Academician Dmitry Likhachev

Already an entire generation has grown up, which does not remember Dmitry Likhachev. But some people deserve to be remembered. In the life of this outstanding scholar and spiritual companion, there were many instructive. And for any thinking person it will not be superfluous to find out for yourself - who was Likhachev Dmitry Sergeevich, his brief biography is of interest.

An outstanding Russian thinker and scientist

Not so much is found in the socio-political life of the Russian society of people, whose significance clearly rises above the momentary conjuncture passions. Personality, for which would recognize the role of moral authority, if not all, then by an obvious majority. Nevertheless, such people sometimes meet. One of them is Dmitry Sergeevich Likhachev, whose biography has contained so much that would suffice for a series of fascinating historical novels about Russia of the twentieth century. With all its catastrophes, wars and contradictions. The beginning of his life fell on the silver age of Russian culture. And he died a year before the third millennium. At the end of the dashing nineties. And yet he believed in the future of Russia.

Some facts from the life of academician

Dmitry Likhachev was born in 1906 in St. Petersburg, in an intelligent family of modest means. He received a classical secondary education and continued his way to knowledge at the philological department of the Faculty of Social Sciences of Leningrad University. On his misfortune, in the student's environment, there was a semi-underground circle that studied ancient Slavic philology. Its member was Dmitry Likhachev. His biography at this point dramatically changes his direction. In 1928, he was arrested on a standard charge of anti-Soviet activities and soon found himself on the Solovetsky Islands in the White Sea. A little later Dmitry Likhachev was transferred to the construction of the White Sea Canal. Was released early in 1932.

After the Gulag

He went through the hell of Stalin's camps, but the years of imprisonment did not break the young man. After returning to Leningrad, Dmitry Likhachev was able to complete his education and even achieve the removal of convictions. He devotes all his time and energy to scientific work. His research in philological spheres is often based on experience gained in the camps. During the war, Dmitry Likhachev remains in the besieged Leningrad. It does not stop the studies of ancient Russian annals in the winter of siege. One of his works is devoted to the history of the defense of Russian cities in the era of the Mongol-Tatar invasion. Evacuated from the city on the Road of Life only in the summer of 1942. He continues his work in Kazan. His works in the field of history and philology are gradually beginning to acquire increasing importance and authority in the Russian intellectual space.

Continent of Russian culture

World recognition Dmitry Likhachev acquired as a result of extensive fundamental research in various areas of Russian culture and philology from the early Slavonic writing to the present day. Perhaps no one before him has so comprehensively described and explored the thousand-year-old content of Russian and Slavic culture and spirituality. Its inextricable link with the world's cultural and intellectual peaks. The undeniable merit of Academician Likhachev is also in the fact that for a long time he concentrated and coordinated scientific forces in the most important research directions. And once again became St. Petersburg, the former Leningrad University, among other things, will be known also for the fact that once he studied and then for many years led research and teaching activities academician Likhachev Dmitry Sergeevich. His biography is inextricably intertwined with the fate of the famous university.

Public Service

No less significant than the scientific, Dmitry Likhachev considered enlightening activity. For many decades he devoted all his energy and time to bringing his thoughts and views to the broad masses of the people. In his broadcasts on Central Television in the second half of the eighties, a whole generation of those who today constitute the intellectual elite of the Russian society has grown up. These programs were built in the format of free communication of the academician with a wide audience.

Until the last day, Dmitry Likhachev was engaged in publishing and editorial activities, personally reading and correcting the manuscripts of young scientists. He considered it compulsory for him to respond to all the numerous correspondence that came to him sometimes from the remotest corners of the country, from people not indifferent to the fate of Russia and Russian culture. It is significant that Dmitry Sergeevich was a categorical opponent of nationalism in any form. He denied conspiracy theories in the understanding of historical processes and did not recognize Russia as a messianic role in the global history of human civilization.