Dimitri Obolensky
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dimitri Obolensky was born Prince Dmitriy Dmitrievich Obolensky at St Petersburg on 19 March/1 April 1918 and died at Burford, Oxfordshire on 23 December 2001.
Obolensky's parents were Prince Dimitri Alexandrovich Obolensky (1882-1964) and Countess Maria Shuvalov (1894-1973). He was descended from Rurik, Igor, Svyatoslav, St Vladimir of Kiev, St Michael of Chernigov, and Prince Mikhail Semyonovich Vorontsov.
After the Revolution, the Royal Navy helped Obolensky and his family to escape from Russia, together with the Dowager Empress Marie Feodorovna and the Grand Duke Nicholas. Obolensky eventually became a British subject in 1948. In 1988 returned to Russia as an official delegate to the Sobor (Council) of the Russian Orthodox Church convoked to celebrate the 1,000th anniversary of the conversion of Russia to Christianity.
Obolensky was educated at Lynchmere Preparatory School, Eastbourne, and at the Lycée Pasteur in France before going up to Trinity College, Cambridge, where he distinguished himself with a Blue for lawn tennis.
Obolensky became a distinguished academic. He was a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge (1942-48, Honorary Fellow 1991-2001) and Lecturer in Slavonic Studies, University of Cambridge (1946-48). He became Reader in Russian and Balkan Medieval History, University of Oxford (1949-61) and subsequently Professor of Russian and Balkan History (1961-85, Emeritus 1985-2001). He was a Student, Christ Church, Oxford (1950-85, Emeritus 1985-2001). He was Vice-President of the Keston Institute, Oxford.
Obolensky's most enduring achievement was The Byzantine Commonwealth (1971).
Obolensky was elected a Fellow of the British Academy (1974, Vice-President 1983-85) and appointed Knight Bachelor (1984). He was a member of the Athenaeum.
Obolensky married Elisabeth Lopukhin in 1947; the marriage was dissolved in 1989. He died without issue.
Obolensky's memorial service was held at the Cathedral and he is buried at Wolvercote Cemetery.
[edit] External links
- Anthony Bryer, Obituary, The Independent (31 December 2001)
- Michael Bourdeaux, 'Sir Dimitri Obolensky: Distinguished scholar of Byzantium whose infectious enthusiasm drew students to the fields of Russian and Balkan history', The Guardian (4 January 2002)
- Robin Milner-Gulland, 'Professor Sir Dimitri Obolensky, 1918-2002', Society for the Promotion of Byzantine Studies
Categories: 1918 births | 2001 deaths | Fellows of Christ Church, Oxford | People associated with the University of Oxford | Alumni of Trinity College, Cambridge | Fellows of Trinity College, Cambridge | Fellows of Colleges of the University of Cambridge | Fellows of the British Academy | British academics | English academics | Religion academics | People from Oxford | British historians | English historians | Russian historians | Historians of Russia | Historians of religions | Historians of Europe | Byzantinists | Russian byzantinists | Russian medievalists | Rurikids | Russian diaspora | Russian emigrants | Knights Bachelor | British knights
