Studies about N.F. Katanov in Turkey and the process of the Katanov library coming to Turkey

Nikolay Fedorovich Katanov, one of the most prominent representatives of Russian Turcology and oriental science, who lived at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, was originally from Khakassia Turks. With his surprisingly wide knowledge of languages and different interpretations, Katanov’s name and works are still well-known by researchers from many parts of the world. Katanov, who knew the languages and dialects of the Turkic peoples of Southern Siberia, Central Asia and Eastern Europe rather well and conducted research on their culture and history, served as a professor of Comparative Linguistics at Kazan University and embed his name in the world of science with the rich scientific heritage he left behind. Unfortunately, such a scientist did not receive the recognition he deserved until 1957. Since then, in the programs commemorating Katanov’s birthday held every year at Kazan and Khakassia State Universities, the works that were the results of his 40-year work began to be examined and the different dimensions of these works began to be discovered. There are 382 works known to have been published during his lifetime, but Katanov’s role in the numerous works in which he laid the foundations and guided these works should not be denied. In this study, the sale of Katanov’s valuable library, which consists of the data he obtained as a result of his science trips and all the works on the branches of science, language, religion, literature, folklore, history, geography and ethnography, which he accumulated throughout his life, was sold and brought to Turkey as a result of his wife’s pressure and especially financial difficulties. Additionally, studies on Katanov in Turkish were also mentioned. In the study, we tried to use especially Turkish academic literature and look at the subject from Turkish’s perspective. The author declares no conflicts of interests.

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