Peter von Uslar

In this name that follows Eastern Slavic naming customs, the patronymic is Karlovich and the family name is Uslar.

Baron Pyotr Karlovich Uslar (Russian: Пётр Карлович Услар, IPA: [ˈpʲɵtr kərɫəvʲɪt͡ɕ ʊsɫər]), known by his German name Peter von Uslar (1 September [O.S. 20 August] 1816 – 20 July [O.S. 9 July] 1875), was a Russian general, engineer and linguist of German descent, known for his research of languages and ethnography of peoples of Caucasus.

Pyotr Karlovich Uslar
Пётр Карлович Услар
Born	1 September [O.S. 20 August] 1816 Kurovo, Vyshnevolotsky Uyezd, Tver Governorate, Russian Empire
Died	20 July [O.S. 9 July] 1875 Kurovo, Vyshnevolotsky Uyezd, Tver Governorate, Russian Empire
Nationality	Russian
Alma mater	Engineering School of Nikolai
Occupation(s)	linguist, ethnographer, caucasologist
Known for	Works on Caucasian languages, as well as creation of first alphabets for them
Spouse	Sofiya Krabbe (died in 1843)
Parents	Karl Uslar (father) Vera Chikhachëva (mother)
Relatives	Karl Uslar (grandfather)
Military career
Allegiance	Russian Empire
Service / branch	Imperial Russian Army
Years of service	1837-1875
Rank	Major General
Awards	Order of St. George, 4th class, Order of St. Anne, 1st class, Order of St. Anne, 3rd class, Order of St. Stanislau, 1st class, Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd class, Order of St. Vladimir, 4th class
Signature

Biography

Peter von Uslar was born in 1 September [O.S. 20 August] 1816 in Kurovo manor in Vyshnevolotsky District, Tver Governorate, Russian Empire. His grandfather was a native of Hanover who in 1765 moved to Russia and subsequently joined the ranks of Imperial Russian Army.

After graduating from the Chief Engineering School, he graduated from the General Staff Academy and did not have formal education in linguistics.

In 1850 he was appointed member of the Caucasus Department of the Russian Geographical Society and ordered to compile the history of the Caucasus region. This appointment had eventually led to his interest in researching of Caucasian languages and to his tremendous contribution into the recording of numerous Caucasian languages from various linguistic groups, such as Abkhaz, Ubykh, Svan, Chechen, Avar, Lak, Tabasaran, Lezgian, Dargin, etc.

Bibliography

Russian sources

• Загурский, Л. П. (1881). "Петр Карлович Услар и его деятельность на Кавказе" [Petr Karlovich Uslar and his activities in the Caucasus]. Древние сказания о Кавказе [Ancient legends about the Caucasus] (in Russian). Тифлис: Изд. Кавк. воен.-нар. упр. pp. I–LXXXIII.
• Майсак, А. М. (7 June 2022). "Услар Пётр Карлович" [Uslar Pëtr Karlovich]. Great Russian Encyclopedia (in Russian).