Kartavtsev, E.E.: Through Egypt and Palestine. Travel Notes

Title

Po Egiptu i Palestine. Putevye zametki, Sankt-Peterburg 1892

Through Egypt and Palestine. Travel Notes

Keywords

Summary

The book is a collection of travel notes that were published in 1891 in the journal “Vestnik Evropy”, with the addition of some previously unpublished material. In the preface, the author confesses that, being drawn to the East, he had managed to convince two wealthy friends to visit Palestine and Egypt and to finance the journey. Not concerned with “archaeological, economic, or political questions”, he plans to focus on “documenting experiences and feelings” in the form of a journal. Alexandria, Cairo, the pyramids, Memphis, Luxor, along with a cruise up the Nile are described. The visit of the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III is the excuse to talk extensively about ancient Egypt’s religion, architecture, painting, and sculpture.

The impressions of the three Russian travellers varied considerably. While the author and one of his companions enjoyed Egypt (despite the journey’s challenges), the third friend appeared to be eager to leave the country behind forever..

Bio

Evgenii Kartavtsev was a Russian official and economist, serving as the manager of the Peasants’ Land Bank. He was married to the novelist Maria Krestovskaia (1862-1910). He travelled to Egypt and Palestine in 1889, documenting his experiences in what he referred to as “travel diaries”, published in several issues of the journal “Vestnik Evropy” (May, June, December 1891). The material was later assembled together and released as a book entitled Through Egypt and Palestine (1892). After the revolution he emigrated to France, and died in Paris.

Sources

A. Bugrov, Marat Krest’ianskogo banka: ocherk zhizni i deiatel’nosti E.E. Kartavtsova (1850-1932), “Den’gi i kredit”, 2011, 4, p. 64-68;

T. Anikeeva, Dva puteshestviia i odin tekst: E.E. Kartavtsev i I.A. Bunin v Kaire, “Vestnik Instituta vostokovedeniia RAN”, 2020, 2, p. 29-36.

M.E.