About Valentin Yanin
Valentin Lavrentievich Yanin (Russian: Валентин Лаврентьевич Янин; 6 February 1929 – 2 February 2020) was a leading Russian historian who authored 700 books and articles. He had also edited a number of important journals and primary sources, including works on medieval Russian law, sphragistics and epigraphy, archaeology and history. His expertise was medieval Rus' especially Novgorod the Great, where he had headed archaeological digs beginning in 1962. In 1999, he became the first historian to be awarded the Lomonosov Gold Medal. In 1964, Yanin became professor in the department of archaeology in the Faculty of History at Moscow State University.
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