Aksakoff, Alexandre Nikolayevich

(1832-1903). Russian author and philosopher who served as Vice-President of the Theosophical Society (TS). He was born on May 27, (June 8) 1832, in the village of Repyevka, Gorodishchenskyuyezd in the Province of Penza, Russia. He was educated in the Alexander Lyceum of St. Petersburg and after graduating in 1851 he entered into service with the Ministry of the Interior.

Aksakoff joined the TS in 1877 and was appointed International Vice-President in 1881. He was made State Councillor to the Russian Emperor in 1896 and held a professorial chair at St. Petersburg Imperial University from 1875. He sponsored the translation of People from the Other World (1875), written by Henry S. OLCOTT. For a while (1874) he published a journal devoted to spiritualism called Psychische Studien to which Helena P. BLAVATSKY contributed articles. When he returned to Russia after a period abroad Aksakoff was in frequent correspondence with both H. P. Blavatsky and Henry S. Olcott. He was the author of many published works dealing with spiritualism, psychic research and Swedenborgianism.

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