On December 22, 2010, the meeting of the Department of Far Eastern Studies in memory of B.B.Vakhtin, a well-known Sinologist, philologist, writer and translator who worked at the Institute for 25 years, from 1957, and contributed much to the study of Chinese literature, was held.

Dr J.L.Kroll told about academic works by Dr B.B.Vakhtin and then paid a special attention to his cultural activity, it was thanks to him that at the Institute some famous Russian poets such as Joseph Brodksy and Bulat Okudzhava gave their concerts.

Dr I.S.Gurevich remembered about their joint work on the catalogue of the Chinese block prints kept at the Instutute.

Dr M.E.Kravtsova evaluated Dr B.B.Vakhtin’s study of Chinese literature, his contribution to analysis of love lyrics in poetry of ancient and mediaeval China, and told about the work of the seminar on the methods of translating Eastern literature run by Dr B.B.Vakhtin at the USSR Union of Writers.

Dr I.V.Kulganek remembered about this seminar, too. She recited some of her poetical translations from Mongolian edited by Dr B.B.Vakhtin.

The widow of the scholar, Irina V. Vakhtina, and his son, Nikolai B. Vakhtin, took part in the meeting and presented to the IOM’s library the book of selected novels and essays written by Boris Vakhtin during his life.

Dr Tatiana A. Pang,
the head of the Department of Far Eastern Studies

PHOTOS

Prof Dr N.B.Vakhtin and I.V.Bakhtina

Dr J.L.Kroll delivers his speech

Dr I.V.Kulganek delivers her speech

Dr T.A.Pang runs the meeting

Participants of the meeting, in the first row: Dr V.M.Rybakov, Prof Dr M.E.Kravtsova, Dr I.S.Gurevich, in the second row: Dr Y.V.Boltach, the academic secretary of the Department, V.P.Zaitsev, Prof Dr E.I.Kychanov

Photos supplied by T.Pang