Osip Kowalewski’ Mongolian And Chinese Diaries (1828– 1833)

The article is devoted to the scientific heritage of Osip Kowalewski (1800-1878) – the Polish and Russian scientist. He got an education of an ancient historian at Vilnius University. Kowalewski participated in the Polish liberation movement and was banished to Kazan. He learned east languages, in 1828 - 1832 Kowalewski was sent to an expedition to Transbaikal and Mongolia and also spent seven months in Beijing. Besides a set of scientific works, including early studies of the Mongolian Buddhism and the three-volume Mongolian and Russian-French dictionary, Kowalewski left a large number of diary entries. The materials relating to a trip from Kyakhta to Beijing and back were published only in 2005. It is used biographic and source study methods in the article. The analysis of contents of diaries of O. Kowalewski demonstrates that as to the scientist were inherent in its independence, systematic character, realness, concreteness and criticality of thinking. Kowalewski does not fall into idealization and a mythologization of an image of Mongolia and China.