On October 7, 2009, the open meeting of the Academic Council devoted to the memory of Prof Dr Valery Rudoi, the preeminent scholar of Buddhist literature and the history of old and mediaeval Indian philosophy, was held. Many friends and colleagues of Dr Rudoi, researchers working at the Institute and other Petersburg academic centers, and representatives of the Buddhist community took part in the memorial event.

The IOM's head, Prof Dr I.F.Popova who inaugurated the meeting noticed that Dr Rudoi spent 40 years at the Institute. His principal aim was to revive the St Petersburg School of Buddhist Scholarship founded by Academicians S.F.Oldenbourg and Th.I.Stcherbatsky. He was both a talented and prolific scholar and a gifted teacher.

The closest colleagues and disciples of Dr Rudoi delivered their papers on his life and activities, such as:

• Dr M.I.Vorobyova-Desyatovskaya, The Life of Valery Isayevich Rudoi [Жизненный путь Валерия Исаевича Рудого];
• Dr T.V.Ermakova, The Contribution of Valery Isayevich Rudoi to the Revival of the St Petersburg School of Buddhist Scholarship [Вклад Валерия Исаевича Рудого в возрождение Санкт-Петербургской буддологической школы];
• Dr E.P.Ostrovskaya, Buddhist Philosophical Heritage in Works by Valery Isayevich Rudoi [Буддийское философское наследие в трудах Валерия Исаевича Рудого];
• Dr E.A.Ostrovskaya, Valery Isayevich Rudoi: the Personality of the Teacher [Валерий Исаевич Рудой: личность учителя].

Some other scholars delivered their speeches such as Dr E.Y.Kharkova (who emphasized that Dr Rudoi paid much attention to the study of Tibetan culture), V.M.Montlevich, the head of the Dandaron Buddhist community, Prof Dr R.A.Yanson, Prof Dr A.O.Boronoyev, Dr S.A.Frantsouzoff, etc.