In the vast 图书馆 (túshūguǎn) [library, archive, repository] of Rumyantsev Museum in Moscow, a peculiar 男人 (nánrén) [man, gentleman, fellow] named Nikolai Fyodorov spent his days surrounded by ancient texts and forgotten 智慧 (zhìhuì) [wisdom, knowledge, insight]. Unlike other librarians who simply catalogued books, Fyodorov possessed a revolutionary 思想 (sīxiǎng) [idea, thought, vision] that would shake the foundations of Russian philosophy.
Born in 1829, this humble 学者 (xuézhě) [scholar, academic, intellectual] believed that humanity's greatest 任务 (rènwù) [task, mission, duty] was not merely to read about the past, but to actively resurrect it. His philosophy, later called Russian Cosmism, proposed that through 科学 (kēxué) [science, research, study] and collective will, we could bring back all who had ever lived. Death, he argued, was humanity's greatest 敌人 (dírén) [enemy, foe, adversary]—a problem to be solved rather than accepted.
Fyodorov's cosmist doctrine was breathtaking in its ambition. He envisioned a 未来 (wèilái) [future, tomorrow, prospect] where humans would not only conquer 死亡 (sǐwáng) [death, mortality, demise] but also spread life throughout the cosmos. Every star, every planet would become a 家 (jiā) [home, house, family] for resurrected generations. The 宇宙 (yǔzhòu) [universe, cosmos, space] itself would become a living library of human 经验 (jīngyàn) [experience, knowledge, expertise].
His followers included prominent 作家 (zuòjiā) [writers, authors, novelists] like Tolstoy and Dostoevsky, who were captivated by his radical blend of Orthodox Christianity and scientific optimism. Yet Fyodorov remained humble, refusing to publish his works during his lifetime. He believed that writing books was selfish when one could be working toward humanity's 拯救 (zhěngjiù) [salvation, rescue, deliverance].
The eccentric librarian died in 1903, but his ideas lived on, inspiring Soviet 太空 (tàikōng) [space, cosmos, aerospace] programs and influencing thinkers worldwide. His dream of transforming death into merely a temporary inconvenience continues to 启发 (qǐfā) [inspire, enlighten, motivate] scientists and philosophers today, reminding us that sometimes the most profound 真理 (zhēnlǐ) [truths, reality, facts] come from the most unlikely places.