The article highlights the main milestones in the life and scientific and pedagogical activities of famous Ukrainian orientalist and teacher Volodymyr Leonidovych Pyrogov (1950-2022). He made a significant contribution to development of Japanese studies and strengthening of friendship and mutual understanding between people of Ukraine and Japan. After graduation from Kharkiv State University (now V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University), V. L. Pyrogov worked at the Central Patent Office as an expert and Japanese, Chinese, English and French translator, held a position of the head of information and technical services of a number of research institutes. In the early 1990s, Volodymyr Leonidovych started his teaching career. He took a direct part in introduction of the Japanese language at Kharkiv Collegium Institute of Oriental Studies and International Relations, in the department of Oriental languages at H. S. Skovoroda Kharkiv National Pedagogical University. He held a position of the director of the Institute of Oriental Languages (1999-2001), the head of the & Scy;hair of Oriental Languages and Civilizations at Kyiv National Linguistic University (1999-2004). During 2004-2007 he was in the diplomatic service working as an adviser on education and science at the Embassy of Ukraine in Japan (Tokyo). He made a significant contribution to the development of relations between Ukraine and Japan in the field of science, technology and education. Upon returning to Ukraine, V. L. Pyrogov held a position of a senior researcher at the Far East Department of A. Yu. Krymskyi Institute of Oriental Studies, and then a position of the head of the Chair of Japanese Philology at Kyiv National Linguistic University. V. L. Pyrogov is the author of more than 100 scientific works in the field of comparative -historical and typological linguistics, oriental studies, translation studies, linguistic and regional studies, sociolinguistics. His creative works include textbooks, monographs, scienti- fic articles, reports at scientific conferences, and dictionaries. Volodymyr Pyrogov was noted for his powerful scientific potential, leadership qualities, high efficiency, dedication to pedagogical work, intelligence, benevolence, humanity.
