Courage and adherence to principles

Yury Khamzatovich Ka
 lmykov belonged to those persons whom I especially liked. We got acquainted thirty five years ago and he was my friend during more than a half of my conscious life.
Yury Khamzatovich is well-known as scientist, pedagogue, statesman and public figure and in all these roles he enjoyed great respect on the part of students, colleagues, thousands and even millions citizens.
I happened many times to meet and work with Yury Khamzatovich in all these professional fields and I knew him also as an excellent person. He is a rare combination of talent, erudition, diligence, energy, honesty and courage.
During several decades I happened to be many times in Saratov where professor Kalmykov in the juridical institute headed the same sub-faculty as I did in Kazakh state university. I went there to participate in scientific conferences and act as opponent and always tried to prolong my staying in order to delight intercourse with Yury Kalmykov and his excellent family. His house was distinguished by hospitality, not for show but quite sincere. Here is an example. Once at Yury“s I saw a rare and very valuable book and expressed envious admiration. From his house we went directly to the railway station - he saw me off  to Alma-Ata. In the train I discovered this book in my suitcase.
What concerns science, professor Kalmykov was indefatigable toiler. Engaged in teaching, instructing post-graduate students and later in important state and social activities he always found time to write serious monographs which enriched the valuable fund of our law science. I was always the most serious reader of its scientific works and to some of them wrote reviews.
In these years we often met in the centres where science of civil law developed intensively: Leningrad, Sverdlovsk, Tomsk, Kharkov, Riga, Alma-Ata and, of course, Moscow. These meetings took place in discussion, academic and institute halls and at our teachers - Serguey Nikitich Bratous and Raisa Osipovna Halfina.
With the beginning of reforms Yury Hamzatovich became a deputy of the first freely elected Supreme Soviet and headed Committee for legislation. He participated in drawing up all principal laws of that time.
We all know about his intensive public activities in the Caucasus. He liked his people very much and was proud of it but never chose friends according to their nationality. I remember how during one meeting of specialists for the civil law at Y.K. Kalmykov and chairman of Committee for Constitutional Supervision S.S. Alekseev (they lived in adjacent hotel rooms) we discovered that among eleven persons there were representatives of seven nationalities.
Yury Kalmykov was always distinguished by his adherence to principles. In 1980 our teacher and intimate friend professor 0.S. Ioffe, eminent scientist, was virtually expelled from the country (now he is professor of one American university). Many of his numerous «friends» turned their backs on him fearing to bring anger of authorities upon themselves. Yury Kalmykov, on the contrary, didn`t change his attitude towards Ioffe and didn`t conceal that.
In November of 1994 minister of justice of the Russian Federation, member of Security Council Y.K. Kalmykov resigned because of his disagreement with the decision about bringing troops into Chechnya.
After that Yury Khamzatovich continued his state and social activities in State Duma whose deputy he was and in Centre of Private Law where he kept working on development of legislation.
Our common friend professor V.A. Oygenziht, compelled to run from Dyushambe to Izrael, wrote an article about Y.K. Kalmykov, in one of Russian-language newspapers which was titled in the following way: «There are still knights». He chose a correct word. Knight - this is about Yury Kalmykov, scientist and man.

Yury Basin,
doctor of juridical science
Alma-Ata

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