On January 22, 2010, Dr Eugenia I. Vassilieva, leading researcher at the Department of Middle Eastern Studies, celebrated her Jubilee.

Dr E.Vassilieva graduated from Leningrad State University, the Faculty of Oriental Studies, the Department of the History of Near Eastern Countries, where she was taught by Prof Dr I.P.Petrushevsky. She was immediately accepted to the Iranian Section of the Leningrad Branch of the Institute of Oriental Studies, the USSR Academy of Sciences. She was given the task of translating of the most important sources on Kurdish history.

From 1959, when the Kurdish Section led by Dr K.K.Kurdoyev was established, Dr E.Vassilieva started her studies of Kurdish culture, language and history. She is now one of the best experts in Kurdish studies worldwide. She translated some texts on Kurdish history such as Tarikh I Ardalan by Bani Ardalan, or the famous text by Sheref-khan Bidlisi whose life and legacy she treated in a special monograph, Sheref-khan Bidlisi: Epoch, Life, Immortality [Шараф-хан Бидлиси. Эпоха. Жизнь. Бессмертие]. It was translated into Kurdish and published in Suleimani, Iraq, in 2008. Earlier, in 1997, the Kurdish translation of another monograph by Dr E.Vassilieva, South Eastern Kurdistan during the 17th through Early 19th Century [Юго-Восточный Курдистан в XVII - начале XIX в.] was published in Erbil, Iraq.

In 1977, Dr E.Vassilieva defended her PhD Dissertation, in 1992, her Habilitation Dissertation. Along with Zh.S.Musaelyan she prepared an unique encyclopedic dictionary Kurdish Tribes [Курдские племена]. For her great academic achievements Dr E.Vassilieva was decorated with a high state award.

During many years Dr E.Vassilieva curated the Institute’s doctoral and postdoctoral programs, when there were around fifty students.

Dr E.Vassilieva, being very responsive and attentive, is highly respected by her colleagues. She is one of the scholars who keep high academic level and traditions of our Institute.

The IOM’s administration and fellows heartily congratulate Dr E.Vassilieva with the Jubilee and wish her good health and many years of successful academic work.

The IOM's Head, Prof Dr I.F.Popova