Today marks 85 years from the day of birth of legendary ethnographer, archeologist, orientalist - turkologist, Doctor of history, professor Sevyan Izrailevich Vainshtein.

A graduate of MGU, native Muscovite, he left the comfortable capital and went to Tuva, which he researched for almost half a century in expeditions on foot, or riding horses, reindeer and camels.

Based on the materials collected during his many years of ethnographic and archeological expeditions, Vainshtein wrote fundamental historical-ethnographical monographs about Tuvans, their origins, and the origins of their national culture ("Tuvans-Todzhans" M.,1961; "History of national art of Tuva" M.,1974; "Historical ethnography of Tuvans" M.,1972; "The world of nomads of Center of Asia", M.,1991)