Grigory Tunkin

Like his famous countryman, Mikhail Lomonosov, Tunkin left for Moscow to study sciences.

Though, eventually, he became the leading international lawyer in the Soviet Union, Tunkin's interests were always multi-dimensional.

He wrote his first dissertation on the history of law of the ancient world, spoke many languages fluently and was good at mathematics.

While heading the Legal Department of the Foreign Ministry of the Soviet Union from 1957 to 1966, Tunkin was a member, and in 1961 President, of the United Nations International Law Commission.

Prof. Tunkin also served as the president of the Soviet Association of International Law from its founding in 1957 until his death.