Epistolary heritage of outstanding mineralogy Academician Ye. K. Lazarenko as source of reconstruction of his communication circle

Abstract

The goal of the research. The issue of reconstruction of the circle of communication of the famous mineralogist, academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic Yevhen Kostiantynovych Lazarenko (1912-1979) is highlighted. The main statistical data, collected as a result of processing the block of personal correspondence of the scientist’s fond, has been made public, and a brief source-scientific description of the most interesting documents has been pre sented, including scientific correspondence with famous domestic and foreign scien tists during 1943-1978, deposited in the fonds of the Institute of Archival Studies of the V. I. Vernadskyi National Library of Ukraine. Methodology. Special methods are applied - historical-biographical, historical-comparative, historical-chronological, historical-typological, retrospective, and methods of source analysis. The specified approach allows to analyze the species composition and informative potential of the scientist’s epistolary in order to distinguish the directions, tasks, content, quantity and geographical boundaries of his scientific communication. Scientific novelty. A complex of little-known epistolary sources is included in the scientific circulation, which will make it possible to fill informative gaps in the general picture of the national and international activities of the famous Ukrainian mineralogist Lazarenko, and serves as a valuable source for studying his creative activity and professional contacts. Conclusions. It was determined that the scientist’s circle of correspondence is determined by his special life activity in the professional sphere. The correspondence of Lazarenko acts as a powerful informational factor for the study of epistolary communication with a cohort of the world’s leading scientists, provides additional information on his scientific-organizational, pedagogical, and publishing activities. It serves as an important source of studying the scientist’s life experience, his worldview, life values, individual character traits, and also reveals the degree of kinship or familiarity of the author with the addressee and common preferences.

Keywords

• ye. k. lazarenko, epistolary, mineralogist, personal archival fond, institute of archival studies of v. i. vernadskyi national library of ukraine, national academy of sciences of ukraine.