St. Petersburg Editions of the Qur’an and Mullah Usman Ismail: Some Сlarifications

This article continues a series of recent studies devoted to the first complete printed editions of the Qur’an in the Arabic language published in the Russian Empire. This paper explores the printing of the Arabic text of the Qur’an in Russia, which began in St. Petersburg in the last quarter of the 18th century, during the reign of Empress Catherine II (1762– 1796), and was continued in Kazan from the 19th century onward. The significance of studying the St. Petersburg editions of the Qur’an and all historical aspects of their production stems from the fact that their structure set the standard followed in modern printed editions of the Qur’an with subsequent additions and clarifications. In this regard, the article emphasizes the special contribution of Tatar intellectuals and print workers at the Asian Printing House to the development of printing the Qur’an in Russia in the late 18th century. It discusses the Tatar typesetters at the printing house: Kurban-Gali Iskhakov (born in 1759), Khamza Mamyshev (c. 1769–1770), and Gali Rakhmatullin (birth date unknown, active in the 18th century), supplemented by brief biographical notes. Nevertheless, the collective contribution of all known participants in the production of the St. Petersburg editions of the Qur’an emphasizes the key role of the Tatar Mullah and master calligrapher Usman Ismail. He designed the original Arabic typeface and annotations accompanying the Qur’anic text in these editions. The article also introduces recently discovered sources, that significantly enrich biographical information of Mullah Usman Ismail, including an approximate birth date (c. 1743–1744) and previously unknown details about his family background. The author concludes that an objective assessment of Mullah Usman Ismail’s contribution justifies securinghis place in the history of the printed Qur’an’s dissemination in Russia and Europe, as well as including him in the pantheon of eminent Muslim figures of his era.