Aleksander Yakovlevich Artynov was an ethnographer, folklorist, local historian and the first Rostov historiographer.
Background
Aleksander Yakovlevich Artynov was born on August 22, 1813 in a rural settlement of Semibratovo, Rostov district, Yaroslavl region, Russian fedeartion. He was the son of a well-to-do serf who supplied vegetables to the Tikhvin monastery and to the markets of Yaroslavl and Saint Petersburg.
Education
Aleksander Yakovlevich learned to read and write from his uncle M.D. Martynov and from a local priest. He loved to listen to stories about the history of the village and the city of Rostov.
On trade business, Aleksander Yakovlevich often visited major Russian cities. His attempt to continue father's business has failed, so he entered the "iron" shop of his father-in-law in Rostov. Later he opened small shop in his hometown.
Career
Around 1850, Aleksander Yakovlevich wrote a history of his home village, which attracted historian attention. The first publication of an article about the Bricks appeared in the Yaroslavl Provincial Gazette in 1851. At the same time, he was elected churchwarden in his native village.
Aleksander Yakovlevich was encouraged by the attention of the famous Russian historian M.P. Pogodina, visited the I Archaeological Congress in Moscow in 1869, VII - 1887 in Yaroslavl, met with major figures of culture and literature A.S. Uvarov, I.P. Sakharov, and others.
Aleksander Yakovlevich was elected to Yaroslavl statistical Committee. In 1870, he received "open sheet" from the Yaroslavl Governor to collect ancient legends in the Rostov district.