The collection presents the main directions of versatile scientific activity of the outstanding Russian scientist Yu.V. Knorozov, most of whose life was spent at the MAE RAS. the book opens with a biography of Yuri Valentinovich, written by his daughter E.Yu. Knorozova and granddaughter A.A. Maslova. The four sections combine the most representative articles of the scientist on a number of theoretical problems, as well as works on decrypting Mayan writing, proto-Indian writing, research in the field of Easter Island writing and Ainu pictography. published in different editions over a long period of time, many of these works are difficult to access for various reasons, so it seems advisable to collect them under one cover, resurrecting the multifaceted image of a deep and thoughtful researcher.