Gerasimov Mikhail Mikhailovich - world-famous anthropologist, archaeologist, sculptor. It was he who developed the technology for restoring the external human appearance using skeletal remains and skulls. He also reconstructed sculptural portraits of historical figures and ancient people, in particular Tamerlane, Yaroslav the Wise, Ivan the Terrible and others.
From the article you will learn the biography of Mikhail Mikhailovich Gerasimov. You will also get acquainted with his activities and some interesting facts from life.
Biography
Mikhail Mikhailovich Gerasimov lived from 1907 to 1970. Born September 15 in the city of St. Petersburg. He died on July 21, 1970 in the capital of our country. Michael's father was a doctor. In addition to the main profession, he was very fond of nature, was fond of the world of ancient geological eras and studied the works of Darwin.
The manuscripts were clogged with similar manuscripts. It is not surprising that Michael became interested in antiquities and devoted his life to anthropology. The history of M. M. Gerasimov until adolescence is not known. The main facts are at the beginning and formation of Michael as an archaeologist, anthropologist and sculptor-re-enactor.
At age 11, the boy went to an archaeological site in a suburb of the city of Irkutsk (Verkholenskaya Gora). He was already very attracted by Cuvier's experiments on the reconstruction of the appearance of historical animals.
At the age of 13, Mikhail Mikhailovich Gerasimov went to work at the Museum of Anatomy, located at the University of Irkutsk. He was very interested in anatomy. Under their wing, the boy was taken: forensic professor Professor Grigoryev and anatomist Kazantsev.
Mikhail possessed excellent visual memory and natural observation, which helped him to study in detail the relationship between the skull bones and soft tissues of the face. This knowledge was useful to him in later life during the reconstruction of persons.
First discoveries
At age 14, Mikhail independently opened the burial of people who lived in the Stone Age. This was his first open burial. The second was excavated at the age of 17.
Being at the age of 18, the young man published his first own scientific article devoted to paleontological excavations at the resettlement point (Innokentyevskaya station, and now Irkutsk-2) in the city of Irkutsk.
These were excavations of settlements of people who lived in the Paleolithic era. To this day, the artifacts he found are the best in the country and are now located in museums.
At the age of 20, he participated in excavations near Khabarovsk, where he opened a Mesolithic settlement with a supporting multi-layered monument.
The main finds of the paleontologist
In 1928, Mikhail Mikhailovich Gerasimov came to the village of Malta in the Irkutsk region for excavation. Previously, a mammoth tusk was discovered in this very place, and it was here that the most important discovery was made, which is of great importance for archeology. One of the most famous late paleontological sites of Siberia (Malta) was found, which has been underground since the Paleolithic era. Previously, such artifacts were found only in Western Europe.
A total of 15 buildings were found, the walls of which were made of mammoth bones. Also, archaeologists unearthed bone and stone sculptures, tools, works of nascent art and the burial of a four-year-old boy.
The work of an archaeologist
During the year (1931-1932), Mikhail Mikhailovich Gerasimov received knowledge at the State Academy of Material Culture in Leningrad. In 1932, he was invited to a permanent job, which he combined with his hobby - excavation. A little later, he was offered the place of the head in the restoration workshops of the Hermitage, of which he, of course, did not refuse.
He spoke with highly qualified art historians, which subsequently played a large role in the formation of the anthropologist Gerasimov Mikhail Mikhailovich as an artist, scientist and sculptor. Despite the large amount of work, he still continued to visit excavations in the Angara region and other important sites.
Reconstruction of ancient people
Since 1927, the archaeologist Gerasimov Mikhail Mikhailovich was engaged in the reconstruction of the appearance of primitive people. Reconstruction sculptures of Neanderthal and Pithecanthropus are on display at the Museum of Local History in Irkutsk.
Now his method of work is called the “Gerasimov method”. To achieve a result, he spent most of his time experimenting and experimenting, re-reading many books, dissecting his head, measuring the thickness of the skin and muscle. As a result, his work took a deserved place in the exhibition centers of Russia.
In 1941, Gerasimov M.M. carried out the first mass experiment on the basis of the Moscow morgue in Lefortovo. In total, he made 12 control reconstructions on the skulls that belonged to the Chinese, Poles, Ukrainians and Russian people. The result of the experiment was overwhelming. When they showed the photographs to Mikhail, it turned out that all 12 designed faces had a striking portrait resemblance.
In 1938, Mikhail Mikhailovich Gerasimov during excavations in Tashkent found an ancient burial dating back to the Stone Age, in which the skeleton of a Neanderthal boy was completely preserved. Later, Mikhail made his reconstruction in full growth, which caused a big commotion.
Testing the art of an anthropologist
Many believed that Michael comes up with the appearance of his sculptures. A number of scientists decided to arrange for him to verify the authenticity of persons who had an intravital image. Gerasimov did the first test in Leningrad.
He was given a skull, but no one said who he belongs to. It turned out that these are the remains of a Papuan who lived in St. Petersburg. Gerasimov Mikhail Mikhailovich made a reconstruction according to his own technique. Skeptics believed that they would receive a sculpture of a European, but they received exactly the Papuan. So Michael passed his first test.
The second control experiment he had to perform in 1940. The archaeologist was presented with a skull, which was found in one of the crypts of a cemetery in Moscow. Gerasimov was told that the man lived about 100 years ago and is a relative of a Russian writer.
The anthropologist in the course of his work determined that the skull belongs to a young woman. He reconstructed her face, made a hairstyle that was worn at that time.
When scientists began to check his work, they were amazed that there was almost complete resemblance to Dostoevsky’s mother. Her sculpture was compared with the only portrait that was painted at the age of 20.
On this, Gerasimov’s checks were completed. Scientists are convinced of his professionalism. Gerasimov can really create accurate portraits of the reconstruction of people who once lived.
The works of Mikhail Gerasimov
The most famous work of the anthropologist is a sculpture-portrait of the face of Ivan the Terrible, which he designed in 1964. He did not specifically study the appearance of the king, so as not to feel the pressure on himself.
The thing is that the images of the ruler for certain did not reach our times. After the reconstruction, scientists noted that, most likely, this image is as close as possible to the real one. Gerasimov depicted the image of a strong-willed and courageous man who looked very much like a tsar.
Another portrait-sculpture of an anthropologist is the reconstruction of the Tajik poet Rudaki, who lived in the X century. The work was created in 1957. Gerasimov himself found in the cemetery in the village of the remnants of the male skeleton that once belonged to the poet. How did he know that?
Michael studied poetry written by the poet, which described that he was blind in adulthood and was left without teeth. When he began to study the found skeleton, it turned out that he had no teeth and the upper edges of the orbital nerve were atrophied. This fact suggests that it was Rudaki.
In 1946, the reconstruction of the image of Skilur, the king of the Scythians, who lived in the II century BC, was created. The remains of the ruler were found during excavations in Neapolis of Scythia. The status of the found skeleton was indicated by an expensive weapon in the tomb, a bronze helmet with silver inlay, gold jewelry and other riches.
Reconstruction of Tamerlane (Timur) - the medieval conqueror who lived in the XIV century, Gerasimov made in 1941 after the opening of the tomb. All the data on the conqueror known until then testified to the fact that it was he who was in the tomb. The face was designed according to the skull, and clothes and a headdress based on an analysis of things of that era and preserved miniatures.
The remains of Ulugbek, Timur’s grandson, were found in the mausoleum of Gur-Ami Samarkand. He was a physician, poet and astronomer. There was documentary evidence that it was Ulugbek, since the body was found separately from the head (since it was cut off by Khan Abbas). Therefore, there was no doubt that it was Ulugbek.
These were the main works of the great anthropologist. He is also the author of reconstructions:
- Yaroslav the Wise;
- Andrei Bogolyubsky;
- Ushakova.
Published books
Despite the fact that the great sculptor had virtually no free time, he managed to write several books. Now the books of Mikhail Mikhailovich Gerasimov are popular among lovers of the humanities and social sciences. All of them relate to anthropological:
"Restoring the face of the skull (modern and fossil man)." A book was published in 1955. Earlier in 1949, a summary of the work was published. This is a new and complete description of the fundamental work of the Russian sculptor and anthropologist. It presents graphic reconstruction, describes in detail the technique of portrait reconstruction and its application as a historical study.
"Stone Age People" is a book published in 1964. Here you can find out about the most interesting reconstructions of people that were completed during 20 years of work. It also describes some conditions for finding human remains. A special place in the book is occupied by a description of a particular era in which a person lived.
There is another book that was released after the death of the archaeologist - "Tamerlane, the conqueror of Asia." It included the studies of such prominent orientalists as L. A. Zimina, V. V. Bartold, A. Yu. Yakubovsky and, of course, M. M. Gerasimov.
Achievements
The following unique works were carried out by an anthropologist:
- He created more than 200 portraits of sculptures according to the method of reconstruction. These were both ordinary people who lived in ancient times, and historical figures.
- He, together with a team of archaeologists, explored and opened Malta's Upper Palaeotic site.
- For several years (1931-1936), he investigated the Fofanovsky burial ground located near the village of Fofanovo in Buryatia (Kabansky district).
- Gerasimov reconstructed the face of a late Neanderthal man whose remains were found in the grill of La Chapelle-au-Sen in France, as well as Cro-Magnons excavated in the Sungir camp, located near Vladimir.
Interesting Facts
The first experiments of M. M. Gerasimov were conducted under the supervision of the Criminal Investigation Department. They officially gave him orders. Everything was held in the framework of strict secrecy. This was not the work that the archaeologist dreamed of. He perceived it as a necessity. In addition, Michael received money for her. Here are some interesting stories about how crimes were uncovered thanks to Gerasimov.
In Leningrad, it became known about the disappearance of a boy whom they could not find for a long time. In the end, they found him and provided the skeleton to Gerasimov. In this photo of the boy, he never saw. Surprisingly, he reconstructed so well and clearly that when a couple of pictures were given to the mother of the missing boy, she selected exactly those that were made from the reconstruction of Mikhail.
Another incident occurred in Stalingrad in the pre-war era. One man stated that he had lost a pregnant spouse. A year later, in the forest, a teacher with children found a skull and the remains of a skeleton. The city prosecutor thought it might be a missing woman. The skull was handed over to Gerasimov. The anthropologist created the reconstruction, and when a photo of the sculpture was shown to the husband of the missing woman, he confessed to having killed his wife.
