Vladimir Vasil'evich Mavrodin as the university professor is a very complex multifaceted image. It is no about the difference from the image of an academician - Mavrodin was an acknowledged authority in the academic world too, but first and foremost he was a genuine professor. This image draws on a number of remarkable features. First of all, he was a man of great learning: it seemed to everybody who knew him that he had a profound understanding of all problems of the Russian history. He also possessed outstanding pedagogical talent. We remember his impeccable moral character and deep devotion to his native country and also his alma mater - Leningrad State University. In new conditions of Soviet time he became a bright representative of St. Petersburg historical school.