Linguistic Typology, History of Linguistics and the Life of a Linguist

Purpose. Analytical article analyzes two books by Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences V. M. Alpatov, whose 80th birthday will be celebrated in 2025. “Selected Works of the 21st Century” (2023) reflect the main directions of his scholarly work: Japanese studies, typology and theory language, sociolinguistics, the history of linguistics. The final part contains “Linguistic tasks” compiled by V. M. Alpatov for competitions. “The Life of a Linguist: reminiscences” (2023) is a vivid account of the scientific and personal journey of an extraordinary scholar. The book talks about his parents and how V. M. Alpatov’s worldview was formed. Of particular note are the scholar’s memoirs of V. A. Zvegintsev, P. S. Kuznetsov, T. P. Lomtev, S. K. Shaumyan, A. A. Zaliznyak, A. E. Kibrik, S. A. Starostin and description of significant events in Russian linguistics of 20th – 21st centuries. Results. Both books show the broad interests of V. M. Alpatov, characterize him as a real encyclopedist and a true devotee of scientific work. The paper highlights the importance of V. M. Alpatov’s ideas and developments for modern linguistics and their practical significance for further study of the history and theory of linguistics and the formation of a new linguistic worldview in humanitarian science of the 21st century.