Researcher, Academic Secretary, Section of Comparative Linguistics
Igor Svyatopolk-Chetvertinsky was born in Moscow in 1969. Obtained a degree in Assyriology at the Faculty of Asian and African Studies at Saint-Petersburg State University (1986-1992). From 1992 till 1994, Igor Svyatopolk-Chetvertinsky undertook a postgraduate study under the supervision of Yuri Stepanov and Sophia Vinogradova.
In 2005, he defended his PhD thesis "Koncept zmeeborčestva i ego tekstoobrazujučšaja rol’ v sravnitel’no-istoričeskom i tipologičeskom osvečšenii" [The concept of snake-fighting and its text production role in comparative-historical and typological studies].
Since 1997, Igor Svyatopolk-Chetvertinsky is a member of SEAC – Societé de l’Archaeoastronomie dans la Culture; a member of the editorial board and a reviewer of a collection of scholarly works "Astronomy of Ancient civilizations".
Igor Svyatopolk-Chetvertinsky actively participates in International Congresses of Assyriology (RAI-52: Münster 2006 (topic: 'War & Peace'); RAI-53: Moscow 2007 (topic: 'Language'); RAI-55: Paris 2009 (topic: 'Family')). He is a member of International Assyriological Society since 2006.
In 2003-2006, Igor Svyatopolk-Chetvertinsky worked at creating an article on the Sumerian language for the "Languages of the world" book series. His research interests include: grammatical and stylistic peculiarities of hymno-epic dialect of Akkadian, literary dialect of Sumerian, grammatical and stylistic peculiarities of Vedic Sanskrit and the language of The Bhagavad Gita, the questions of the origin of language, pictography, hieroglyphics, the use of Sumerian ideograms in Akkadian writing system, the use of Aramaic ideograms in Pahlavi scripts, mythology (in Aleksei Losev's interpretation) and rituals. Igor Svyatopolk-Chetvertinsky is a specialist in systematic approach to studying history and languages and culture of Ancient East.
Igor Svyatopolk-Chetvertinsky is proficient in the following languages:
- English. Has teaching experience, translated a Sanskrit textbook from English into Russian.
- German. Practiced the language in Tübingen and Münster.
- French. Practiced the language in Paris.
- Ancient Greek. Translated excerpts into Russian.
- Sumerian. Has teaching experience, translated texts into Russian and English.
- Akkadian. Has teaching experience, translated texts into Russian and English.
- Modern Standard and Classical Arabic. Has teaching experience, practiced the Egyptian dialect in Egypt.
- Biblical Hebrew. Translated excerpts into Russian and English.
- Sanskrit. Has teaching experience, took part in preparing textbooks for reprint.
- Hittite. Translated texts into Russian.
- Avestan. Has teaching experience, translated texts into Russian.
- Middle Persian. Has teaching experience, translated texts into Russian.
- Farsi
- Turkish. Practiced the language in Dalaman and Fethiye.
- Can read Dutch, Italian, Spanish.
Grants
Igor Svyatopolk-Chetvertinsky's thesis "Astrologija Germesa Trismegista i eё drevnevostočnye istočniki" [Hermes Trismegistus's astrology and its ancient oriental sources] received high praise of the Institute of World History was awarded a scientific grant in 1992.
Teaching Experience
Igor Svyatopolk-Chetvertinsky taught English at The Peoples' Friendship University of Russia and Arabic at "Eurasia" language center.
In the Media
Igor Svyatopolk-Chetvertinsky created an educational website dedicated to Sanskrit, Akkadian, and Sumerian: www.sanscrit.ru
Science Index
Selected publications
Igor Svyatopolk-Chetvertinsky published over 30 works in both English and Russian. See the full list of publications here.
- Sviatopolk-Tchetvertynski 1993 - Sviatopolk-Tchetvertynski I. A. The phases of the Moon and its influence according to the Sumerian and Babylonian literary tradition // Fourth Oxford International Conference on Archaeoastronomy: Abstracts of Contributions (August 1993), Stara Zagora, Bulgary. - P. 6.
- Sviatopolk-Tchetvertynski 1997 - Sviatopolk-Tchetvertynski I. A. The establishment of the monthly Moon cycle according to Sumerian and Akkadian traditions (text STC II:49).// The Fifth SEAC Annual Conference in Gdansk. (The paper was read, but unpublished). S. “Société Européenne de l’Astronomie dans la Culture: Newsletter 4& 5”. Warszawa-México, January 2000.
- Sviatopolk-Tchetvertynski 2000 A - Sviatopolk-Tchetvertynski I. A. The Sumerian-Babylonian Calendar and Symbolics of the sacrifices// JENAM 2000 (European Astronomy at the turn of the Millenium): Associated Symposium. Astronomy of Ancient Civilizations. - Moscow, 2000. – P.18-19
- Sviatopolk-Tchetvertynski 2000 A - Sviatopolk-Tchetvertynski I. A. The Sumerian-Babylonian Calendar (A reconstruction)// JENAM 2000 (European Astronomy at the turn of the Millenium): Associated Symposium. Astronomy of Ancient Civilizations. - Moscow, 2000. – P.61.
- Sviatopolk-Tchetvertynski 2002 - Sviatopolk-Tchetvertynski I. A. The Sumerian-Babylonian Calendar and Symbolics of the sacrifices. // Astronomy of Ancient Societies. Proceedings of the Conference ‘Astronomy of Ancient Civilizations’ of the European Society for Astronomy in Culture (SEAC) - Moscow, Nauka, 2002. – P.120-133.
- Sviatopolk-Tchetvertynski 2003 – Sviatopolk-Tchetvertynski, Igor A. Notes on the Structure of the Incantation of Maqlû Series // Journal of Ancient Civilizations, Vol. 18. Changchun, 2003. P. 51-61.
- 2014: Sviatopolk-Czetvertynski, I. A.: The Weapon of Ninurta mi-tum and g̃iš.mittu (lugal-e), Akkadian miṭṭu(m) and its Semitic Parallels: aspects of etymology and poetics // Hans Neumann, Reinhard Dittmann, Susanne Paulus, Georg Neumann and Anais Schuster-Brandis (eds.) Krieg und Frieden. 52e Rencontre Assyriologique Internationale (International Congress of Assyriology and Near Eastern Archaeology), Münster, 17.-21. Juli 2006. Серия: Altes Orient und Altes Testament (AOAT), Bd.401. Printed edition 2014 (ISBN: 978-3-86835-075-3): 969 pages, 178.00 €. Ugarit-Verlag, Münster, Germany. Pp.779-794.