Oriental studies scholars O. M. Kowalevsky’s and V.P. Vasiliev’s correspondence as a source on the history of Mongolian studies

The article is devoted to the analysis of orientalist V.P. Vasiliev's (1818-1900) correspondence with his teacher, O.M. Kowalevsky (1801-1878), a Mongolian studies scholar, from the point of view of the beginning and development of the Russian Oriental studies in the 30-40s of the XIXth century. The scientists’ letters reflect the solution of the main problem of that period - training experts for Oriental studies. The scientific trips jointly the Russian spiritual mission in Peking helped to study language, culture and history of the Mongolian people. The article characterizes the scientists’ correspondence as a source on the history of science work at the expeditions of orientalists that played a fundamental role in their formation. The V.P. Vasiliev's letters from Peking contain materials about his activities in studying oriental languages, history, geography, ethnography, buying books and manuscripts and about solution of many others problems, assigned to him by the Kazan University Thus, in this work the letters are presented as materials concerning the creation of the sources fund for studying the Oriental peoples. Besides, the letters describe difficulties on Vasiliev's scientific path. The materials, collected by V.P. Vasiliev became the basis of his fundamental works on China, Mongolia and Buddhism.