Its Rudolf Ferdinandovich
1 October 1928, Cherepovets, Vologda Oblast — 11 July 1990, Vladivostok
Biography, education, career:
He comes from a family of public servants. In 1937, after the arrest of his parents, who were declared “enemies of the people”, Its was sent to an orphanage. In 1944—1945 he was Komsomol leader sent by the Central Committee of Lenin Young Communist League of Estonia, to school № 6 in Tallinn. In 1945—1950 he studied at the Faculty of Oriental Languages of Leningrad State University under Acad. V.M. Alekseev, Acad. V.V. Struve, Prof. G.V. Efimov, Prof. N.V. Kyuner, Prof. G.F. Smykalov and others. In 1950—1951 he worked as a librarian at the Faculty of Oriental Languages, Leningrad State University; in 1951—1954 he did a post-graduate course there. On 16 June 1954 he defended his Candidate’s Dissertation titled The Miao People: A Historical and Ethnographic Study. On 19 March 1966 he defended his Doctoral Dissertation, titled The Origin of the Peoples of South China: A Study on Ethnic History of the Zhuang, the Miao and the Yi. In 1954—1968 he successively occupied the positions of junior researcher (1954—1960), senior researcher (1960—1968), and Head of the Leningrad group of the Department of Foreign Asia, Australia and Oceania of the Institute of Ethnography of the USSR Academy of Sciences (1963—1968). In 1968—1990 Rudolf Its was Head of the newly opened Department of Ethnography and Anthropology of the Faculty of History, Leningrad State University (from 1982 he held this position on a pro bono basis), which had previously been suspended for twenty years. In 1979 he was awarded the Degree of Professor. In 1982—1990 R. Its held the position of Deputy Director and Head of the Leningrad Branch of the Institute of Ethnography of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Rudolf Its was an experienced field researcher. He is known as a popular science and literary fiction author.
Areas of expertise: History and ethnography of Chinese peoples; History and ethnography of the peoples of South Asia; studies on ethnic history of the peoples of South and South-West China, their rich indigenous culture, and their role in the development of Chinese civilization
Awards and titles:
Rudolf Its is a recipient of Miklukho-Maclay Prize of the USSR Academy of Sciences (1966).
Membership in scientific organizations and unions:
R. Its was a member of the USSR Union of Writers (from 1968).
Major publications:
• Аграрная политика Коммунистической партии Китая в период второй гражданской войны (1927-1937) // Ученые записки ЛГУ. Серия востоковедных наук. 1954. № 179. Вып. 4. С. 28-66; [Agrarian Policy of the Communist Party of China During the Period of the 2nd Civil War (1927-1937) // Uchyonye zapiski LGU (Scientific Notes of LSU). Oriental Studies Series. 1954. № 179. Iss. 4. Pp. 28-66];
• Эпические сказания народов Южного Китая (перевод, статья и комментарии совместно с Б.Б. Вахтиным). М., 1956. 202 с.; [Epic Tales of the Peoples od South China (trans., pref. and comm. Co-authored with B.B. Vakhtin). Moscow, 1956. 202 P.];
• Китайские коллекции П.К. Козлова // Сборник МАЭ. 1961. Т. 20. С. 5-29; [Chinese Collections of P.K. Kozlov // Sbornik MAE (Digest of the MAE). 1961. Vol. 20. Pp. 5-29];
• К проблеме соотношения классов и государства (по материалам ляншаньских ицзу). М., 1964. 10 с.; [On the Problem of Class-State Relationship (Based on the Material of the Liangshan Yi). Moscow, 1964. 10 P.];
• Чжуан // Народы Восточной Азии. М.; Л., 1965. С. 435-446; [The Zhuang // Peoples of East Asia. Moscow; Leningrad, 1965. Pp. 435-446];
• Народы группы мяо-яо // Там же. С. 480-501; [Peoples of the Miao-Yao Group // Ibid. Pp. 480-501];
• Ицзу // Там же. С. 531-551; [The Yi // Ibid. Pp. 531-551];
• Архаические формы социальных производственных объединений тайваньских горцев // Охотники, собиратели, рыболовы. Л., 1972. С. 133-143;
[Archaic Forms of Social Production Associations of Taiwanese Highlanders // Hunters, Gatherers, and Fishermen. Leningrad, 1972. Pp. 133-143]; • Этническая история юга Вост. Азии. Л., 1972. 307 с.; [Ethnic History of the South of East Asia. Leningrad, 1972. 307 P.];
• Введение в этнографию: Учебное пособие для исторических факультетов университетов. Л., 1974. 160 с.; 1991. 169 с.; Кунсткамера. Л., 1974. 118 с.; Л., 1980. 135 с.; 1989. 132 с.; [An Introduction to Ethnography: Graduate Students’ Manual. Department of History. Leningrad, 1974. 160P.; 1991. 169P.; Kunstkamera. Leningrad, 1974. 118P.; Leningrad, 1980. 135P.; 1989. 132 P.];
• Место этнографии в системе университетского образования // Вестник АН СССР. 1982. № 3. С. 48-54; [The Place of Ethnography in the System of University Education // Bulletin of the USSR AS. 1982. № 3. Pp. 48-54];
• Современные экономичские проблемы и традиционное природопользование народов Севера // Вестник АН СССР. 1982. № 5. С. 67-71; [Contemporary Economic Problems and Traditional Natural Resources Management of the Peoples of the North // Bulletin of the USSR AS. 1982. № 5. Pp. 67-71]; • Кафедра этнографии и антропологии // Вопросы истории исторической науки. Л., 1986. С. 126-136; [Department of Ethnography and Anthropology // Voprosy Istorii Istoricheskoy Nauki (Questions of the History of Historical Science). Leningrad, 1986. Pp. 126-136];
• Этногенетические исследования (о значении различных источников в рамках комплексного подхода) // Расы и народы. 1987. Вып. 17. С. 11-28; [Ethnogenetic Research (On the Significance of Different Sources within a Complex Approach) // Races and Peoples. 1987. Iss. 17. Pp. 11-28]; • Цветок Лотоса: Рассказы этнографа. М., 1962. 120 с.; [The Flower of Lotus: Ethnographer’s Stories. Moscow, 1962. 120 P.];
• Последний аргиш: Этнограф. повесть. М., 1964. 104 с.; [The Last Argish. An Ethnographic Novella. Moscow, 1964. 104 P.];
• Века и поколения: Этнографические этюды. М., 1976. 271 с.; 1986. 238 с.; [Centuries and Generations. Ethnographic Sketches. Moscow, 1976. 271 P.; 1986. 238 P.];
• Золотые мечи и колодки невольников. М., 1976. 201 с.; [Gold Swords and the Fetters of Slaves. Moscow, 1976. 201 P.];
• Женский лик Земли: Историко-этнографические новеллы. Л., 1988. 224 с.; [The Female Face of Earth: Historical and Ethnographic Novellas. Leningrad, 1988. 224 P.];
• Шепот Земли и молчание Неба: Этнографические этюды о традиционных народных верованиях. М., 1990. 318 с. [The Whisper of the Earth and the Silence of the Sky. Ethnographic Sketches on Folk Beliefs. Moscow, 1990. 318 P.].
About R. Its:
• Бережной А. Памяти Р.Ф. Итса // Ленинградский университет. 1990. С. 8; [Berezhnnoy, A. In Memoriam of R.F. Its // Leningrad University. 1990. P. 8];
• Решетов А.М. Р.Ф. Итс. Некролог // СЭ. 1991. № 4. С. 185-187; [Reshetov, A.M. R.F. Its. Obituary // Sovetskaya Etnografiya (Soviet Ethnography). 1991. № 4. Pp. 185-187];
• Решетов А.М. Р.Ф. Итс (1928-1990): человек, ученый, педагог // Вестник Санкт- Петербургского университета. Серия 2. История. Вып. 1-2. СПб., 2004. С. 107-116; [Reshetov, A.M. R.F. Its (1928-1990): Man, Scientist, Teacher // Bulletin of APSU. Series 2. History. Iss. 1-2. SPb., 2004. Pp. 107-116];
• Иванова Е.В., Решетов А.М. Памяти Р.Ф. Итса (1928-1990) // Восток. 1991. № 5. С. 218-219; [Ivanova, E.V., Reshetov, A.M. In Memoriam of R.F. Its (1928-1990) // Vostok (East). 1991. № 5. Pp. 218-219];
• Этносы и этнические процессы. Памяти Р.Ф. Итса. М., 1993. [Ethnoses and Ethnic Processes. In Memoriam of R.F. Its. Moscow, 1993.].