Named in honor of Nikolaj Vasil’ev, scientific director of the Interdisciplinary Independent Tunguska Expeditions. A professor of medicine and a well-known oncologist at the Institute for Microbiology in Kharkov, he has for many years been interested in the history and scientific investigation of the Tunguska event {see planet  (5471)}. In his capacity as IITE director he and other members of the group succeeded in having 4000 square kilometers of the Tunguska region set aside as a national reserve for the next 20 years. (M 26425) _ _.