Since the 60s of the last century she participated in the Soviet archeological expeditions, excavating in Samarkand (Shahi Zinda Ensemble, settlement of Afrasiab), Bukhara and Bukhara region (Rabat-i-Malik, khanaka of Sayf al-Din Bakharzi), near Termez (early medieval castle of Baba-Tepe), she conducted route reconnoitering expeditions in the Syrdarya and Jizzakh regions of Uzbekistan, materials of which were used to draw up a Collection of archaeological monuments of Uzbekistan. She also conducted archaeological research in Tajikistan (the mausoleum-khanaka of Khoja-Mashad in the south, the Kok-Gumbaz Mosque in Ura-Tube, the mausoleum of Muslihiddin) and in southern Kazakhstan (the mausoleum-khanaka of Khoja Ahmad Yasawi in Turkestan).

Nina Borisovna is the author of five books, several brochures, about 150 scientific articles published in Tashkent, Moscow, London, Berlin, Paris and Rome.(www.nemtseva.uz)
Nina Borisovna Nemtseva turns 85 years old on December 12, 2011. On the eve of her anniversary she talks about her life, work and future plans.

Nina Borisovna, probably you dreamt to become a historian from the childhood?

- I became a historian, you might say, accidentally. Actually I was fond of history, even when I studied at the Teachers College in Beloretsk (Bashkortostan) in the war.

It was wartime, so a lot of intelligentsias were evacuated to our town. One of them was my history teacher. Thanks to her I had a real interest in the subject, though before that I was getting ready to become a doctor like my mother. And in Tashkent I was going to enter a Medical Institute. Just imagine: the war ended in May, at the end of September I came in Tashkent, but by that time all entrance examinations to the Institutes and universities had been completed. In view of the circumstances I could not enter the medical institute and went to the Central Asian University and applied to the Department of History. It decided my future destiny.

Initially, our group consisted of 180 students, but it quickly decreased. And when we were finishing the University, the group numbered about forty students. I continued my studies at the Department of Archaeology. It was led by a prominent Soviet scientist, Professor Mikhail Evgenievich Masson. One day, when I was in the general group, he gave us a fascinating lecture on archeology, after which I realized that archeology was exactly what I wanted to do in the future. On the second year only four students studied at the Department of Archaeology: me, Vadim (Mikhailovich) Masson, my friend Jenya Saltovskaya and Hasan Albysbaev.

Do you remember your first archeological trip?

- Of course I do. It was during the practice on the second year, when we went to Ashgabat on excavations of Old Nisa. Old Nisa is a Parthian royal residence. All my university practice I spent there. When I first went there, I was very young and all the way I was filled with some new inner sense of something unknown.

It was a very long road: first we went by the train, then by trucks from Ashgabat to the Bagir Camp near Old Nisa. And when we went there by a truck, someone was laughing, someone was singing songs and I stood and looked forward and had the feeling that I was going into a deep antiquity of two thousand years ago. I still remember that surreal feeling, although generally I am a materialist and pretty skeptical about all kinds of mysticism.

During excavations we lived in tents in the Bagir Camp. It was very cold and to warm up we heated bricks in the kitchen and put them into our sleeping bags. Actually, that’s how my first experience in archeology started.

I can’t say that later excavations became something ordinary for me. But that first practice was really unique. At that time archeologists only started to research Old Nisa and found a four-column hall. I was assigned to work in the round room, which turned out a temple complex. Later I wrote my diploma thesis about it.

Perhaps your other expeditions were not less exciting?

- If you talk about the objects that I studied throughout my career, I can name four major monuments: Shahi Zinda Ensemble in Samarkand, Rabat-Malik in Navoi, khanaka of Saif al-Din Bakharzi in Bukhara and Khoja Mashad in Tajikistan.

But I also participated in another great expedition, which was not less important for me. It was a drawing up of the Collection of archaeological monuments in the Syrdarya and Jizzakh regions. I participated as a member of the Institute of Art Studies.

The work lasted three field seasons at the end of the 70s - early 80s of the last century. During that expedition we discovered a trade route, which was a part of the Silk Road and went through Kenemeh, Bukhara and Nurata mountains and then went to the Hungry Steppe up to the nearest border of Southern Kazakhstan. Along this road we discovered a group of ancient caravanserais, the largest caravanserai Kal Tepe had been partially excavated.

Actually it was a great expedition, because it gathered a good team. This expedition along Sanzar we were joined by a very famous scientist Boris Vasilievich Andriyanov, Ethnogeographer (Muscovite) and a member of Khorezm expedition (led by S.P. Tolstov). Also there was an architect Katya Bryukhovetskaya, who accompanied me during my many expeditions like to Rabat-Malik and Baba Tepe. And most importantly, we had a wonderful driver Mirza Usmanov. He was an experienced driver who had participated in many geological expeditions. He organized our trip very well.

By the way, in Sanzar I first tried the porcupine meat. We went along the river bed and collected information on the settlements, castles, fortresses and etc. We classified and described everything, collected pottery. By studying the region, we stopped at the mountain area. We had information that in the Middle Ages there were iron workings.

In the mountains we met a group of local foresters, who cordially invited us to have a lunch. Near the forester’s house we saw a wounded porcupine, hung on the tree. Our new friends were going to cook it for lunch. I frankly had seen a porcupine only in books before. Katya, being a very emotional person, danced around it, doing some pirouettes. She did her best to show to foresters that we really wanted to try this porcupine. Eventually we tried it and it turned out that porcupine was the most delicious meat I had ever tasted in my life.

Regarding further discoveries of the expedition along Sanzar, when we were there in 1979 it was completely unexplored area in terms of archeology. In the upper Sanzar closer to Zaamin we found a great settlement, which is still not explored. Although archaeologists from the Samarkand Institute of Archaeology work today in Sanzar riverbed, but their works are carried out mainly around Jizzakh and Zaamin.

I want to say that during expeditions a lot of interesting things always happen. And even today, having 65 years of work under my belt, any finding in archaeology is a small discovery for me. I read somewhere a very correct expression that archeology is the finest intellectual activity mixed with a gold rush.

What are you working on now?

- I'm working on the release of a new monograph book "The ensemble of Shah-i Zinda". In this book I stop on the historical and ideological surroundings, against which the "shrine" was established and is still in effect not only as a treasure of architectural and fine art of Central Asia, but also as an important factor in spiritual and religious life of contemporary Muslim society. Strictly speaking, it is the second edition of this book in monograph version, because the first one, published in the 80s, was the album version. It features a very brief text and numerous illustrations: for the general reader it is, of course, very well. And the new edition is a scientific book, which reflects the new information.

With regard to other aspects of my current work, I'm writing new articles on different topics, also I have already started work on history of restoration and protection of monuments. Today this question is very relevant and I think it is interesting to many researchers.

What do you think about the role of archeology in preserving and studying the cultural heritage of Uzbekistan?

- I think the answer to this question is obvious to everyone. History is our past. The past of any family or individual as well as the past of the country and our land is the background against which the present day was finally born. Each person has a deep interest in his roots. It is important to know what the past was like: where we are going from and where we have come, the past can help to determine where we should go further. Cultural heritage helps to foster a sense of pride in our ancestors, in our country and people. I think that the preservation and study of cultural heritage is one of the most important tasks of our state.

We warmly congratulate Nina Borisovna Nemtseva on her anniversary and wish her happiness, good health and success!

Material is prepared by the international travel agency Advantour.