Tributes to philosopher who chose freedom

Tributes have been paid to a London-based academic who was a world expert on philosophy and Buddhism.

Alexander Piatigorsky, 80, taught at the School of Oriental and African Studies and at Oxford university prior to his retirement. A critic of the Soviet era, he had come to London, via Israel, in 1974 after leaving Russia in search of freedom of speech and expression.

Mr Piatigorsky, who lived near King's Cross, worked up until his unexpected death on Sunday. He taught students privately, conducted philosophy circles and lectured across Russia and the Baltic states.

Born a Jew in Moscow, he spent much of the Second World War working in a factory in Siberia. He wrote a number of books, including a study of freemasonry and the first Russian-Tamil dictionary, and studied Buddhism and Hinduism because of the philosophical aspect to the religions.

Evgeny Lebedev, executive director of the Evening Standard, said: "It's very significant that he chose London as a place to live. He thought this was the place where one could express freedom of thought and freedom of speech."