On October 31, 2010, Dr Oleg F. Akimushkin, a preeminent scholar, great expert in Iranian manuscript culture, one of the oldest researchers at the Institute of Oriental Studies, has died at the age of 81.

Oleg F. Akimushkin started his academic career at the Institute in December 1953 after he graduated from Leningrad State University, the Faculty of Oriental Studies, the Department of Iranian Philology. He dedicated his entire life to the comprehensive study of Muslim written heritage. His research area was wide covering codicology and textology of Muslim manuscript book, historiography and source criticism of Iran from the 10th to 18th century, Muslim mysticism, the History of Iran, Mawarannahr (Muslim Central Asia) and Eastern Turkestan from the 14th to 18th century.

Dr Oleg F. Akimushkin published more than 250 academic papers, including six monographs that are an invaluable contribution to the study of the Iranian manuscript tradition, history, culture and literature of Iran and Central Asia.

From 1971, Dr Oleg F. Akimushkin headed the Department of Middle Eastern Studies of the Institute. Being himself a talented scholar devoted to his studies he was rather exacting and principled in academic discussions, but always remained friendly and sensitive as a supervisor, and was eager to share his interesting ideas with others. Thanks to him the reference library of the Department was regularly replenished with new academic literature from Iran and Europe, his personal library was also available for his disciples and colleagues. Moreover, he was a great talker and most welcomed person at all events held at the Institute.

He supervised a number of PhD dissertations and some of his disciples are now active scholars working at various institutions in St Petersburg, Moscow, Central Asian and Trans-Caucasian States. During many years, from 1966, he worked also at Leningrad/St Petersburg State University, the Faculty of Oriental Studies. From 1980, he delivered there a number of special courses of lectures on Islamic mysticism, Muslim manuscripts and Textology, etc.

Dr Oleg F. Akimushkin contributed much to the study of Sufism. More than 40 papers on Iranian Sufism, the history, theory and practice of Sufi Brotherhoods active in the territory of Iran, Turkey, Central Asia, Afghanistan, India were published in the Russian encyclopedic dictionary of Islam (1991). He was one of the authors of the important project Islam in the Territory of the Former Russian Empire [Ислам на территории бывшей Российской империи] (1998-2003).

His name is well-known abroad, his papers are appraised in Iran. He edited many academic publications. Thus, his activity as an editor was also a significant contribution to the development of Russian-Iranian relations.

The colleagues, friends and disciples of Dr Oleg F. Akimushkin express their deep sorrow over his death.