Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: Peoples'Friendship University of Russia –
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The two Anastasias, graduates of RUDN, are united not only by their name, but also by their passion for history and archeology, which turned into a profession. But if Anastasia Aksenova studied the image of Egypt as perceived by Russian and French travelers of the late 18th – early 19th centuries, then Anastasia Maksimova immersed herself in the history of Muscovite Rus'.
In honor of Archaeologist Day, our graduates talked about studying archives and excavations, about what skills are important for specialists in this field, and how modern technologies make scientists' work easier.
Evenings in libraries
Anastasia Maksimova loved history since childhood. With her parents, she went to the local history museum in the city of Glazov, where she was born. And she listened with interest about the tribes that once inhabited her small homeland. Later at school, the girl's passion for history was reinforced by her school teacher Olga Nikolaevna Tomilina. According to Anastasia, the teacher approached her work with great enthusiasm. When the time came to choose where to go to study after the 11th grade, the girl's choice fell on RUDN.
"RUDN was one of the first universities on my list where I wanted to study. I noticed the strong teaching staff in the departments of Russian history and world history. I was also attracted by the opportunity to additionally obtain a diploma in translation. The fundamental knowledge obtained at the university helps me to look critically at sources and analyze information. In addition, studying English and Arabic gave me an advantage, since I can refer to foreign sources and literature," – Anastasia Maksimova, a graduate of RUDN, junior research fellow in the Department of Archaeology of Moscow Rus', Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
According to Anastasia, her university days were memorable for the evenings spent in the historical library and the numerous trips to ancient Russian cities: Novgorod, Suzdal, Rostov the Great.
"At first, archaeology was a hobby. But then some friends invited me to work on an excavation site. First with a shovel, then I learned to draw. And gradually archaeology got me hooked. And I didn't want to leave. So the hobby turned into a profession," – Anastasia Maksimova.
Since 2008, the girl has been going to excavations at various sites. These were Mesolithic caves and Slavic burial mounds. Since 2012, she has been participating in the New Jerusalem expedition of the Moscow Rus' Archaeology Department of the Institute of Archaeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. And two years later, she became its permanent employee.
"Why did I choose this department? The archaeology of the Muscovite Rus period is very diverse and vibrant, and unlike many other eras, we have the opportunity to compare our research data with written sources," Anastasia Maksimova.
Romance and reports
According to Anastasia, the most difficult thing about archaeologists' work on excavations is the struggle with bad weather: rain, snow, frost. However, the process itself is very exciting, because layer by layer you dive deep into the centuries, and you don't always know what awaits you – a building, a pit or even a burial.
"Almost every excavation yields interesting results: unusual things are encountered, buildings are found that are not on historical plans. The most important results were obtained during the work in the Novodevichy Convent under the supervision of Doctor of Historical Sciences L.A. Belyaev. An early Godunov fence was discovered here – towers, walls, a moat; within its boundaries stood wooden buildings with rich interior decoration," – Anastasia Maksimova.
However, our graduate warns: the profession of an archaeologist is often romanticized because of the atmosphere of excavations with fires and tents in the field. In fact, a significant part of the work of the girl and her colleagues is done at the computer – in compiling reports, analyzing the data obtained, preparing articles and reports. By the way, the girl continues her studies. In 2020, she entered the Higher School of Economics in the master's program, and in 2021-2022 she participated in the mobility program at the University of Copenhagen. Now Anastasia is finishing her postgraduate studies.
"The experience of studying abroad allowed me to get acquainted with the approach of European universities to teaching archaeology. I also managed to visit many archaeological museums, get acquainted with their collections, and the organization of exhibitions," Anastasia Maksimova.
Secrets of the Monasteries and AI Help
In her scientific work, our graduate focused on studying monastic life in Rus'.
"I am studying the remains of wooden buildings from the late 14th to early 18th centuries, which we were able to identify during our work in Moscow monasteries. Surprisingly, we know very little about what the buildings looked like during this period. There is also little information about the layout of the monasteries themselves in the early period. The ensembles that we see now were formed in the late 17th to 18th centuries," Anastasia Maksimova.
According to the girl, modern technologies make scientists' work much easier. Quadcopter photography is actively used during excavations, and archaeologists also use 3D modeling and even artificial intelligence. The SIMILIS project, developed by the Art and Artificial Intelligence laboratory of the European University in St. Petersburg and the Institute of the History of Material Culture of the Russian Academy of Sciences, was recently presented. It allows analyzing found artifacts by comparing them with finds from expeditions of different years. When asked about the competencies and knowledge that representatives of her profession should have today, the RUDN University graduate answered as follows.
"First of all, patience and attentiveness, endurance, analytical thinking, the ability to communicate with people are required – all this is very important for an archaeologist. In addition, an archaeologist must have extensive knowledge not only in the area of his interests, but also in related periods and cultures. Knowledge of anthropology, numismatics, soil science, and modern technologies are not superfluous," – Anastasia Maksimova.
Ancient civilizations
Another RUDN University graduate, Anastasia Aksenova, also fell in love with history since childhood, in elementary school. She was especially attracted by the mysteries of Egypt and the ancient world.
"I studied at the Aerospace Lyceum No. 13 in Khimki, where, of course, there was no emphasis on the humanities. That makes my meeting with Vladimir Alekseevich Kondryakov, my history teacher, a former military man who dedicated 25 years to the army, all the more valuable to me. He not only supported my interest in ancient civilizations, but also shared books from his personal library. Thanks to him, I became the first student in the last 10 years (at the time of my studies) to choose an oral exam in history as a graduation exam in 2008. And, of course, I am grateful to my mother, who supported all my hobbies from childhood and believed in me," – Anastasia Aksenova, RUDN University graduate, Russian history teacher at the University of Lyon 3.
After school, the girl decided to enroll in RUDN University to get a truly broad and fundamental education.
"The university fully met my expectations: the History major here allows you not only to master a wide range of disciplines, but also to determine a narrow scientific specialization quite early thanks to a large number of experienced and highly professional teachers. This choice turned out to be absolutely correct – I did not regret a single year spent within the walls of the university, and I have the warmest memories of it. I would like to express special gratitude to Elena Valentinovna Linkova – my "scientific mother", who accompanied me throughout the work on my master's and then candidate's dissertation. It was within the walls of RUDN that I acquired the ability to work systematically and methodically, mastered scientific methods, mastered the skills of analysis, structuring and editing text – those fundamental skills on which my scientific activity is still built," – Anastasia Aksenova.
The turning point
According to the RUDN University graduate, she especially remembers working at the Russian State Library during her studies, because at those moments she keenly felt why she chose the specialty of a historian – because of the opportunity to truly touch history. The turning point in Anastasia's life was the foreign double master's program with the University of Grenoble 2.
"The program gave me the opportunity to listen to lectures in French, compare different approaches to teaching and get acquainted with other academic traditions. The topic of my dissertation, which is devoted to the image of Egypt in the perception of Russian and French travelers in the late 18th – early 19th centuries, was also formed largely thanks to the dual master's program. Before that, my research was focused exclusively on the history of the Ancient World, in particular, on the Amarna period (the reign of the ancient Egyptian pharaoh Akhenaten and a number of his followers in the 14th – 13th centuries BC, the late Bronze Age). However, in the master's program, I felt that this topic had exhausted itself for me, and together with Elena Valentinovna Linkova we decided to take a bold step – to move to the 19th century and try ourselves in historiographic research. This choice turned out to be decisive: the story about the image of Egypt in the perception of Russian and French travelers opened up a whole range of areas for study for me – from the perception of antiquity in the 19th century and the history of museums to the formation of collections and the history of archeology. Today, interdisciplinarity is more the norm than the exception in historical science, and it is important to learn flexibility: to combine different eras, directions and even disciplines in your research," – Anastasia Aksenova.
Have fun
Anastasia noted that the era under study was special: Europe was gradually building its modern value system, and relations between the East and the West were beginning to acquire features of a deeper, including cultural and religious, confrontation. It was important to trace where this perception began, how it was reflected in the texts of travelers, and what was common and different in it for the two countries.
"I paid special attention to how this image influenced the emergence and development of Egyptology in Russia: what subjects became the subject of scientific interest, how collections were formed, and how travels and descriptions of Egypt contributed to the emergence of the first research traditions. Such a comparison helps to understand not only the cultural perception of Egypt, but also its role in the development of scientific disciplines in the 19th century," Anastasia Aksenova.
The girl studied many published and unpublished sources: letters, travel notes of 19th century travelers, old editions of books. Sometimes she recognized funny expressions from the past that have survived into modern times, albeit in a slightly modified form.
“I came across one funny episode in the works of Evgeny Kartavtsev, a Russian traveler of that era. He describes how he and his companion were invited to dinner with the local consul in Egypt, and after the meal they were invited to “do keif.” I found the expression curious. The word “keif” came into the Russian language through Turkish (keyif), which in colloquial speech began to mean “enjoyment, pleasant pastime.” In the 19th century, it had a very specific “oriental” connotation: to sit after a meal with a cup of coffee, smoke a hookah, and have a leisurely conversation. For Kartavtsev, this is exactly what “do keif” meant — to relax and enjoy the moment. Today, we would simply say “to have a blast,” — Anastasia Aksenova.
Archaeologist's suitcase
Anastasia now lives in France and works as a teacher at the University of Lyon 3.
"I decided to live in Europe to work with archives and use academic resources, and also, perhaps, to take part in international advanced training courses, for example, in Italy. At the same time, I continue to follow the development of Russian universities and see that they are in no way inferior to European ones. And although I myself do not do field excavations, I had the opportunity to closely collaborate with archaeologists in France, at the Maison de l'Orient et de la Méditerranée (MOM, Lyon) and in the HISOMA laboratory. Together with fellow postgraduates – both historians and archaeologists – we created the so-called Labo Junior ArchéOrigines, an internal project within the framework of which for two years we ran our own scientific laboratory: we organized seminars, publications, conferences, exchanged experiences and developed a common research topic, the history of archaeology," – Anastasia Aksenova.
As Anastasia notes, one of the areas of work of the laboratory has become the popularization of archaeology among the general public in order to combat stereotypes about the profession. Together with her colleague Linka Kuchinsky, our graduate developed a scientific and educational game "Archaeologist's Suitcase", in which each participant could try himself in the role of a researcher: work with an "archaeological object", analyze it, study and discuss the results with specialists. Today, this game has become part of the educational program at the Museum of Moulages in Lyon (Musée des Moulages).
"As for my future professional goals, this year my research interest has shifted slightly from archaeology to the study of several 19th-century Russian figures who had a significant impact on the development of classical studies and Egyptology in Italy and France. This project will allow me to combine historical and historiographical approaches and expand the scope of my research," says Anastasia Aksenova.
About the History program at RUDN
Over the entire period of the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia's work, 2,996 graduates have received an education in the specialty "History" at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Currently, 294 people from 28 countries, including Russia, China, Turkey, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Cambodia, Mexico, Thailand, Montenegro, Argentina and others, are studying in this area at all levels of training (bachelor's, master's, postgraduate and preparatory faculty). On Archaeologist's Day, both Anastasias wish RUDN history students many exciting expeditions, interesting excavations and unusual finds. And also perseverance and faith in their path. After all, a scientific career requires patience and persistence, but it opens up the whole world to students – and this is worth taking advantage of.
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