Alexis P. Vlasto facts for kids

Alexis Peter Vlasto (born November 14, 1915 – died July 20, 2000) was a smart British historian and language expert. He was especially good at studying Slavic languages and cultures. He was also a World War II codebreaker.

Early Life and Education

Alexis Peter Vlasto was born in Toxteth Park, Liverpool, England. At that time, Toxteth Park was a busy and important area. His family, the Vlastos, were Greek shipping agents in Liverpool.

Alexis went to Eton College, a very famous school in England. He was a "King's Scholar," which meant he was very bright and earned a special scholarship. In 1937, he went on to King's College, Cambridge, where he studied modern and old languages.

Secret War Work

When World War II started, Alexis Vlasto was chosen for a very secret job. In 1939, he joined the British code-breaking team at Bletchley Park in central England.

Alexis was put in charge of the Japanese Army Air Force section. His team's main job was to crack a difficult Japanese code system called 3366. This was a very important task to help the Allies win the war.

While at Bletchley Park, he met Hilda Joan "Jill" Medway. She was also a smart person from Cambridge University doing important war work. They got married on March 19, 1945, just before the war ended in May 1945.

Life in Cambridge

After the war, Alexis and Jill moved back to Cambridge. Jill went back to teaching music at Girton College and Newnham College, which were colleges for women.

Alexis became a research fellow at his old college. He continued his studies and worked towards getting his PhD degree.

Slavonic Studies

Alexis Vlasto became very interested in Slavonic Studies. This field became very important because of the Cold War between Western countries and the Soviet Union.

In 1948, he helped set up the Cambridge University Department of Slavonic Studies. He was part of a small but very smart group of scholars. Alexis finally earned his PhD in 1953. He taught in the Slavonic Studies Department at Cambridge from 1954 until he retired in 1983.

In 1965, Alexis Vlasto bought a sky-blue Mercedes-Benz 200 "Kombi." This type of car was very rare in Cambridge at that time.

Later Life and Retirement

In 1968, Alexis Vlasto published an important book called "The Entry of the Slavs into Christendom." This book is still considered a great work of scholarship today. Sadly, 1968 was also the year his wife, Jill, passed away at age 52.

In 1969, Alexis became a fellow at Selwyn College, Cambridge. The head of the college, Owen Chadwick, remembered Alexis as a kind and generous friend.

Alexis slowly retired from teaching. His other major book, "The Linguistic History of Russia," came out in 1986. It also received many good reviews.

In his later years, Alexis spent more time on his hobbies: music and botany (the study of plants). He knew a lot about both. In 1968, he found a rare plant in what was then Yugoslavia. He collected its seeds and gave them to the University Botanic Garden. These seeds helped scientists around the world with new research.

Alexis Vlasto died in Cambridge on July 20, 2000.

Selected Works

• The Linguistic History of Russia (1986)

Images for kids

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  In 1965, Alexis Vlasto bought a sky-blue Mercedes-Benz 200 "Kombi." This type of car was very rare in Cambridge at that time.