Alexander Dubyanskiy
{{Short description|Russian Tamil scholar, professor, and linguist (1941–2020)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2020}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Alexander Dubiansky
| image = Dubyansky1.jpg
| alt =
| caption = Dubyanskiy in 2008
| native_name = Алекса́ндр Миха́йлович Дубя́нский
| native_name_lang = ru
| other_names =
| birth_name =
| birth_date = {{birth date|1941|04|27|df=y}}
| birth_place = Moscow, Russian SFSR, Soviet Union
| death_date = {{death date and age|2020|11|18|1941|04|27|df=y}}
| death_place = Moscow, Moscow Oblast, Russia
| nationality = Russian
| education = Institute of Asian and African Countries
| alma_mater = Moscow State University
University of Madras
| occupation = Scholar, writer
| years_active =
| known_for = Reviving Tamil language scholarship in Russia after the Soviet era
| notable_works = Ritual and Mythological Sources of the Early Tamil Poetry
| spouse =
| children =
}}
Alexander Mikhailovitch Dubiansky, also spelt Alexander Dubianskiy, Alexander Dubyanskiy, or Aleksandr Dubiansky ({{langx|ru|Алекса́ндр Миха́йлович Дубя́нский}}, {{langx|ta|அலெக்சாண்டர் மிகைலொவிச் துபியான்சுகி}}, 27 April 1941 – 18 November 2020), was a Russian Tamil scholar, university professor, linguist, and writer.{{Cite web|title=Скончался Александр Михайлович Дубянский|url=http://www.iaas.msu.ru/index.php/ru/anonsy/2070-dubyansky-necrolog|access-date=19 November 2020|website=www.iaas.msu.ru|archive-date=18 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118102527/http://www.iaas.msu.ru/index.php/ru/anonsy/2070-dubyansky-necrolog|url-status=dead}} During his lifetime, he was accredited and acknowledged for his valuable contributions towards the revival of Tamil language scholarship in Russia, especially after the downfall of Soviet Union.{{Cite web|title=Alexander Dubyanskiy மறைவு – யார் இவர்? பின்னணி என்ன? – YouTube|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdrA0WdZSwA|access-date=19 November 2020|website=YouTube|publisher=BBC News Tamil}}
Career
Alexander Dubyanskiy was born in Moscow in 1941 and served in the Soviet Army. He afterwards attended Moscow State University's Institute of Oriental Languages, specialising in Tamil. After completing his degree, Dubyanskiy remained with the institute as a post-graduate student. He became a lecturer in 1973, later progressed to senior lecturer and then associate professor. His PhD thesis was on ancient Tamil poetry; he developed it into a book published in English.
Dubyanskiy went to India for the first time in 1978 and carried out research into the Tamil language at the University of Madras for a period of nine months.{{Cite news|author=Staff Reporter|date=22 June 2010|title=Tamil has gravity of expression not found in any language |language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/chennai/ldquoTamil-has-gravity-of-expression-not-found-in-any-language/article16261850.ece|access-date=19 November 2020|issn=0971-751X}} He continued his interest in learning Tamil in the post-Soviet era. Dubyanskiy was fluent in the language, and also an expert in Tamil literature and Indian culture.{{Cite web|title=Russian scholar Alexander Dubiansky, who taught Tamil for nearly 50 years, passes away – The New Indian Express|url=https://www.newindianexpress.com/amp/story/states/tamil-nadu/2020/nov/19/russian-scholar-alexander-dubiansky-who-taught-tamil-for-nearly-50-years-passes-away-2225421.html|access-date=19 November 2020|website=www.newindianexpress.com|date=11 November 2020 }}{{Cite web|title=ரஷ்ய நாட்டை சேர்ந்த தமிழ் அறிஞர் அலெக்சாண்டர் துபியான்சுகி கொரோனா காரணமாக சிகிச்சை பலனின்றி உயிரிழப்பு|url=https://www.dinakaran.com/News_Detail.asp?Nid=632428|access-date=21 November 2020|website=www.dinakaran.com}} He taught the Tamil language for nearly 50 years at various universities in Russia.
Dubyanskiy published more than 100 works, largely on the Tamil language. He also notably published a book titled Ritual and Mythological Sources of the Early Tamil Poetry in 2000, discussing rituals and customs of ancient Sangam literature.{{Cite journal|last=Monius|first=Anne E.|date=2002|title=Ritual and Mythological Sources of the Early Tamil Poetry. By Alexander M. Dubianskii. Groningen: Egbert Forsten, 2000. xxi, 224 pp. - Kāvya in South India: Old Tamil Cankam Poetry. By Herman Tieken. Groningen: Egbert Forsten, 2001. 270 pp.|url=https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/journal-of-asian-studies/article/ritual-and-mythological-sources-of-the-early-tamil-poetry-by-alexander-m-dubianskii-groningen-egbert-forsten-2000-xxi-224-pp-kavya-in-south-india-old-tamil-cankam-poetry-by-herman-tieken-groningen-egbert-forsten-2001-270-pp/7256C9C12AC423A20F44DEE1C6DF27AB|journal=The Journal of Asian Studies|language=en|volume=61|issue=4|pages=1404–1406|doi=10.2307/3096501|jstor=3096501 |issn=1752-0401}}{{Cite web|title=Ritual and Mythological Sources of the Early Tamil Poetry : A.M. Dubianski : 9789069801100|url=https://www.bookdepository.com/Ritual-Mythological-Sources-Early-Tamil-Poetry-M-Dubianski/9789069801100|access-date=21 November 2020|website=www.bookdepository.com}} Dubyanskiy befriended fellow Tamil scholars and writers, including D. Jayakanthan, Sivathampi and Vairamuthu.
Dubyanskiy received widespread media attention in India after presenting two papers consisting of essays on two popular historical Tamil novels (Tolkappiyam and Silapathikaram) during the 2010 World Classical Tamil Conference in Coimbatore.{{Cite news|date=19 November 2020|title=Russian Tamil scholar is no more|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/russian-tamil-scholar-is-no-more/article33128413.ece|access-date=19 November 2020|issn=0971-751X}} During the conference, he spoke against claims that Tolkappiyam was dependent on Sanskrit sources, and explained how his research showed it to be an original work.{{Cite news|last=Madhavan|first=Karthik|date=28 June 2010|title=Tolkappiyam is not dependent on Sanskrit sources: Tamil scholar|language=en-IN|work=The Hindu|url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/tamil-nadu/Tolkappiyam-is-not-dependent-on-Sanskrit-sources-Tamil-scholar/article16271091.ece|access-date=19 November 2020|issn=0971-751X}}
Death
Dubyanskiy died from COVID-19 complications in Moscow on 18 November 2020, at the age of 79.{{Cite web|title=இரஷ்யத் தமிழறிஞர் அலெக்சாந்தர் துபியான்ஸ்கி காலமானார்|url=http://www.virakesari.lk/article/94692|access-date=19 November 2020|website=Virakesari.lk}}
References
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Category:Academic staff of Moscow State University
Category:Tamil-language writers
Category:University of Madras alumni
Category:Deaths from the COVID-19 pandemic in Russia