On February 25, 2011, Ekaterina G. Alekseeva, the oldest ex-fellow of the Institute, died at nearly 93 years old. For many years she worked as a secretary of Acad. A.N.Kononov, the head of the Leningrad Branch of the Institute of Oriental Studies from 1961 to 1963, and Dr Y.A.Petrosyan, the head of the Leningrad/St Petersburg Branch of the Institute of Oriental Studies from 1963 to 1996.