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Monday 17 January 2022

Natalya Isaeva (September the 17th, 1954 - January the 13th, 2022)

 
History and Culture Department of the Ancient East of the Institute of Oriental Studies (the Russian Academy of Sciences) announces with deep sorrow the death of Natalya Isayeva, an outstanding scientist, leading researcher of the Institute of Oriental Studies, Indologist, philosophy and religion historian, Doctor of Historical Sciences.

Natalya Isaeva graduated from the Philosophy Faculty of Moscow State University. Then she did her postgraduate studies at the Institute of Oriental Studies. During her scientific career, she studied the works of the greatest thinkers of ancient and early medieval India: the philosopher and grammarian Bhartrihari (about the 5th century AD); the founders of the religious and philosophical school of Advaita Vedanta, Gaudapada and Shankara (around the 8th century); representatives of Kashmir Shaivism Anandavardhana (9th century AD) and Abhinavagupta (10th-11th centuries AD). From under her pen came a number of monographs that were published in Russia, the USA and India, including: “Shankara and Indian Philosophy” (Moscow, 1991), “The Word that Creates the World. From Early Vedanta to Kashmir Shivaism: Gaudapada, Bhartrihari, Abhinavagupta” (Moscow, 1996), “Art as a Guide. Kashmir Shivaism: Abhinavagupta and Kshemaraja (in comparison with some modern paratheatrical experiences) ”(St. Petersburg, 2014), as well as about 100 articles on Indology, philosophy, issues of modern theatrical aesthetics. Her works have made an invaluable contribution to Russian and world science, being a significant step forward in the study of Indian philosophy. Her works on the history and theory of theatrical art are also of great importance.

Natalia Isaeva was a very talented translator. She made excellent translations from Sanskrit and published with comments a large amount of scientific and fiction literature (commentaries of Shankara, treatises by Gaudapada and Bhartrihari), from French, German and Danish (5 main treatises if the famous philosopher Kierkegor).

Natalya Isaeva was a world-famous scientist who received the highest rating not only at home, but also abroad. She taught and worked in France (at the University of Paris-8 and at the ARTA research center, she  was the dean of the directing department of the National Higher School of Theater Arts and Techniques in Lyon), Italy, Great Britain (was a visiting fellow at Woolfson College, Oxford), received a high award - Order of Fine Arts and Letters of the French Republic.

Everyone who knew Natalya Isaeva, collaborated with her and studied with her, notes not only her outstanding mind and abilities, bright personality, but also her unfailing gentleness, kindness and cordiality, thanks to which she won the universal love and respect of her employees. Natalya Isaeva will forever remain in our memory as a great scientist and a wonderful person.