Nikolai Iakovlevich Bichurin (archimandrite Iakinf)(Николай Яковлевич Бичурин, архимандритИакинф) was a famous Russian diplomat, traveller, orientalist and sinologist, who established in Russia the classical school of East Asian studies and the tradition of academic research on China. However, his personality has been subject to severe criticism among scholars. For many historians Bichurin was a great scholar of the Russian Empire in the 19th century, while his opponents believe that he was just a bad priest with several vices which cast a shadow on his achievements. Moreover, the available information about certain aspects of his life and activities is fragmentary. The aim of this article is to present the life of Bichurin and his role in founding East Asian studies in Russia, analyse several important episodes in his life and achievements, and reconsider the views held about him in scholarship.