Samoilovich Aleksander (1880–1938) – specialist in Turkology and Islamic studies.
In 1903, he graduated from the Faculty of Oriental Languages of the St. Petersburg University. He started his research work under the supervision of P. M. Melioransky, V. V. Bartold, V. D. Smirnov, V. A. Zhukovsky, and V. V. Rosen. After the graduation he stayed at the University; in 1906, after the death of P. M. Melioransky, he started to teach Turkic courses as Ass. Docent. Since September 1917, he was Docent; since December – Professor. In 1925, he was elected for Correspondent Member of the Ac. of Sc. of the U.S.S.R.; in 1929 – for Academician (in 1938, he was excluded; in 1957 – restored post mortem).
In 1921-1922, he was Consultant of the Department of the East at the Narkomat of Foreign Affairs of the R.S.F.S.R., he supported the activity of Embassies of the R.S.F.S.R. in Khiva and Bukhara; he actively participated in establishing the Soviet power in the Middle Asia.
He was arrested on October 2 (or 8), 1937; he was accused in espionage and counter-revolutionary and nationalistic activity. On February 13, 1938, he was sentenced to death and shot the same day. He was rehabilitated on August 25, 1956.