The article contains information about the scholarly and educational activities of the famous historian Vladimir Germanovich Burkov. A graduate of the history department of the Leningrad State University has gone from being a student to a professor, head of the department of international relations in the post-Soviet area of the faculty of international relations of St. Petersburg State University. His personal contribution to the development of phaleristics and vexillology is noted. Information on his scholarly, pedagogical and social activities is reported.