January 19, 2024 is the 70th birthday anniversary of Viacheslav M. Rybakov, Chief Researcher of the Department of Far Eastern Studies, Doctor of Sciences in History.

During his entire research career, Viacheslav M. Rybakov has been committed to our Institute, which he entered after graduating from the Leningrad State University (Department of Oriental Studies) in 1976. Having finished his post-graduate studies, in 1981 V.M. Rybakov joined the Leningrad Branch of the Institute of Oriental Studies and in January of 1982 he successfully defended his Candidate of Sciences dissertation entitled “Legal status of the bureaucracy in Tang China” (supervised by E.I. Kychanov). As part of his research on administrative and criminal law in traditional China, V.M. Rybakov accomplished a scholarly feat by making a complete annotated Russian translation of the Tang legal code “Tang lü shu yi” that was published in four volumes in 1999–2008. In 2009 he defended the Doctor of Sciences in History thesis on the topic of “Chinese bureaucracy of the Tang period (618–907) based on historical and legal sources.” V.M. Rybakov has also published five volumes of research under the title “Tang bureaucracy” (2009–2021) based on the dissertation and his continuing study of the status of Chinese officials in the traditional Chinese society and their behaviour on duty and in everyday life that was regulated by law. At present, research by V.M. Rybakov and his translation of the Tang legal code are the foundation for current scholars of traditional Chinese law. His studies constitute a fundamental part of research conducted by the Institute in the fields of Oriental history and ideology.

Research by V.M. Rybakov was highly recognized by the scholarly community: in 2018 he was awarded an Honorary certificate of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and in 2020 he received the S.F. Oldenburg Prize (philological sciences) awarded by Saint Petersburg administration for outstanding academic achievements in science and technology.

V.M. Rybakov was elected a member of the USSR Writers’ Union (1989), then a member of the Saint Petersburg Writers’ Union. He has received many literary prizes and the Vasilyev Brothers State Prize of the RSFSR for cinematographic works. His books and articles, thoughts on duty and honour are always met with interest by the reading public.

As a renowned writer, V.M. Rybakov is actively involved in a wide range of educational and cultural work, as well as in popularization of science. He regularly discusses issues of Chinese legislation, ethics and law in print media, on radio and television, showcasing the Saint Petersburg school of traditional Oriental studies.

V.M. Rybakov is highly esteemed by colleagues, he frequently gives advice on their work and reviews research done in other institutions of Oriental studies. His diligence and efficiency, modesty and intelligence, erudition and friendliness are highly respected and valued by colleagues.

The IOM RAS administration and colleagues congratulate Viacheslav M. Rybakov with his anniversary and wish him health, continuous creative success and new scholarly achievements.

We would like to thank V.M. Rybakov for many years of conscientious work and dedication to academic research.

Irina F. Popova, Corresponding member of the RAS, Doctor of Sciences in History
Director of the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts, RAS