(1750 – 1803)
Bogdanovich Petr Ivanovich (late 1740’s or early 1750’s – 1803), publisher, translator, writer. Of the nobility. In the second half of the 60-ies. studied at the University of Leipzig, then continued education in Britain and Holland. In 1771-1777 in the military service. In 1777-1782 (formally until 1783) he served in the library of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (translator and assistant librarian), participated in the compilation of its catalogs and the systematization of the collections of the Kunstkamera. In 1779-1781 the editor of the journal “Academic News”, simultaneously in 1777-1780 oversaw the work of the Engraving and Drawing Departments of the Academy of Sciences. Bogdanovich is the author of annotated catalogs of “all books sold at the Academy of Sciences” (until 1782 they were published in the newspaper “St. Petersburg Vedomosti”). Publishing activities began in 1779, in 1787 he opened
his own printing house in St. Petersburg, published over 150 books, including works by French enlighteners Voltaire, J.-J. Rousseau, L. S. Mercier, etc., the works of D. I. Fonvizin (pamphlet “The Life of Count N. P. Panin”, comedy “Brigadier” and “Nedorosl”, etc., attempts to publish the collected works of the satirist did not have success for the counteraction of censorship), FA Emin (reprinted his magazine “Hell’s Mail” and other works), etc., as well as collections of Russian epics and fairy tales (“Grandfather’s Walks”, 1791, “Medication from Pensiveness and Insomnia” , 1791, etc.), folk songs (“The Collection of Russian Songs”, 1792, etc.), prints and cartographic materials. Bogdanovich was the first to translate and publish in Russian (in abbreviation) the pamphlet of Erasmus of Rotterdam “The Praise of Stupidity” (1789). In February and June 1786, Bogdanovich (together with FA Tumansky) published the magazine “The Mirror of Light”, in which he published his article “On Alkoran”
(a separate edition of “Mohammed with Alkoran”, 1786, 2nd edition, 1792) and chapters from the book “Rules for Health…” (a separate edition of 1788). In August-November, 1786, tried to publish his magazine “The New St. Petersburg Herald”, but he had no success (in two published issues – mainly the works and translations of Bogdanovich himself, including the article “On Russian Old Believers”, published in a separate edition in 1787 and 1791 under the name “Historical news about the schismatics”). (separate edition of “Mohammed with Alkoran”, 1786, 2nd edition, 1792) and chapters from the book “Rules for the observance of health…” (a separate edition of 1788). In August-November, 1786, tried to publish his magazine “The New St. Petersburg Herald”, but he had no success (in two published issues – mainly the works and translations of Bogdanovich himself, including the article “On Russian Old Believers”, published in a separate edition in 1787 and 1791 under the name “Historical news about the schismatics”). (separate edition of “Mohammed with Alkoran”, 1786, 2nd edition, 1792) and chapters from the book “Rules for the observance of health…” (a separate edition of 1788). In August-November, 1786, tried to publish his magazine “The New St. Petersburg Herald”, but he had no success (in two published issues – mainly the works and translations of Bogdanovich himself, including the article “On Russian Old Believers”, published in a separate edition in 1787 and 1791 under the name “Historical news about the schismatics”).
Among the original works of Bogdanovich are a number of textbooks (The New Russian Alphabet for Noble Children…, 1784, The New and Complete French ABC, 1785, The New French Alphabet, 1785, The Russian Alphabet for Young Children, 1788 , and also “The Letterman, or… instruction, how to compose all kinds of letters,” 1788). In the opinion of Yu. M. Lotman, Bogdanovich is the author of the novel “A Wild Man, Laughing with Scholarship and the Manners of the Present World” (1781, in the appendix – “Talking with the Bachelor of Wilder”). In 1795 Bogdanovich went bankrupt. His significant library and collection of engravings and paintings, badly damaged in the fire in the early 1790s, were sold for debts. In April 1796, Bogdanovich was tried for false accusation of insulting a private police officer and in May was sentenced to exile in Poltava.
The materials of the book are used: Sukhareva O. V. Who was who in Russia from Peter I to Paul I, Moscow, 2005
