My father, Denis Shaw, who has died aged 76, was an academic at the University of Birmingham who specialised in Russian history and geography.
He retired from teaching in 2010, but retained an honorary position at Birmingham. He often commented that his retirement afforded him greater time to continue his research, which he regarded as his “real job”. His last book, a study of Russia’s contribution to the Age of Exploration, was completed shortly before his death and is due for publication later this year.
Denis was born in Thornton Cleveleys, near Blackpool, the third of four children. His father, also named Denis, was a barber; his mother was Doris (nee Mottershead). He attended Baines grammar school and then University College London, where he obtained both his bachelor’s degree in geography and a PhD. In 1969 he made the first of many trips to Russia, to study for a year at Voronezh State University.
Shortly after receiving his PhD, Denis took up a lecturing position at Birmingham University, where he remained for the rest of his career. He was a careful, diligent scholar who always provided extensive support to his students.
In addition he wrote a number of books, including Planning in the Soviet Union (1981, with Judith Pallot), and Russia in the Modern World (1999). He also co-authored several editions of the textbook Human Geography, popular among undergraduates.
Until the Covid-19 pandemic and what he called “Putin’s unconscionable war in Ukraine”, Denis travelled regularly to Russia, often conducting his research at the National Library in St Petersburg. He made numerous trips to the US and Europe, as well as further afield, and had a particular affinity for the south of France.
Alongside his academic interests Denis had a keen interest in astronomy. As a sixth-form pupil he had joined the British Astronomical Society, and he remained a member for 50 years, eventually being granted honorary life membership.
A hillwalker with a fondness for the Yorkshire Dales, he was also a diligent student of languages and a fan of classic comedy and classical music.
He is survived by his wife, Andrea (nee Peel) whom he married in 1985, and their children, Hannah and me, his grandsons, William and Matthew, and his sisters, Sandra and June. His brother, Ron, died in 2023.
