On April 16, 2009, at the age of 91, Mikhail Pak, an outstanding Russian scholar of Korean studies, died.

The founder of the school of national historical Korean studies, who gave more than 60 years to higher education, including 59 years to Moscow State University, M. N. Pak was an educator of several generations of Russian Orientalists, including Korean scholars. Among his students are dozens of candidates and doctors of sciences. For twenty years (1971-1992), M. N. Pak headed the Department of History of the Far East and South-East Asia at the Institute of Asian and African Studies of Moscow State University. The formation of Soviet Korean studies was promoted by the university course on Korean history developed by him from ancient times to the present day. M. N. Pak is one of the founders of the university course on the history of Asian and African countries. At the Department of History of the Far East and South-East Asia, young scientists have carried out a number of interesting studies on the history and modern development of Korea, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Burma (Myanmar), Malaysia, Indonesia and other countries of the Far East and South-East Asia.

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In 1991, M. N. Pak founded and was the head of the International Center for Korean Studies until 2008 Lomonosov Moscow State University. Since 1994, he has headed the Department of Eurasian Studies of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences as an Academic Secretary.

Mikhail Nikolaevich's interest in the history of Korea and the fate of the Korean people was aroused as a student, during the tragic period of deportation of Koreans from the Russian Far East to the territory of the republics of Central Asia and Kazakhstan (1937-1938). In 1937, his father was arrested and shot in January 1938; in 1938, his older brother, who spent about 20 years in Siberian camps, was repressed. Suffering and pain did not break the will and desire to study, and it was at this time that the student Mikhail Pak had a passionate desire to turn to the history of the Korean people (initially M. N. Pak specialized in ancient history and even participated in an archaeological expedition, on excavations of Scythian mounds). In his fourth year, he is writing his first paper (term paper) on Korean history, "The Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 and Korea." His formation as a Korean scholar took place during his postgraduate studies (1942-1947), when he began to develop problems of the new history of Korea.

Despite the fact that during a significant period of Mikhail Nikolaevich's career, the sphere of his research interests concerned the history, source studies and historiography of Korea, by and large, there is no field of Korean studies that M. N. Pak would not touch upon in his works. He has written more than 300 scientific papers, including monographs and pamphlets on these topics. Since the early 1950s, the development and preparation of a university course on Korean history, as well as the writing of relevant chapters in textbooks of Moscow State University, have played an important role in M. N. Pak's research and teaching activities. Since the mid-1950s, Mikhail Nikolaevich's research activities have mainly focused on the problems of the socio-economic history of Korea in the early Middle Ages. In 1956, in the journal Voprosy Istorii, he published an article " On the nature of socio-economic relations in the Silla State (III-IV centuries)", which gave a new light to the debatable issues of the history of Korea during the Three States period (I century BC-VII century AD).

The appearance of this work, later translated into Chinese and Korean and highly appreciated by the scientific community, practically opened a new stage in the development of domestic Korean studies - the beginning of a more in-depth study of the early medieval history of Korea with extensive use of Korean sources, and first of all " Samguk Sagi "("Historical Records of Three States") Kim Busik (XII century). In 1959, the book "Kim Busik. Samkuk sagi". Annals of Sill. Publication of the text, translation, introductory article and comments by M. N. Pak (Vol. 1) (2nd ed. 2001). And in 1960, on the basis of this book, he defended his doctoral dissertation. This study was the first publication in the series "Monuments of Literature of the peoples of the East" and was met with interest both in our country and abroad. For more than 30 years, M. N. Pak continued to work on the subsequent parts of the "Samguk Saga". In 1995, Vol. 2 was published. It included "The Annals of Goguryeo", "The Annals of Baekje" and "Chronological Tables". As in 1959, the volume includes an edition of the text, a translation, an introductory article and comments by M. N. Pak. In December 1997, he was awarded the Lomonosov Prize, the highest award of Moscow State University, for his high scientific achievements in translating Kim Busik's Samguk Sagi chronicle. In 2002, under the general editorship of M. N. Pak (together with L. R. Kontsevich), the publication of the translation into Russian of Kim Busik's work "Samguk Sagi" - Vol. 3 "Various descriptions", "Biographies" (books 32-50) was completed.

The source study direction of M. N. Pak's scientific activity was reflected in the translation and analysis of information about Korean tribes in the Chinese chronicle "San-go zhi" ("History of Three States". Based on the study of Korean and Chinese primary sources, M. N. Pak created an original concept of feudalism and early statehood in Korea. Its main provisions were reflected in the monograph "Essays on the Early History of Korea "(Moscow, 1979). He wrote a number of articles on the historiography of Korea and the monograph "Essays on the Historiography of Korea (to criticize the bourgeois-nationalist ideas of South Korean historians)" (Moscow, 1987).

Since 1950, M. N. Pak has annually participated in the Lomonosov Readings of Moscow State University, made scientific reports, and published theses. In 1978, M. N. Pak was a visiting professor at Soka Daigaku University (Japan); in 1982, he lectured at the University of Hawaii (USA) and was awarded an honorary Fulbright Foundation diploma "For strengthening mutual understanding between the peoples of the Soviet Union and the United States through academic activities". In the 1980s and 1990s, M. N. Pak made many fruitful presentations at international conferences and gave lectures at universities in the DPRK, the Republic of Korea, Japan, China, the United States ,and a number of European countries.-

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In 1990, M. N. Pak was elected Vice-President of the International Society for Korean Studies (ISKS), and since August 1997 he has been an honorary adviser to this organization. Since 2004 , he has been a member of the Organizing committee of the Global Association of Koreans Abroad (GAKA) at the University of Michigan.

Since 1953, for many years M. N. Pak actively collaborated with domestic encyclopedic publications of the Great Soviet Encyclopedia (2nd and 3rd ed.), the Small Soviet Encyclopedia, the Soviet Historical Encyclopedia and the encyclopedias of the Union Republics. In these publications, designed for a wide range of readers, M. N. Pak was an author of articles, an editor, and a scientific consultant. Thanks to his publications, the world of rich history and unique culture of the Korean people opened up to the scientific community.

For many years Mikhail Nikolaevich was a member of the editorial board of the journal " Bulletin of Moscow University. Series "Oriental Studies" (1960-1992). He is a member of the Scientific and Methodological Council for Higher Oriental Studies, Chairman of the Methodological Council for History (1960-1992), Head of the Historical Department of the ISAA of Moscow State University (1960 - 1992), member of the Specialized Council of the Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences (1960 - 1980), member of the Specialized Council of the ISAA of Moscow State University (since 1975).

M. N. Pak is the executive editor and editor of more than 30 scientific papers, including a three-volume publication on the historiography of the countries of the East (Moscow, 1969-1978), prepared by the staff of the historical department of the ISAA of Moscow State University. He was also one of the editors of the two-volume publication "History of Korea (from ancient times to the present day) "(Moscow, 1974). In 1994, on his initiative, the International Center for Korean Studies of Moscow State University began publishing the series "Studies on Korea", the chairman of the editorial board of which was M. N. Pak. The works published in this series (12 books) have become a prominent phenomenon in Russian Korean studies.

M. N. Pak is characterized by an active life position. Since the end of the 1980s, the topic of rehabilitation of Soviet Koreans and their creation of public organizations has become very important for Mikhail Nikolaevich. In 1987, he played a significant role in the creation of the Moscow Association of Koreans. He was its first president, and in May 1991 was also elected the first president of the All-Union Association of Soviet Koreans. Scientists have written many articles on the fate of Soviet Koreans, and he has repeatedly made reports on this topical topic both in our country and abroad. Since 2004, M. N. Pak has been the Honorary President of the All-Russian Association of Koreans, and since 2006-the Honorary President of the Russian Association of Korean Studies.

The main areas of M. N. Pak's research are source studies and historiography of Korea, problems of the early and medieval history of Korea, problems of the new and modern history of Korea, the history of Soviet and Russian Koreans, which are reflected in the book "History and Historiography. Selected works" (Moscow, 2003, 911 p.). In 2001-2005, a team of scientists led by M. N. Pak translated the monograph "Korean History: A New Perspective"by the South Korean historian Han Yong-woo into Russian. M. N. Pak translated individual chapters of the book and edited it in general. Currently, the translation manuscript is being prepared for publication and is in the publishing house "Vostochnaya Literatura".

Mikhail Nikolaevich Pak is the owner of a huge number of awards and prizes. He was awarded the Honorary Diploma of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR in connection with the 225th anniversary of Moscow State University (1980); the Tongbekchan Order ("Order of Camellia") of the highest degree of the Republic of Korea (1992); the P. L. Kapitsa memorial silver medal "For Scientific Discoveries" for his services to the development of Russian Korean studies (1995).

Mikhail Nikolaevich was a laureate of the Lomonosov Prize for Scientific and Pedagogical activity (1997).: "In memory of the 800th anniversary of Moscow" (1947); " For valiant labor. In commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of V. I. Lenin" (1970); "Veteran of Labor" (1978); "50 years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War" (1995); "In memory of the 850th anniversary of Moscow" (1997); "For selfless service to Russian science and education. In connection with the 250th anniversary of Moscow State University" (2005).

The bright memory of Mikhail Nikolaevich Pak as the greatest Russian Korean scholar, a kind person and a true teacher will always remain in the hearts of his many colleagues and students.

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MAIN WORKS OF M. N. PAK*

K kharakteristike sotsial'no-ekonomicheskikh otnosheniy v Korey v XIX v. [On the characteristics of socio - economic relations in Korea in the 19th century]. Sbornik statei po istorii stran Dalnego Vostoka, Moscow, 1952, pp. 149-161.

From the history of the liberation movement of the Korean people / / Znanie, Moscow, 1955. 48 p. 1 l. maps.

On the nature of socio-economic relations in the Silla State (III-VI centuries) / / Voprosy istorii. 1956, N 7. pp. 49-65; the same in the translation into Chinese / / Shixue itsun. Peking, 1956. N 6; the same in the transl. in cor. yaz. / / The City of kwahak. Pyongyang, 1957. N 1. pp. 65-86.

Some controversial issues of the history of Korea (In connection with the publication of the first volume of the "History of Korea") // Voprosy istorii. 1957. N 8. pp. 166-180.

Korea in the XVI-first half of the XVII century / / World History, vol. IV. Ch. 30. Moscow, 1958. pp. 685-695.

Discussion on feudalism in Korea // Soviet Oriental Studies. 1958. N 2. pp. 121-129.

Korean People's Democratic Republic on the path to socialism / / Znanie. 1958. 48 p.

Korea in the middle of the 19th century / / World History, vol. VI. Ch. 21. Moscow, 1959. pp. 434-144.

Kim Busik. Samkuk sagi. Ed. text, transl., intro, article and commentary by M. N. Pak. Moscow: IVL, 1959. 384 p. fax. (Ser. " Monuments of literature of the peoples of the East. Texts. Big series. I").

Description of Korean tribes at the beginning of a new era (according to "San-go zhi") / / Problems of Oriental Studies, 1961. N 1. pp. 115-138.

Korean historiography on the nature of the socio-economic structure of Korea in the period of Three States / / Proceedings of the XXV International Congress of Orientalists. Moscow, August 9-16, 1960, vol. V. M., 1963, pp. 246-252.

Soviet Oriental Studies (Historiographical notes). Knowledge. 1965. 46 p.

On the emergence and approval of feudalism in Korea (Some problems of modern Korean historiography) / / Historiography of the countries of the East. Problems of socio-economic history of feudalism in the East. M., 1969. P. 222 - 305.

On the question of periodization of the early history of Korea // Peoples of Asia and Africa. 1975. N 5. pp. 81-88.

In: History of Korea (from ancient times to our days), vol. 1. Moscow: Nauka Publ., 1974. - Author: Preface pp. 3-10; Ch. 1.Sec. The problem of Ancient Joseon. p. 25-28; Ch. 2. The origin of feudal relations. The emergence and development of three states - Goguryeo, Baekje, and Silla. pp. 33-79;

Sec. Kul'tura Trekh gosudarstv [Culture of Three States], pp. 73-79 (with L. E. Eremenko); Ch. 3. Unification of Korea in the Early Middle Ages. Approval of feudalism. pp. 80-104; Sec. Kul'tura Silla [Culture of Silla], pp. 99-104 (together with L. E. Eremenko); Ch. 5.Sec. Implementation of the law on official allotments (kwajong). Establishment of a new dynasty. pp. 160-164; Ch. 6. Strengthening of the feudal state at the end of the XIV-XV centuries. pp. 170 - 205; Ch. 7. Weakening of the centralized feudal state (XVI-first half of the XVII century). The struggle of the Korean people against the Japanese and Manchu invasions. pp. 206-241.

Nationalism and History (on some features of the nationalist concept in the works of bourgeois historians of South Korea) / / History of Korea in Bourgeois Historiography, Moscow, 1976, pp. 5 - 59.

Ocherki rannoi istorii Korei [Essays on the early History of Korea]. un-ta. 1979. 240 p.

Korea. New and recent times // The history of the peoples of Eastern and Central Asia (from ancient times to the present day). M., 1986. Pp. 466 - 481.

Essays on the Historiography of Korea (Towards a critique of the bourgeois-nationalist ideas of South Korean historians), Moscow, 1987, 148 p.

Officialdom and aristocracy in the early History of Korea, Moscow: GRVL, 1987, 287 p.

K kharakteristike burzhuaznogo nationalizma v Yuzhnoy Korey [On the characteristics of bourgeois nationalism in South Korea]. 1988. N 1. pp. 19-31.

On the historical destinies of Soviet Koreans / / Problems of the Far East. 1991. N 5. pp. 184-188.

Kim Busik. Samguk sagi. The Annals of Goguryeo. The Annals of Baekje. Chronological tables. Ed. of the text, transl., intro, article and commentary by M. N. Pak. Moscow: East Lit. 1995. 405 p. (Monuments of literature of the peoples of the East. Texts. Big series. 1, 2).

Some lessons in the history of Korea / / Political, economic and cultural aspects of the unification of Korea. Moscow, 1997. pp. 33-37.

Kim Busik. Samguk sagi. Different descriptions. Biographies. General ed. (together with L. R. Kontsevich), ed. text, transl., intro, article, comment, attached. Moscow: East Lit., 2002, il. maps (Monuments of literature of the peoples of the East. Texts. Big series.).

Place of the Goguryeo State in the history of Korea // Vestnik Moskovskogo universiteta, Ser. 13. Vostokovedenie, Moscow, 2005, no. 1, pp. 3-12.

Introduction / / Some territorial issues in the Far East and actual tasks of international cooperation in the name of peace, Moscow, 2006, pp. 4-6 (sovm. with Park Jung Hye).

* Comp. by R. L. Kazarian.

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