In Memory of Vitaliy Fedorov (1962–2024)

The article is comprised in memory of Vitaliy Fedorov, an archaeologist, historian, Candidate of History and a leading researcher of the Institute of Ethnological Studies. He passed on January 23, 2024 and was one of the best Russian experts in Eurasian Early Iron Age nomadic archaeology. Between the early 1990s and the mid-1990s Vitaliy Fedorov was working with V.N. Vasilyev on researching Bronze Age through early medieval archaeological monuments discovered in the Bashkir Cis-Urals and Transurals, Central and east Orenburg Region. They excavated over 30 kurgans mostly left behind by early nomads. Some of them were attributed to Sara royal burial ground. Between 1995 and 2003 Vitaliy Fedorov was leading the archaeological expedition of the National Museum of the Republic of Bashkortostan. The team excavated dozens of monuments dated Eneolith through the Middle Ages in Bashkortostan. Fedorov released over a hundred papers of early nomads’ tangible culture items and spiritual items. He wrote on pressing issues of archeology making a substantial contribution to solving many chronology problems in the history of the early Iron Age nomads in the Eurasian steppes. Between 1997 and 2003 he was the head of the Archaeology Department at the National Museum of the Republic of Bashkortostan. Between 2003 and 2018 he was an Associate Professor at the Eastern Academy of Economics, Humanities and Law. He taught archaeology, Russian history, source studies and worked as an academic advisor for graduation theses. He arranged an archaeological expedition of the Academy and excavated kurgans of the Kiishki burial mound. The mound had been erected by early nomads of the Cis-Urals. Besides, the expedition was conducting a many-year-long research of the Bronze Age settlement Novo-Bayramgulovo-I – the Eneolith sanctuary Bakshay in the Bashkir Transurals. In addition to the archaeological research, Fedorov studied his collection of cards and published dozens of articles and three books that substantially enriched Russian deltiology. Between 2019 and the early 2024 he was working at the Institute of Ethnological Studies under RAS Ufa Research Center. First he was the Deputy Director for Museums. One year after he was transferred to the position of a leading researcher. Over this time, he was the editor of the published catalogue of findings from the Filippovka kurgans made in 1986–1990.With his co-author V.N. Vasilyev, Fedorov published Volume 2 of the Kurgans of the South Transurals series. Fedorov was the editor of a collection of articles issued in dedication of the 85th birthday of A.Kh. Pshenichnyuk. Fedorov’s death was followed by the release of the book Ufa on Postal Cards in the Late 1800s – Early 1900s. His research papers and the materials obtained by his expeditions are listed in the golden pool of the Sarmatian Archaeology.