Andreevskii, V.M.: Egypt

Title

Egipet, Sankt-Peterburg 1886²

Egypt

Keywords

Summary

The travel notes describe Andreevskii’s journey to Egypt in 1880-1881. The book is divided into nineteen distinct chapters, enriched, in its second edition, with 5 maps, 8 phototypes, 2 engravings, and 78 illustrations (first edition: 1884). In Chapter 1, the author describes his arrival to Alexandria, depicting the local port, the lighthouse, and the demographic landscape of the city. Subsequent chapters (ch. 2 to 4) move to Cairo, offering a historical background, descriptions of streets and local markets, and insights into the city’s university and its Muslim population. Chapter 5 moves to Heliopolis, exploring its obelisks and describing a visit to the place where the Holy Family found shelter during their flight to Egypt. Chapter 6 describes the mystical rituals of the Dervishes, whereas Chapter 7 recalls a visit to the Bulak Museum, providing reflections on the art and history of ancient Egypt. In chapter 8 the author recalls smoking hashish and describes a clandestine café frequented by hashish smokers. Chapters 9 and 10 report a visit to the pyramids, providing hypotheses about their construction and offering an exploration of these architectural marvels, including the Sphinx. Chapter 11 reflects on the significance of the Nile in the lives of Egyptians, Chapter 12 is devoted to Memphis, and Chapter 13 to the Serapeum of Alexandria and its discoverer Auguste Mariette. In Chapter 14 the author navigates through the Nile’s waterways, while Chapter 15 moves to Asyut. Chapters 16 and 17 shine a light on the Dendera temple, discussing astronomy in the ancient Egyptian civilization. Chapters 17 and 18 explore Thebes, portraying it as the capital of Egypt 3500 years ago. The concluding Chapter 19 is devoted to Aswan, Philae, and Abydos.

Bio

Vladimir Andreevskii was born in Tambov, the son of officer and landowner Mikhail Andreevskii and grandson of General Stepan Andreevskii, a hero of the 1812 War. Andreevskii graduated from the Faculty of Law at Moscow University and started his service in 1881, in the Civil Department of the Senate, as a junior assistant to the desk officer. After a journey through Europe and the Middle East, he authored a volume of travel notes entitled Egypt (1884). As a result, he was accepted as a member of the Imperial Russian Geographical Society. In 1886, following the death of his father and uncle, Andreevskii left service and settled in the estate Bogoslovka in Kirsanovskii uezd. After the revolution, in March 1920, Andreevskii, accompanied by his sister Olga and his wife Vera, emigrated to France. A member of the Union of Liberation and Revival of Russia, he contributed, along with his family, to the opening of the shelter for Russian refugees in Paris, promoted by princess Vera Meshcherskaia (1924).

Sources

“Andreevskii, Vladimir Mikhailovich”, in Rossiiskoe dvorianstvo v revoliutsii 1905 goda, ed. by I. Lukoianov, Sankt-Peterburg 2017, p. 468;

I. Senchenko, Rossiiskaia imperiia i strana piramid (Egipet). Istoriia v datakh i litsakh, Sankt-Peterburg 2024.

M.E.

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