Leonid Ionin Has Passed Away

Leonid Grigorevich Ionin, a prominent Soviet and Russian sociologist, political scientist, philosopher, and tenured professor at HSE University, passed away on December 11, 2024. He was 80 years old. Prof. Ionin had been with HSE University since its inception and made a huge contribution to the development of the university.

Leonid Ionin graduated from the Faculty of Philosophy at Lomonosov State University in 1970, and completed his doctoral programme at the Institute of Sociological Studies of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union (AN USSR) in 1973. He defended his Candidate of Sciences dissertation in 1974 and his doctoral dissertation in 1982. He became a professor in 1990.

From 1973, he worked at the RAS Institute of Sociology, starting out as a junior research fellow. In 1989–1990, he served as deputy director and acting director of the Institute of Culture of the RSFSR Ministry of Culture and AN USSR, and subsequently became the head research fellow of the RAS Institute of Sociology.

He started working at HSE University in 1996, first as a professor in the Department of General Sociology at the School of Sociology, and then as head of the department. From 1998 to 2004, he served as dean of the faculty of applied political science. From 2005, he was dean of the HSE University School of Russian Studies and professor of the Department of Economic Methodology and History at the Faculty of Economic Sciences.

HSE University mourns Leonid Ionin’s passing together with his colleagues, students, and loved ones.

December 13