V. M. Zhivov’s works in the Department of manuscripts of the Russian State Library: notes for the scientific biography

The present article aims at describing the peculiarities of Victor M. Zhivov’s scholarly works based on handwritten sources of 12th — 18th centuries on the history of the Slavic languages and literatures, as well as on the history of the Russian Orthodox Church. The analysis of the documents stored in the auxiliary archive at the Department of manuscripts of the Russian State Library in juxtaposition with V. M. Zhivov’s bibliography provides a key to understanding the evolution of his scientific interests and creative concepts. Through the archival documents study one can see what real work on the manuscript sources is reflected in most of V. M. Zhivov’s major scholarly works. This points to the fact that the source studies were no less important for V. M. Zhivov’s scientific creativity than linguistics and cultural history.