Alexander Aksakov

Alexandr Nikolayevich Aksakov (Алекса́ндр Никола́евич Акса́ков; 27 de mayo de 1832 – 4 de enero de 1903) fue un escritor , traductor , periodista , editor , funcionario estatal e investigador psíquico ruso , a quien se le atribuye haber acuñado el término " telequinesis ". ^{[ 1 ]} Mientras vivía en Alemania con su esposa y publicaba allí sus escritos, comenzó a escribir su nombre como Alexander Aksakof para adaptarse a la ortografía alemana, y este es el nombre por el que es más conocido fuera de Rusia. ^{[ 2 ] [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ]}

Alexandr Nikolayevich Aksakov nació en la gobernación de Penza, hijo del terrateniente Nikolai T. Aksakov, sobrino del escritor Sergey Aksakov . ^{[ 6 ]} Su esposa se llamaba Sophie. ^{[ 2 ]}

En 1851, tras graduarse en el Liceo de Tsárskoye Seló , Aksakov se unió al Ministerio del Interior del Imperio ruso . En 1852, como miembro de la expedición de Melnikov-Pecherskiy, viajó a la región de Nizhni Nóvgorod para investigar el caso del movimiento local de los Viejos Creyentes . En 1858, el gobernador de Nizhni Nóvgorod, A. N. Muravyov (uno de los decembristas originales ), invitó a Aksakov a unirse a la Oficina de Propiedades Estatales del gobierno local como asesor de su división económica. Entre 1868 y 1878, Aksakov fue miembro de la Cancillería de Su Majestad Imperial y se retiró como consejero de Estado, lo que le otorgó el derecho a ser tratado como «Su Excelencia». ^{[ 7 ]}

As a student Aksakov was greatly impressed by the works of Emanuel Swedenborg. This led to an all-consuming interest in mediumship, specifically in its physical manifestations. In 1863 he translated Swedenborg's Heaven and Hell (De Caelo et Ejus Mirabilibus et de inferno. Ex Auditis et Visis) from Latin into Russian, under the title "About Heaven, Universe and Hell as it's been seen and heard by E. Swedenborg". In Leipzig he published his own books "Gospel According to Swedenborg" (1864), "Swedenborg's Rationalism: The Critical Analysis of his Study of the Holy Bible" (1870) and "The Book of Genesis according to Swedenborg" (1870), which were praised by Fyodor Dostoyevsky and Nikolai Leskov.^[8]

In the late 1860s Aksakov became famous as one of the organizers (along with professor Aleksandr Butlerov and zoologist and writer Nikolai Wagner) of the first séances in Russia. He continued to translate major spiritualist works, including those of Andrew Jackson Davis (both into Russian and German). In 1874 he started editing the spiritualist monthly Psychische Studien based in Leipzig. His best known works on the subject, Animism and Spiritism (Анимизм и спиритизм), was published in 1893.^{[7][note 1]}

In Europe, Aksakov became known for his study the case of the British medium Mme. d'Esperance, whom he later praised as an honest, sincere and mysteriously gifted person.^[9] This side of his work has been well documented in Arthur Conan Doyle's "The History of Spiritualism".^[10] Aksakov also investigated psychic medium Eusapia Palladino and has been credited with being the first to use the term telekinesis.^[11]

Alexandr Aksakov wrote on the great variety of subjects, the most controversial of which was the nature and history of Russian drinking habits. His articles and essays appearing regularly in Day (День) magazine edited by Ivan Aksakov.^[8]

He died in Saint Petersburg, aged 70.

• Александр Аксаков. Анимизм и спиритизм. Animism and Spiritism by A. Aksakov (in Russian)