Oriental Palette

Abstract

The book, published on the occasion of the 85[th] anniversary of Academician Alexey Mikhailovich Vasilyev, is a collection of selected academic and journalistic works by the author. It explores the feasibility of this publication format for promoting the achievements of Russian social sciences. The book, written by one of the most renowned Russian Arabists, combines the memoirs of an eyewitness and participant in many significant events that have shaped international relations from the 1960s to the present day, with a deep analysis of the ongoing challenges facing the countries of the East. At the same time, in fact, the collection is an updated edition, in which 4/5 of the publications used were published in the 21[st] century, and only five chapters borrowed from the numerous books by A.M. Vasilyev published during the Soviet period. As always, the stories about various Arab countries are interesting, but the chapters about Iran, Afghanistan, and Vietnam, where the famous scientist worked as a journalist during difficult times, are particularly noteworthy.