Archaeologist Slavist Valentin Sedov. Sedov Valentin Vasilievich: biography, activities

In 2004, the night of October 5, in the eightieth year, the famous academician, outstanding Soviet and Russian Slavic scholar Valentin Sedov, passed away. He created a modern theory of the historical ethos of the Slavs. Valentin Vasilyevich is an undisputed leader, an academician with worldwide recognition. His amazing diligence and rare erudition, vivid pedagogical and unique organizational qualities allowed the scientist for a long time to play an exceptional role in the activity of archaeological research of vast territories. He did considerable work in Old Slavonic art, in the life of the archaeological department of the Russian Academy of Sciences and in Russian archaeological science.

Brief biographical information

He was born into a family of workers in Noginsk. After graduation from the school (1941) he entered the aviation institute, but the war began, and he was enrolled in the military infantry school. In November 1942 he was sent to the front. Valentin Sedov visited many fronts. His courage and courage are rewarded by the government. The main one is the Order of the Red Star. Also awarded a medal "For Military Merit".

The first steps in science

He became interested in history after the war, and the beginning of the scientific activity of the future academician happened in the post-war years.

In 1951, Valentin Vasilievich graduated from Moscow University, the Department of Archeology at the Faculty of History. Then there was a post-graduate course at the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

By 1954, the future academician was completing a great work, which resulted in his thesis for the degree of candidate of science, "Krivichi and the Slavs". And already in 1967 for the dissertation research "Slavs of the Upper Dnieper and the Dew" Sedov Valentin receives the scientific degree of Doctor of Historical Sciences. Three years later this work was published as a monograph.

Phenomenal Popularity

In the sixties of the last century, at the time of the formation of Sedov as a scientist-researcher, his recognition by students was off scale. Even then they wrote legends about him. For future archaeologists Valentin Valentinovich was like a magnet. He attracted young minds with his openness, enthusiasm, new promising areas of world science, a unique ability to generalize and build logical chains and simply fanatical enthusiasm for theoretical and practical archeology.

Foreign recognition

Usually the authority of a scientist develops quite a long time and is recognized gradually. Valentin Sedov managed to conquer the foreign academic Olympus in 1970, being the head of the delegation of Russian archaeologists-Slavists. His speech at the Berlin Second International Congress of the Archeology of the Slavic Ethnicity was a great success. At this time the following monograph of the academician - "Novgorod hills" - is published. Both books aroused great resonance among Russian archaeologists and many foreign countries.

Scientific heritage

The versatility of publishing is known Sedov Valentin Vasilievich. Books and magazines, in which he acted as a responsible editor, can not be counted. Since 1989, the academician was a member of the editorial boards of various journals and publications.

It is considered indisputable fact that there were no student works for Valentin Vasilievich. Even the early publications of the young scientist were convinced by their consistency. Particularly distinguished is his labor of the period of formation, written in 1953, - "Ethnic composition of the population of the northwestern lands of Veliky Novgorod". Already here the ability to process complex material, the versatility of views relating to paganism, and the ability to create anthropometric sketches were noted.

In his first book "Rural settlements of the central regions of Smolensk land (VIII-XV century)" Valentin Sedov sets a completely new vector in archeological Slavic studies of the Russian state. It can not be said that before it no effort was made to characterize the Russian villages from the archaeological point of view during the period of paganism. But all the work was reduced to the processing of kurgan materials. Serious research simply was not conducted. Valentin Vasilievich was the first to begin a thorough study of the settlement and structure of ancient Russian settlements, and for several decades remained the only scientist seriously developing this issue. His archaeological expeditions, ahead of time, were continued only after 30 years.

Among the published books and monographs of the academician, the following stands out: "Eastern Slavs in the VI-XIII centuries." She saw the light in 1982 in the serial issue "Archeology of the USSR" Rybakova BA. The manuscript was waiting for publication for a long time, because its concept was contrary to the editor's convictions. When the book was printed, it became clear that it was the main decoration of the series. This happened for the simple reason that the author of this book was alone. The remaining volumes were written in co-authorship and did not have a single idea and a narrative line. They contained a lot of unimportant information, beyond which it is difficult to isolate really important facts. As a result, in 1984 Sedov Valentin Vasilievich received the State Prize of the USSR for this work.

Academician, who "saw the land"

In addition to the remarkable research works on the problems of Finno-Ugric, Slavic and Baltic archeology, the scientist is known and as an amazing archaeologist-field worker. In narrow circles, his development of the Novgorod, Pskov and Vladimir lands is still popular. Twenty years, since 1971, Sedov Valentin Vasilievich conducted research work in the oldest city, the monument of Ancient Rus - Izborsk. Today it is almost completely excavated. The early history of the monument formed the basis of the monograph "Izborsk - proto-city." She left two years before the author's death.

Being the leader of the Pskov expedition from the Institute of Archeology and Historical and Architectural Museum-Preserve of Pskov, from 1983 to 1992, Valentin Vasilievich made an invaluable contribution to the archaeological base of the primary sources of Russia in the Middle Ages.

Manager and organizer

Since 1974, the scientist headed various departments of the Institute of Archeology. The first subdivision in which Valentin Sedov did a great job of compiling a colossal file cabinet and systematizing passport data for archaeological monuments of Russia was the archaeological vault. Then there were larger sectors of the Institute. In 1988, Academician appointed head of the Department of Field Research. He was engaged in the control and evaluation of all archaeological excavations of the Soviet Union.

In parallel with these duties, the scientist for 13 years was the International Council, dealing with issues of attractions and memorable places (ICOMOS). And from the beginning of 1992 to 1993 he was president of the Russian Committee of the International Council.

In addition, he participated in many councils, expert commissions and scientific foundations. Despite the collisions of academic work, Valentin Sedov was the standard of principle, exceptional efficiency and directness. Academician's biography is a vivid example of an active life position, organizational skills and devotion to a favorite business.