Iosif Goshkevich is a famous Belarusian, who became the first Russian consul in Japan. Не is a Russian linguist of Belarusian origin, orientalist and natural scientist, was on the Russian diplomatic service.
Не was born on April 4, 1814 in the village of Streliche, Rechytsa district, Minsk province. Father Anthony Ivanovich Goshkevich, was a priest of the Strelichevsky St. Michael’s Church. In 1835 Iosif Goshkevich graduated from the Minsk Theological Seminary in Slutsk and was sent to continue his studies at the St. Petersburg Theological Academy, he graduated in 1839.
By decision of the Synod of August in 1839 Goshkevich was enrolled in the Russian spiritual mission in China (1839-1848). He was a member of the 12th mission in Beijing. For his diplomatic activity, he was awarded the Order of St.. Stanislav III degree. According to the results of his travels, I.A. Goshkevich published a number of scientific articles. During his stay in China he studied the country as a natural scientist. In particular, he was keen on collecting collections of insects and butterflies, which subsequently expanded the collections of the Russian Academy of Sciences.
After returning from China in 1850, he was enrolled as a commissioner officer in the Asian department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Empire. In 1852 he was sent as an adviser and translator to Japan.
In 1855 Goshkevich left Japan in the brig "Greta", which was captured by British naval forces. Goshkevich was held captive by the British in Hong Kong, where he began to work on compiling the first Japanese-Russian dictionary, that was published in 1857. The dictionary was awarded the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences medal. At that time, there was no such dictionary in any country in Europe.
From 1858 to 1865 I.A. Goshkevich served as consul of the Russian Empire in Japan (in Hakadat). In 1866, returned to his homeland in Belarus, where he began to work on the book “On the roots of the Japanese language”, which was published posthumously in 1899.
After retirement in 1867, he returned to Belarus, where he settled in his estate in Mali, Vilna district, Vilna province.In 1871, IA Goshkevich and his wife were confirmed in the hereditary nobility. In 1872, they had a son, Joseph, who later became an honorary world judge of the Vilna district, the author of the book “Statistical information on the peasant land management of the Vilnius province.”
Died I.A. Goshkevich May 3, 1875 and was buried in the town of Ostrovets in the parish Orthodox cemetery.
In the village of Mali, a memorial sign of the Belarusian sculptor R. B. Grushi was set in honor of the countryman. In the town of Ostrovets - a bronze bustIn Minsk, one of the streets is named after I. Goshkevich.A bronze bust of Goshkevich is installed in the Museum of the Japanese city of Hakodate. Goshkevich’s name identified previously unknown insect species (including two types of butterflies), most likely collected by his wife in China.