MOSCOW, August 7. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed condolences over the death of Helene Carrere d'Encausse, perpetual secretary of the Academie Francaise and a prominent expert on Russian history, calling her a brilliant woman and a great friend to Russia.

"An outstanding scholar and public figure, the perpetual secretary of the Academie Francaise, foreign member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Helene Carrere d'Encausse was a great friend to our country, was proud of her Russian roots, maintaining sincere love and respect for her historical homeland," the Russian head of state said in his telegram published on the Kremlin website.

"I warmly recall conversations with this great Frenchwoman. I am confident that her intellectual and spiritual legacy will serve to bolster mutual understanding between our nations," he added.

Putin also reiterated that Carrere d'Encausse’s numerous publications on Russia had been duly recognized both by academic circles and the public at large.

Helene Carrere d'Encausse passed away on August 5 at the age of 94. She had led the Academie Francaise since October 21, 1999, and was the first woman ever to serve in that capacity.