The name David Pittman Johnson will remain forever linked to the revival of Russian heraldry. Since 1989, after the fall of the Iron Curtain, I have established and maintained professional contacts with numerous heraldic organizations and individual colleagues all over the world, whose friendly assistance has been indispensable in obtaining diverse materials, advice, and information so much needed just for updating extant heraldic practice in Russia.

     The most important of all professional and friendly contacts was, of course, David Pittman Johnson, the Founder and President of the American College of Heraldry.

     David`s initial commitment to the revival of Russian heraldry in early 1990 established the pattern for his future involvement. David and I devoted a great deal of thought through correspondence to every minute detail of the future Statutes of the Russian College of Heraldry, of which many articles were borrowed from the ACH Statutes. In fact the whole structure and the practice of the American College of Heraldry became for us a paragon of heraldic organization.

    It was David Johnson with whom we had consultations about the form of the future Diplomas Armorum (Letters Patent) to be issued by the CHR. For instance, even the wording of them, or rather the Introductory Formula –"To All And Singular By These Presents Be It Known That The Collegium Heraldicum Russiae Has Entered In The Matricula Armorum The Armorial Bearings Of..." - was long and thoroughly elaborated together with David and eventually confirmed personally by His Imperial Highness The Grand Duke Vladimir Kirillovich in 1991, the year when the Grand Duke appointed me as the Saint Andrew Principal Herald Master of the Russian College of Heraldry (Collegium Heraldicum Russiae).

     It was, in fact, David Johnson who proposed we adorn the top of our Diplomas Armorum with the ancient Russian double-headed eagle, in commemoration of the Grand Duke Valdimir Kirillovich, who died so untimely in 1992.

     David Johnson`s encouragement was very important for us at the Russian College of Heraldry, and he was instrumental in the development of our artistic skills. From the beginning of our acquaintanceship in early 1990, David was very impressed, as he used to write in his personal letters to me, with the outstanding competence of the Founders of the Russian College of Heraldry in matters heraldic and genealogical. For instance, he particularly appreciated and valued very highly a colossal piece of heraldic and genealogical research carried out in 1991 by the author of these lines, the work entitled "The Heraldic Pedigree of Czaesarevich Alexis". He was also very impressed with the exquisite heraldic art of Natalie Yegorova. Since then, Natalie and I have produced for the ACH many Coats of Arms line drawings at David`s request.

     He used to have frequent consultations with us with many questions, the last being his major project on Orthodox Ecclesiastical Heraldry. He was an Orthodox Christian – of the same Faith as us - and David often used to say that he considered me as his brother both in Heraldry and in the Russian Orthodox Christianity.

    It happened that I received his last brotherly gift shortly after his so sudden and untimely death. Having learned that after a recent surgical operation on my leg it was difficult to walk and especially to stay up through the long hours of liturgy in church, David bought and sent me two tripod chairs, most expedient to facilitate my poor health position. The parcel with the tripods arrived in Kirov from Alabama the week after the death of my dearest friend and colleague, David Pittman Johnson.

With the Saints give rest, O Christ, to the soul of Thy servant David,
where there is neither sickness, nor sorrow, nor sighing, but life everlasting.