Lev Vasilyevich Oshanin (; 9 March 1884 – 9 January 1962) was a

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

professor, medical doctor,

anthropologist An anthropologist is a scientist engaged in the practice of anthropology. Anthropologists study aspects of humans within past and present societies. Social anthropology, cultural anthropology and philosophical anthropology study the norms, values ...

, and founder of the department of anthropology at National University of Uzbekistan in

Tashkent Tashkent (), also known as Toshkent, is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Uzbekistan, largest city of Uzbekistan. It is the most populous city in Central Asia, with a population of more than 3 million people as of April 1, 2024. I ...

. Oshanin was most notable for his anthropological work in

Central Asia Central Asia is a region of Asia consisting of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The countries as a group are also colloquially referred to as the "-stans" as all have names ending with the Persian language, Pers ...

Life

Lev Oshanin was the son of Vasily Oshanin, a noted scientist and explorer of Central Asia. Oshanin was trained as a medical doctor and participated in the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

. He later worked in hospitals in the city of Tashkent in what is now

Uzbekistan , image_flag = Flag of Uzbekistan.svg , image_coat = Emblem of Uzbekistan.svg , symbol_type = Emblem of Uzbekistan, Emblem , national_anthem = "State Anthem of Uzbekistan, State Anthem of the Republ ...

. Oshanin also practiced anthropology and was one of the few anthropologists in Central Asia. In 1930 he gained a position at Tashkent University and went on to found the university’s Department of Anthropology, which he chaired until his death in 1962. Oshanin was notable in the world of anthropology because of his extensive work in Soviet Central Asia. He traveled widely in the region and conducted numerous anthropological studies of various ethnic groups in the most remote corners of Central Asia. In 1926 Oshanin was commissioned by the Soviet government to prepare a study of the "daily life and anthropological type of Uzbek women." Oshanin's research team interviewed and physically examined several hundred Uzbek women from Tashkent. Oshanin died in Tashkent in 1962 and is buried in Botkin cemetery in Tashkent. Oshanin’s daughter, Helen Lvovna May, subsequently worked and taught at Tashkent University.

Published works

*Oshanin, L. V. Anthropological composition of the population of Central Asia and the ethnogenesis of its peoples. Cambridge, Mass: Peabody Museum, 1964 *Ошанин Л.В. Данные к географическому распространению главнейших антропологических признаков население Средней Азии и опыт выявления основных расовых типов Средней Азии. // Tp.IV. Всесоюзного съезда зоологов, анатомов и гистологов. Киев, 1931. (Oshanin L.V. Data about geographic spread of the main features of anthropological populations of Central Asia and experience in identifying the major racial types in Central Asia. / / All-Union Congress of Zoologists, anatomists and histologist. Kyiv, 1931)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Oshanin, Lev 1884 births 1962 deaths Physicians from Tashkent People from Syr-Darya Oblast Physicians from the Russian Empire Russian anthropologists 20th-century Russian biologists 20th-century Russian explorers Soviet anthropologists Soviet biologists 20th-century Russian physicians Soviet explorers Soviet physicians Central Asian studies scholars Academic staff of National University of Uzbekistan Military doctors from the Russian Empire Russian military personnel of World War I Recipients of the Order of the Red Banner of Labour