"The author Hemantha Sirisena obtained his first degree B.A. (Hons.) from the University of Kelaniya in 1979 and his M.A. from the Leningrad State University, USSR in 1984. He secured his Postgraduate Diploma in Education from the University of Colombo in 1997. In 2003, he won his Ph.D. at the Saint Petersburg State University. At present he works in the capacity of Professor in Russian Studies and as the head of the Department of Modern Languages. The dictionary compiled by him includes more than 30,000 words of modern Russian literar language with working out of meanings, word combinations, proverbs, sayings, idiomatic expressions. They are political, household and scientifically-popular lexicons. The edition will be useful for schoolboys, students, language learners, journalists, teachers, teachers of high schools and all who understands importance of correct speech. It can be also useful to a person studying both Sinhala, and Russian, and also for practical purposes."