He was born in the family of Pavel Berkov. German philologist, specialist in the field of Icelandic and Old Norwegian languages, lexicographer. For a long period, he taught practical Norwegian, gave general theoreti- cal courses and special courses. He spent a lot of time organizing the first in the history of the university of a Dutch branch. He was the head of the Scandinavian Philology Department at S.t Petersburg State University (1978-1997), the author of the first "Icelandic-Russian Dictionary", a foreign member of the Norwegian Academy of Sciences, and the Dutch Academy ofSciences. For several decades, he worked alone on the creation of the "Russian- Norwegian Dictionary", published in 1987 with a volume of 176 pages, and is inno- vative in many ways, paving the way for future generations. In 2011, the next edition appears, being a significantly expanded edition of this dictionary, published in Norway; a work on which he worked, being already seriously ill. In 1997, he was awarded the Norwegian Academic Grand Prix. In 2004, the Russian Academy of NaturalSciences elected him a full member of the "Russian Encyclopedia" section. He was decorated with the Order of Friendship; decorated with the highest Norwegian distinction- For Merits, category 1and with the highest Order in Iceland - the Order of the Icelandic Falcon.