Author: Валентин Лаврентьевич Янин
Alternate names: В.Л.Янин; V. L. Yanin; Valentin Yanin
Born: 6 February 1929
Died: 2 February 2020
Bio: Valentin Lavrentievich Yanin 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.