Ivan Minayev, the founder of the Indological school in Russia and a recognized expert on Buddhism and ancient Indian languages, visited the island of Ceylon in 1874 with the aim of an in-depth study of the Buddhist doctrine of the southern stream practiced in the island, the ethnography of the local population, in particular the Vedda tribe. Knowing Western European languages, including English, the Russian scientist was able to communicate freely both with representatives of the English administration in Ceylon and with local residents. Among them were not only those whose services a Russian scientist had to use to solve day-to-day problems of an everyday life and issues of organizational nature, but also the recognized scholars in Ceylon, acquaintance and communication with whom had the character of scientific research cooperation. The article is devoted to the characteristics of the people who turned out to be Minayev's correspondents in Ceylon, the ties that developed between among them, the description of the results of this cooperation and the international scientific cooperation, the threads of which passed, including through Ceylon, as well as a story about the followers of those people who collaborated with Minayev, who continue to develop cooperation at the present time. In the Archive of Orientalists of the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts of the Russian Academy of Sciences, information was found about 14 correspondents of Minayev, including the Buddhist monks, as well as government officials and newspaper editors. Albeit fragmentary, the underlying collaboration continued well into the 20th century and continues to this day. The main successor of this cooperation in Sri Lanka is Waskaduwe Mahindavansa thero, the abbot of the monastery where Waskaduwe Sri Subhuti thero lived, the correspondent of Minayev, with whom correspondence was conducted for the longest time among all the Ceylonese correspondents of the Russian scientist.
