Medieval Manuscript Studies of Helena Ettinger in 1930s

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.17721/2519-4801.2024.2.06

Keywords:

Book studies, medieval manuscripts studies, Helena Ettinger, Mykola Heppener, Serhii Maslov, Vernadskyi National Library of Ukraine named, 1930s.

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to restore the place of Helena Ettinger’s research in the study of medieval manuscripts during the 1930s. Due to incomplete evidence and the loss of her work, The Illuminations and Miniatures of Greek and Cyrillic Manuscripts of the 9th–15th Centuries (1935–1936), Helena Ettinger’s position among researchers in Ukrainian bibliographic studies remains undetermined. Her activities as a research associate in the manuscript department of the Library of the Academy of Sciences and the State Historical Library have been limited to a descriptive level in reference publications.

Methods. The article draws on archival documents from the Institute of Manuscripts at the Vernadskyi National Library of Ukraine and the New York Public Library. It also employs prosopography and comparative biographical methods to reconstruct the scholar’s biography more comprehensively.

Results. Based on the preserved introduction and reviews by Mykola Heppener and Serhiy Maslov, the article provides qualitative insights into Ettinger’s lost work. The authors note that Ettinger used the term ornamentation to mean illumination and clarify other terms she employed (e.g., Cyrillic, index, defects). Ettinger's methodological approach surpassed the prevailing practices of her 1930s contemporaries by extending beyond textology and palaeography to incorporate codicology and visual studies.

Conclusions. Ettinger carried out meticulous work in compiling collection descriptions, editing predecessor records to establish a uniform standard, creating methodical instructions for miniature descriptions, and contributing to exhibition efforts. Her connections included writer Ivan Le and American ethnologist Stella Marek Cushing, and her interests extended to ethnographic materials. Ettinger’s scientific contributions—such as the stylistic comparison of Greek and Cyrillic medieval manuscripts based on decoration, her linguistic expertise, and her maintenance of international scholarly contacts—along with her background (stemming from a dekulakized Jewish family), may have adversely affected her fate. Her sudden dismissal from the library and her subsequent disappearance during the German-Soviet war remain unexplained.

 

Published

2025-01-31

Issue

Section

Special Issue