Nikolai Fedorovich Katanov (; 6 May 1862, Izyum (Uzyum) near the village of Askiz9 March 1922, Kazan) was a Russian Turkologist, professor at the Imperial Kazan University and the Kazan Theological Academy, doctor of comparative linguistics, ethnographer, folklorist and social activist. Katanov is widely regarded as the first Khakass scientist and was an Active State Councillor in 1915. He was born into the family of an ulus clerk. From 1876 to 1884, he studied at Krasnoyarsk gymnasium, graduating with a gold medal. He then attended the Faculty of Oriental Languages at St. Petersburg University from 1884 to 1888. On the recommendation of Vasily Radlov, he was sent on an ethnographic-linguistic expedition to Siberia and East Turkestan to study the languages and lifestyles of Turkic tribes. From 1889 to 1892, he studied the peoples of Khakassia, Tuva, Zhetysu, Tarbagatai, and Xinjiang. In 1894, Katanov moved to Kazan after being unsuccessful in securing a place at the University of St. Petersburg. He worked in Kazan for 28 years until his death. In 1903, he defended his master's thesis titled 'The Experience of the Study of the Uriankhai Language'. In 1907, he earned his Doctorate in Comparative Linguistics based on his extensive body of work. From 1911 to 1917, he primarily taught at the Kazan Theological Academy, where he held the position of Ordinary Professor. In 1919, he was elected as a professor at Kazan University through the All-Russian competition, which was approved by Narkompros in 1921.
N.F. Katanov was a member of two foreign societies. The author was a member of several scientific societies, including the Société des sciences et lettres in Leuven, the Ungarische ethnographische Gesellschaft in Budapest, and the Finno-Ugrian Society in Helsingfors. He was also a full member of the Imperial Russian Geographic Society, the Imperial Russian Archaeological Society since 1894, and the Society of Devotees of Natural Science, Anthropology, and Ethnography. Additionally, he was a member of the Turkestan circle of lovers of archeology in the city of Tashkent, and a full member of the Kazan and Semipalatinsk statistical committees. From 1898 to 1914, N.F. Katanov chaired the Society of Archaeology, History and Ethnography at Kazan University. He resumed his position as chairman in 1919. In addition to his academic pursuits, Katanov was actively involved in public life, especially in the field of sobriety propaganda. His scientific works continue to be published and republished in the 21st century.
Background Nikolai Fyodorovich Katanov was born on May 6 (18), 1862, in Turakovsky ulus, a steppe area located 16 km from the village of Askiz on the left bank of the Abakan River. At birth, he was given the Khakass name Porā, son of Khyzyl (). His name means "Grey" in Khakass. In his 1897 autobiography for S.A. Vengerov's dictionary, Katanov wrote:
The Katanov family belonged to the Khakass seok (clan, literally 'bones') purut (pyuryut), which was part of the Sagai people. According to various sources, Nikolai Fedorovich's mother had the surname Chaptykova or Kizekova, and her name was Maria (Chamakh in Khakas). She belonged to the Khaskha (Kash) seok and Shaloshin clan, meaning she was a . Katanov's parents adhered to both traditional shamanic beliefs and Orthodoxy, but they were not married in a church. As a result, Nikolai was listed as illegitimate on the metric certificate. Nikolai's elder brother, also named Nikolai (1858–1892), later became a priest at the Ust-Yes church in the Minusinsk district. The family also had a daughter named Maria. As with all Khakas people, the family led a semi-nomadic lifestyle, spending the warm half of the year at a summer camp in the Sagai steppe and the cold season on the bank of the Abakan River near Lake Sarkagel.
The State Archives of Krasnoyarsk Krai contain metric books in fond 824, 'Minusinsk spiritual board', which include a record of Nikolai Katanov's baptism under No. 90. This record confirms his birth date as 6 May old style, with his baptism taking place on 15 (27) May. It was rare for exact dates of birth to be given for the 'Inorodtsy population' during this time. However, according to Alexei Nilogov, an exception was made in this case, as the father of the baptised was an uyezd clerk. The record confirms that Katanov's mother had the surname Kizekova and was Fyodor Semyonovich Katanov's 'illegitimate wife'. In 1876, a note was added to the record stating that a certificate of petition was dated 13 August, likely for admission to the Krasnoyarsk Gymnasium.
Education (1869-1884)
In 1869, Nikolai Katanov enrolled in a one-class rural school that had just opened in Askiz. His uncle, Efim Semyonovich, taught at the school and held various positions such as a letter-writer of the steppe council, church headman, and shopkeeper. The school was not conducive to serious education. However, the Krasnoyarsk goldsmith P.I. Kuznetsov,P.I. Kuznetsov sponsored V.I. Surikov's education at the Academy of Arts. Innokenty Petrovich Kuznetsov-Krasnoyarsky (1851-1915), his son, was a member of the Society for the Care of Elementary Education and an active supporter of the enlightenment of the poorest classes and indigenous peoples. It was him who Katanov appealed to. who had a library and aimed to educate the local 'Inorodtsy', kept a house and a transshipment base in Askiz. Nikolai attended the school in Kuznetsov's house and used books for self-education.
Katanov was influenced by I. I. Karatanov, an employee of Kuznetsov, who had a small collection of books on the peoples of Siberia and became his first teacher. Karatanov instilled in Nikolai a deep interest in the culture and history of Turkic peoples.Innokenty Karatanov was in charge of Kuznetsov's transshipment base, which included stables, warehouses, and barns. Karatanov, who was a 'foreigner' himself (Komi Zyrian), was also the father of the famous Krasnoyarsk artist D.I. Karatanov. After the death of his father in 1874, Nikolai worked as a shepherd in the summer and came under the care of his uncle, who arranged for him to be a clerk in the Askizsk steppe duma. During his two years of service, Katanov learned Russian literacy and calligraphy. In 1876, Nikolai decided to continue his education and enrolled in the Krasnoyarsk Gymnasium with the help of P.I. Kuznetsov, who was the mayor of Krasnoyarsk at the time. He secured a recommendation from I.I. Karatanov and travelled to the city by boat along the Abakan and Yenisey.
In Krasnoyarsk, Katanov faced severe financial difficulties, which persisted throughout his life. Despite receiving 100 roubles from his father, it was not enough to alleviate his struggles. Although he was the top student for all 8 years of his studies, Katanov had to work as a tutor and sometimes as a summer labourer for more successful friends' families. Among his tutoring charges were the children of merchants - Arseny Yarilov and Vera Emelyanova. Katanov, a gymnasium student, was known for his diligence and aptitude for learning, receiving praise in the second, fourth, and seventh grades. Throughout his eight years of study, he never arrived late or violated any disciplinary rules. However, in the eighth grade, he caused alarm by missing a lesson. The principal sent the gymnasium supervisor to Katanov's flat. It turned out the conscientious student decided to skip class at least once in his life.
N.F. Katanov began to develop as a scientist while in the gymnasium. In his contributions to S.A. Vengerov's dictionary materials, he wrote:
In 1883, Grigory Potanin published Katanov's article 'Description of the Shaman's Tambourine and Costume' in his book 'Sketches of North-Western Mongolia'. In 1884, Nikolai Fedorovich submitted the manuscript of the Sagai language grammar to the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, where it was reviewed by Nikolay Ilminsky. According to modern researchers, including G.I. Iskhakov and G.S. Amirov, this unpublished work already contained the rudiments of a comparative-historical approach to the study of Turkic languages, which is characteristic of Katanov's mature work. However, Ilminsky undeservedly criticised the work, although he did note Katanov's talent as an ethnographer and linguist.
In 1884, Katanov graduated from Krasnoyarsk gymnasium with a gold medal and intended to receive a Turkological education to become a scientist. Initially, he considered entering the Kazan Theological Academy, perhaps under the influence of his priest brother. However, upon arriving in Kazan, Katanov discovered that the teaching of Oriental languages had almost ceased at both the academy and the university. Following the advice of N. I.Ilminsky and V.V. Radlov, who corresponded with the talented 'Inorodets', Nikolai Fyodorovich decided to travel to St. Petersburg.
Saint Petersburg period (1884-1893)
Faculty of Oriental Studies
Katanov enrolled in the division of Arabic-Persian-Turkish-Tatar literature at the University of St. Petersburg on 15 August 1884. He received a comprehensive education, including a broad range of humanities and specialist orientalist disciplines. Having previously mastered French and German at the gymnasium, at the University Katanov studied Arabic, Persian, Ottoman, Tatar, Bashkir, and Kazakh languages, as well as the Chagatai language, history, and literature of Turkic peoples, the history of the East, and Muslim law. Furthermore, Katanov privately studied the phonetics of Turkic languages with V.V. Radlov at home. Radlov had recently moved to St. Petersburg from Kazan and found in Katanov a diligent and attentive student. Katanov was exceptionally accurate and industrious as a student, attending and stenographing all lectures without exception, according to memories. He learned the comparative-historical method for studying Turkic languages from Radlov, which piqued his interest even while in gymnasium.
The same as in the gymnasium, Nikolai Fyodorovich experienced poverty in St. Petersburg. He applied for a state scholarship, which was granted to him in 1885 after a lengthy trial. However, the scholarship was only 8 roubles a month, which made it impossible for him to live a normal life. As a result, Katanov returned to tutoring. According to V.A. Gordlevsky's memories, Katanov wrote memorials for illiterate women on the church porch for 2 kopecks. He lived a very restricted life, only dining on Sundays. Unfortunately, his semi-starvation led to tuberculosis. However, he was able to recover from the disease thanks to expeditions to East Turkestan.
On 5 December 1884, N.F. Katanov was elected as a fellow member of the Society of Archaeology, History, and Ethnography at Kazan University. From 1885, Katanov began to publish actively in Russian and German. His works included studies of the epic of the Minusinsk Turks, collation of materials from M.A. Castren's dictionaries, and a review of Chagatai topographical nomenclature. He also published an article on Russian loanwords in the Sagai dialect.