Ancient Egypt in the biography of A.N. Muravyov
This article discusses the early stage of Egyptology in the Russian culture. Two Ancient Egyptian sphinxes brought from Thebes to St. Petersburg in 1830, which still decorate the northern capital, embodied the spirit of spontaneous collection of artifacts and scholarly inquiry. The energetic and inquisitive Andrey Muraviev, an adventurer and a travel writer, played a key role in this purchase.