The University of Central Asia (UCA) received nearly 600 books from the collection of the late Vasiliy Kisunko, a Russian art historian and professor. The collection includes books on culture, history, politics and political economy published by Soviet historians between 1960 and 1980.
The collection’s geographic focus is “the East,” as defined during that time period to include the Middle East, Central Asia, South Asia and China. “Perhaps what is most interesting about this collection is its historiographical significance,” said Gregory Kisunko, Vasily’s son, “These books explain history through the eyes of historians during the Soviet period. People don’t write like that anymore.”
The man behind this unique collection was a mathematician turned art historian, and a bibliophile, whose love of books resulted in a sprawling collection that eventually threatened to overtake what Gregory describes as a “regular-sized Moscow apartment.”
Ismailimail 