“Senkovsky (Osip-Yulian Ivanovich) – Orientalist, critic and journalist. Born on March 19, 1800 into an old Polish noble family; studied at Vilna University, where, under the influence of Lelewel and Grodek, he became interested in the East and began studying Arabic, Hebrew and other oriental languages. Here he became close friends with professor of physiology Sniadecki, who stood at the center of a cheerful society of young writers and scientists (“towarzystwo czubrawcuw”). This society published a humorous leaflet in 1816: “Wiadomosci Burkowe”, on the pages of which Senkovsky made his first humorous articles...”