News in Press-centre

The Order of the Rising Sun was awarded to Victor Larin, Professor of Far Eastern Federal University (FEFU). One of the highest government awards and a certificate with the seals of Emperor Akihito and Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe, the scientist received personally from the hands of the Consul General of Japan in Vladivostok Nakamura Koichiro.

“The Government of Japan made a decision on awarding Professor Victor Larin with the Order of the Rising Sun. The award is given for contribution to the development of scientific exchange between our country and Russia in the field of regional studies, as well as contributing to the strengthening of their mutual understanding”, said Nakamura Koichiro.

Professor Victor Larin is a respected orientalist, whom we greatly appreciate. He teaches FEFU undergraduates, teaching security and cooperation disciplines in the Asia-Pacific region and heads the joint project of the Department of Pacific Asia of FEFU and the Pacific Center for Scientific Diplomacy of the Far East Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Victor Larin is now a professor at the Department of Pacific Asia at the Institute of Oriental Studies - School of Regional and International Studies of Far Eastern Federal University, as well as the head and leading researcher at the Center for Asian-Pacific Studies at the Institute of History, Archeology and Ethnography of the Far Eastern Peoples of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He is the author of more than 230 scientific papers, including 8 individual and 5 collective monographs on the problems of Chinese history, Russian-Chinese relations, foreign policy, international relations and security in East Asia and the Asia-Pacific Region.

Among his awards is the Jubilee Medal of the People's Republic of China “For Outstanding Contribution to the Development of Sino-Russian Relations” in honor of the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and China (2010) and the Diploma of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan for contribution to the development of Japanese-Russian relations (2015) .

The Order of the Rising Sun is considered the second most important Japanese award after the Order of the

Chrysanthemum, which is presented only to members of the imperial family and heads of state. In the entire history of the award, about 60 Russians received it, including the Hermitage director Mikhail Piotrovsky, ballet dancer Maya Plisetskaya, and writer Boris Akunin. In 2015, this award was given to Zoya Morgun, Associate Professor of the Department of Japanese Studies at the Far Eastern Federal University, and in 2017, Alexander Shnyrko, Professor of the Department of Japanese Studies at FEFU.