On November 14, 2014, one of the eldest IOM researchers, expert in Arabic manuscripts Dr. Valery V. Polosin died unexpectedly at the age of 75. 

He was born on February 25, 1939, in Primorsky Krai, the USSR. In 1961, graduated from Leningrad State University, the Faculty of Oriental Studies. In 1984 defended the PhD Dissertation entitled “The Fihrist” by Ibn al-Nadim as a Historical Cultural Source from the 10th Century [“Фихрист” Ибн ан-Надима как историко-культурный памятник Х в.]. From 1965 to 1976, worked at the Library of the USSR Academy of Sciences at the Leningrad Branch of the Institute of Oriental Studies. From 1976, worked at the Institute, from 2001 to 2008, headed the Department of Near Eastern Studies. He published more than 50 papers on Arabic manuscripts and Arabic textology.