Igor M. Diakonoff | |
|---|---|
И́горь М. Дья́конов | |
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| Born | Igor Mikhailovich Diakonoff (1915-01-12)12 January 1915 Petrograd, Russian Empire |
| Died | 2 May 1999(1999-05-02) (aged 84) Saint Petersburg, Russia |
| Known for | Contributions to the study of theAncient Near East and its languages |
| Academic background | |
| Alma mater | Saint Petersburg State University |
| Academic work | |
| Institutions | Oriental Institute, Saint Petersburg branch |
| Main interests | Ancient Near East and its languages |
Igor Mikhailovich Diakonoff (occasionally spelledDiakonov, Russian:И́горь Миха́йлович Дья́конов; 12 January 1915 – 2 May 1999) was a Russian historian,linguist, and translator and a renowned expert on theAncient Near East and its languages. His brothers were also distinguished historians.
Diakonoff was brought up inNorway. He graduated from Leningrad State University (nowSaint Petersburg State University) in 1938. In the same year he joined the staff of theHermitage Museum in Leningrad (nowSaint Petersburg). In 1949, he published a comprehensive study ofAssyria, followed in 1956 by amonograph onMedia. Later on, he teamed up with the linguistSergei Starostin to produce authoritative studies of theCaucasian,Afroasiatic, andHurro-Urartian languages.
Diakonoff was honored in 2003 with afestschrift volume published in his memory, edited byLionel Bender, Gábor Takács, andDavid Appleyard. In addition to articles on Afro-Asiatic languages, it contains a five-page list of his publications compiled by Takács.
Diakonoff's family members are known for their contributions to various fields of knowledge, both sciences and humanities.His wife and two sons became well-known researchers and achieved ranks of full professors.
Igor's first wifeNina Dyakonova (1915–2013) was a historian and critic of English literature, with a special interest in English Romantic poetry of the early 19th century (Keats,Byron,Shelley) and its reception in European andRussian literature. A student of ProfessorsViktor Zhirmunsky and Mikhail Alexeyev, she was a professor at her alma materSaint Petersburg State University, and later, teacher-trainingHerzen University.
His second wife,Ninel Yankovskaya (1925–2005), was a historian, assyriologist in the StateHermitage Museum.
Igor's sons became prominent physicists.
