Our teacher, colleague and friend, B.F. Belyshev, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Charter Member and Member of Honour of the International Odonatological Society, the doyen of Russian odonatology, departed from us on April 9, 1993, at the age of 82 (born December 13, 1910). Like many Russian scientists, Boris Feodorovich lived and worked under extremely hardconditions. Nevertheless, his scientific activities resulted in some 200 publications, among which 7 books. Although he never had the opportunity to travel abroad, he was in touch with most of the active workers of his time, throughout the world. In Novosibirsk, he organised the odonale collection at the Institute of Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and set up the Cabinet of Odonatology. comprising a small group of workers, who are continuing the research along the avenues opened up by him. So far there were 4 members in the team, but recently a Research Student, Ms OLGA POPOVA, has joined the group. She is making her first steps in odonatology, and she is the last worker that still had enjoyed the privilege of having been personally coached by Boris Feodorovich. He departed from this world in the hope that his work will be continued in what he tended to call "a Russian Branch of the world-wide family of odonatologists”.