Nikolai Konstantinovich Mosolov is an Unwilling Historian of Namibia

The study of the history of Namibia in Russian historiography was not sufficiently complete. Meanwhile, a significant contribution to the description of the most important pages of the history of this country was made by our compatriot, Nikolai Konstantinovich Mossolow, who lived in southern Africa for most of his life. He was a man, on the one hand, unique, and on the other, typical of the fate of many Russians born at the beginning of the 20th century. He was a descendant of families that left a significant mark in the field of culture, military affairs and entrepreneurship in pre-revolutionary Russia. After the revolutionary events, he found himself abroad and received a classical historical education at the famous Humboldt University of Berlin. Then, following his family, Nikolai Mosolov leaves pre-war Germany for the pacific Southwest Africa. After learning the Herero language and working in the archive, he wrote and published several fundamental works on the history of Namibia. Thematically, his books dealt with the study of the history of mission stations: the first Herero Rhine Mission Station in Southwest Africa in Ojikango, the Otjozondjupa mission station, as well as the history of Fort Namutoni and the capital of the country — Windhoek. Knowing Russian, N. K. Mosolov saved many lives. Soviet vessels entered Walvis Bay only in exceptional cases after sanctions were imposed against South Africa in the early 1960s. Nikolai Konstantinovich acted as an interpreter during the treatment of sick and wounded Soviet sailors who ended up in the Windhoek hospital. These acquaintances often continued even after the recovered patients left for their homeland. Nikolai Mosolov devoted his life to studying the history of the country that became his second homeland. But he carefully preserved everything that connected him with Russia, and did not lose touch with the Russian language and culture.