Nikolay Veselovsky

He studied and then read lectures at the St Petersburg Imperial University (reader in 1877, extraordinarius in 1884, ordinarius from 1890[2]).

He then turned his attention to Tamerlane's mausoleum and some other gems of Timurid architecture to stave off a threat of collapse after a series of earthquakes.

As a result, some excavations were hastily conducted by underqualified assistants, prompting later Soviet archaeologists to explore these sites again.

Nevertheless, it was Veselovsky (and his team) that discovered some of the finest examples of Scythian art, including the Solokha comb.

Veselovsky also unearthed notable examples of medieval art, particularly the jewellery and textiles from the Golden Horde during his exploration of the Belorechensky kurgans in 1906 and 1907.