Bessonov, Petr

(also Bezsonov). Born 1828 in Moscow; died Feb. 22 (Mar. 6), 1898, in Kharkov. Specialist in Russian literature; Slavicist. Graduated from Moscow University in 1851.

Bessonov was a professor in the subdepartment of Slavic dialects of the University of Kharkov from 1879. He published the oral folk literature of the Russian, Bulgarian, and Serbian peoples, including his own extensive commentaries and articles: Bulgarian Songs (1855), “Lazaritsa: Folk Songs, Legends, and Tales of the Serbs About the Fall of Their Ancient Kingdom” (Russkaia beseda, 1857, no. 2). Songs Collected by P. V. Kireevskii (installments 1–10, 1860–74), Kaliki Pere Khozhie (Wandering Beggar-Singers; installments 1–6, 1861–64), Songs Collected by P. N. Rybnikov (installments 1–4, 1861–67), and Byelorussian Songs (1871).