Smolensk ethnographic collection. Compiled By V. N. Dobrovolsky. Part IV.

Smolensk ethnographic collection. Compiled By V. N. Dobrovolsky. Part IV.
Notes of the Imperial Russian geographical society, volume XXVII.

m. Printing house of A.V. Vasiliev. 1903. XVI, 720 p. Size 17 x 26 cm. Good condition. Without covers, the block splits into two parts. For the most part not cut. Seals and inscriptions on the title.

Vladimir Nikolaevich Dobrovolsky (July 30 [August 11] 1856, Krasnosvyatskoe village, Smolensk province — March 7, 1920) was a Russian ethnographer, local historian, folklorist, and researcher of the customs and language of Smolensk, Orel, and Kaluga peasants. Member of the Russian Geographical society. Author of the Smolensk Ethnographic collection, the Smolensk regional dictionary, and many articles.

At the age of 12, Volodya Dobrovolsky was assigned to the Smolensk gymnasium. In 1876, he completed the course of study, applied and entered the faculty of Philology at St. Petersburg University. Due to a serious illness, he was forced to transfer to Moscow University in order to be closer to the Smolensk region. The teaching staff of Moscow University included well-known European professors F. E. Korsh, V. F. Miller, and academician F. I. Buslaev. When Vladimir was in his third year, he and his friends often attended meetings with V. Miller, which were held at the Professor's apartment in Mashkov lane. At these meetings, students and their teacher had conversations on ethnographic topics. According to Dobrovolsky, these discussions always encouraged him to work independently on issues of Ethnography.

Having saved up money, after finishing the third year, Dobrovolsky went on the first ethnographic expedition to the Orel province, his father's homeland. Throughout the summer, he toured the surrounding area, collecting ethnographic material: signs, sayings-recorded "live" folk speech, entered in a notebook descriptions of folk holidays, the order of parties, made notes about the features of folk costumes of peasants. Following the expedition, he compiled a handwritten collection of Songs of the Orel province of the Dmitrov district, for which he was awarded a small silver medal of the Russian Imperial geographical society.

In 1880, Vladimir Nikolaevich graduated from the University and received an appointment in Smolensk: he was sent as a teacher of literature, logic and history to the Smolensk Mariinsky women's gymnasium. He worked there for two years, but had to leave the service for health reasons.

In his fourth year, he married Evdokia Vishnevskaya. At first, the young people lived in krasnosvyatsky, but in 1887 they moved to Dankovo. Evdokia Timofeevna took care of all the household chores so that her husband could study science all his free time. In ten years, Dobrovolsky traveled all over the Smolensk province. This resulted in the scientific works "Smolensk ethnographic collection" (in four parts) and "Smolensk regional dictionary". He wrote an article about onomatopoeia in the vernacular, later published in the Ethnographic review. In some expeditions to the villages of Dobrovolsky was accompanied by Nikolai ber. He wrote down the melodies of songs, the lyrics of which were entered in his notebook by Vladimir Nikolaevich.

In the mid-1880s, Dobrovolsky submitted the manuscript of the first volume of the Smolensk ethnographic collection to the Geographical society. The work was appreciated, and Vladimir Nikolaevich was elected a member-employee of the society. In 1894, two more volumes were published, and in 1903, the last volume of the ethnographic collection was published. It was dedicated to the teacher and mentor of Vladimir Nikolaevich V. Miller.

After the death of his wife (March 1920) Dobrovolsky went with his son Alex from Smolensk to Dan'kovo. On the way, he was shot by unknown people. He was buried near Dankov.