THE CELEBRATION OF PROFESSOR SERGEI NIEKLUDOW’S75TH BIRTHDAY Professor Sergei Niekludow, the internationally renowned Russian folklorist and the founder and long-time director of the Center for Typological and Semiotic Folklore Studies at the Russian State University for Humanitiesin Moscow, celebrated his 75 birthday on 31st March.Professor Niekludowisalso a member of the editorial board and a former senior editor of the prestigious journal Живаястарина. Sergei Niekludowwas a student of EleazarMeletinskii, an outstanding myth specialist and a folklore and literary scholar. Under his supervision, Niekludow wrote his MA thesis, which hedefended in 1965.He received his doctoral degree in 1973 and habilitation-in 1985. Professor Sergei Niekludowparticipated in international conferences in numerous European countries and in Brazil, China and Mongolia. His research interests are very broad and focus on the theory of folklore, contemporary forms of folklore, the mythology and epics of Mongolian nations, processes of folklorization of literary texts and their existence in oral traditions, as well as on mechanisms of transforming emotions caused by specific events into “texts of culture”. The list of professor Niekludow’s publications currently includes 589 items of various kinds. Professor Niekludowhas a lot of further academic plans, which testifies to his great mental vigor.His unique erudition, research integrity, capability for vivid thought, incredible diligence, and ability to see the phenomenon under examination in a broad cultural context, have made Niekludow a role model for generations of folklorists, to whose education he actively contributes.