Putsykovich, F.F.: Abyssinians. A Reading for the People

Title

Abissintsy. Chtenie dlia naroda, Sankt-Peterburg 1910⁵ (first edition: 1896)

Abyssinians. A Reading for the People

Keywords

Summary

This pamphlet is part of the series “Studies in ethnography”, which offered the Russian public news on the world’s most various populations. The author provides information on the history, the geography and the locals, stating at the beginning that Ethiopia is the only country in the world inhabited by a Semitic tribe which at the same time professes the Christian faith. Flora and fauna are also described, as well as the economic and political situation. General customs of Abyssinians are outlined, and one of their folk song is translated for the benefit of the Russian reader. A map of the country is also included.

Bio

Feofil Putsykovich was a Russian writer, pedagogue and teacher, brother of the journalist and editor Viktor Putsykovich. He studied at the faculty of Law of Saint Petersburg University, but was expelled for failing to pay the fees. He worked as a teacher for twenty years, at the same time publishing manuals and popular literature dedicated to the most various subjects – from ethnography to history, geography, religion, orthography and grammar. Among his many publications, there stand out the series “Bible stories” (consisting of 20 pamphlets), and “Studies in ethnography” (consisting of 40 pamphlets), which were widely read.

Sources

“Putsykovich, Feofil Feofilovich”, in Entsiklopedicheskii slovar’ Brokgauza i Efrona, t. 25a, Sankt-Peterburg 1898, p. 821;

Russkie pisateli. 1800-1917, t. 5, Moskva 2007, p. 185.

A.F.