About the Centre

Russian Institute of Egyptology in Cairo (RIEC)

Russian Institute of Egyptology in Cairo

The Russian school of Egyptology has old traditions. The works of many Russian scholars (Vladimir Golenischeff, Boris Turaev, Vladimir Vikentiev and others) were highly appreciated by their foreign colleagues and brought Russian science up to a high international level. However for many years Russian Egyptologists had no opportunity to work in Egypt.

In 1955 academician Mikhail Korostovtsev expressed his regret: «Egypt has become an international scientific laboratory in archaeology, anthropology, ethnology, philology, history and fine arts. It is a pity to realize that scholars of our great country can not work there». M. A. Korostovtsev put forward the idea to set up a Soviet Institute in Egypt. The main task of the Institute was comprehensive studies of the history of Egypt and other Arab countries.

This idea was brought to life only 50 years later on the initiative of Eugeny M. Primakov, who was the Director of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the RAS in 1977-1985. In 2000, with the assistance of Andrej I. Denisov, the Russian Ambassador in Egypt, the Russian Institute of Egyptology in Cairo was founded. It was for the first time when Russian scholars got a chance to be engaged in permanent research work in Egypt.

The Russian Institute of Egyptology in Cairo is a branch of the Centre for Egyptological Studies of RAS. The main fields of its activities include:

• comprehensive studies of the history, culture, languages and religion of ancient, medieval and modern Egypt;
• archaeological excavations;
• restoration and conservation of historical and cultural monuments;
• creation of digital databank of ancient Egyptian collections from the museums of Egypt;
• development of international scientific relations;
• popularization of scientific knowledge.

© Centre for Egyptological Studies of the RAS, 2004