Metadata: A. Kh. Gorfunkel’
Collection
- Country:
- Russia
- Holding institution:
- The National Library of Russia
- Holding institution (official language):
- Российская национальная библиотека. Отдел рукописей.
- Postal address:
- 91069, Russia, St. Petersburg, ul. Sadovaia, д. 18, main building; tel.: (812) 310-28-56; fax: (812) 310-61-48; e-mail: office@nlr.ru http://www.nlr.ru
- Reference number:
- F. 1370
- Title:
- A. Kh. Gorfunkel’
- Title (official language):
- ГОРФУНКЕЛЬ А. Х.
- Creator/accumulator:
- A. Kh. Gorfunkel’
- Date(s):
- 1903/1994
- Language:
- Russian
- Italian
- French
- English
- Extent:
- 821 storage units
- Type of material:
- Textual material
- Photographic images
- Scope and content:
- The fonds includes biographical materials of A. Kh. Gorfunkel’, including documents on his public and literary activities; and his writings (articles, essays, reviews, translations), and materials pertaining to same; correspondence; photographs; etc. (1940s-90s). Materials pertaining to Jewish history and culture come mainly in the form of biographical documents of A. Kh. Gorfunkel’ and his relatives (1940s-90s). Among these are a document titled “Information on relatives” compiled by Ia. L. Aronson, A. Kh. Gorfunkel’s grandfather, containing information on his family’s history, his literary work, etc. (1943-47); reminiscences by A. Kh. Gorfunkel’’s mother M. Ia. Aronson that describe pogroms against Jews in Gomel’ in 1903-06, life in the cities of Vitebsk and Minsk, and her studies in Berlin (1966); and her correspondence with I. I. Tumarkin (1910-51); etc.; manuscripts of works, and letters from the front and personal documents of A. Kh. Gorfunkel’s father Kh. D. Gorfunkel’ (1900s-1942); materials of his sister, the artist E. Kh. Gorfunkel’, including her memoir titled “My Vita, or My Life in Art”; literary works; lists of artworks housed in private and state collections (1940s-90s); documents of A. Kh. Gorfunkel’s wife R. M. Koval’, and in particular, her correspondence with the artist S. M. Gershov (1970s-80s); and also materials of other persons, including correspondence of Osip Mandel’shtam (1919-28); etc.
- Administrative/biographical history:
- Aleksandr Khaimovich Gorfunkel’ (b. 1928) is a book historian, bibliographer, and specialist in 17th-c. Russian history and culture and the history and philosophy of the Italian Renaissance (13th-17th c.); he has a PhD and habilitation in history. He graduated from Leningrad State University in 1950. From 1950-62 he worked in Leningrad archives; and he was head of the rare book department of the Leningrad University Research Library (1962-84), and of the rare book sector at the State Public library. He has published over 300 research works, including several books on the philosophy of the Italian Renaissance, and several catalogues of rare books. In 1993 he and his wife moved to the United States (the state of Massachusetts), where he joined the Harvard University Russian Research Institute. At Harvard he began to study the life and oeuvre of the 17th c. Russian philosopher and poet Ian (Andrei) Belobotskii. He is the author of memoirs written in the US.
- Access points: persons/families:
- Aronson, Ia. L.
- Aronson, M. Ia.
- Gershov, S. M.
- Gorfunkel’, A. Kh. (Aleksandr Khaimovich)
- Gorfunkel’, E. Kh.
- Gorfunkel’, Kh. D.
- Koval’, R. M.
- Tumarkin, I. I.
- System of arrangement:
- The fonds includes a single inventory systematised by structure, and in part alphabetically.
- Finding aids:
- An inventory is available.
- Yerusha Network member:
- Jewish Theological Seminary