeology and paleography. On the advice of his friend photographer S. L. Levitsky, Sevastyanov learned to make photographs in order to make copies of ancient manuscripts, sculptures and other monuments of Athos. His idea of creating a “photographic archives of manuscripts and other antiquities” later was realized in France. However Sevastyanov himself never had enough time to create a systematic album of his numerous unique discoveries.

The collection of pictures and the significance of his photographs were highly appraised by scholars. One of the historians wrote that “the honor of applying photography to the needs of archaeology belongs to P. I. Sevastyanov; it is a special honor because he made his first photos of the monuments unavailable to scholars, the monuments of Mount Athos”.

On his return to Russia, Sevastyanov presented his collection in Moscow University and in Synod in St. Petersburg and the exposition was assisted also by Emperor Alexander II and Empress Maria Alexandrovna. For his merits Sevastyanov was awarded with the Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd class and became honorable free member of the Academy of Arts. In April of 1859 Sevastyanov went to Athos again as the official expedition director with the recommendations of the Study of early texts Committee. As a result he developed a unique collection of manuscripts and church plate.

After the exposition in the Academy of Arts had closed, a part of the researcher’s collection went to the Old Russian Art Museum under the Academy. However, at the request of his friend N. V. Isakov, warden of Moscow Education Office and organizer of the new Public Rumyantsev Museum in Moscow, P. I. Sevastyanov transferred the collection to Moscow and placed it in four halls of the newly opened museum, having become the first curator and founder of a new Christian Antiquities Department of Rumyantsev Museum.

In 1867 Pyotr Ivanovich Sevastyanov returned to St. Petersburg and soon died. He was buried in Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

The famous collection of antiquities by P. I. Sevastyanov is held today by History Museum, Russian State Library, Museum of Fine Arts, Tretyakov Gallery, Hermitage, Russian Museum, National Library of Russia and Art School. 

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