Leonid Vasilyev
Leonid Sergeyevich Vasilyev (; October 9, 1930, Moscow — October 6, 2016, Moscow) was a Soviet and Russian historian, social scientist, religious scholar, sociologist, orientalist (sinologist) and Doctor of Historical Sciences. Vailyev was Head of the Laboratory of Historical Research and HSE (National Research University – Higher School of Economics) and until 2011, Head of the Department of General and National History and a professor. He began his tenure as the head of the sector of Theoretical Problems of the History of the East, then the Department of Oriental History of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of  Sciences and finally, the Institute's chief research officer. He authored works devoted to the history and culture of China, the problems of Oriental studies and universal history - including the theory of the historical process - and the driving forces and dynamics of evolution. Among these works is a two-volume university textbook, "History of the East," a six-volume textbook series on "Universal History", monographs on the problems throughout ancient Chinese history, a textbook, "History of Eastern Religions," and other books.