The article is devoted to the life, scientific legacy, social and enlightening activity of the outstanding Russian archaeologist Aleksandr Sergeevich Smirnov (1949–2015). The domain of his research included mainly the Neolithic of European Russia forest zone, first of all Desna and Oka basin. A.S. Smirnov played an important role as rescue archaeological investigation organizer. Staring from 1978, he headed the specialized Desna Expedition for studies at construction sites. In 1994-2004 he was acting Head, Department of rescue archaeological investigation with the Institute of Archaeology, Russian Academy of Sciences. Since 2005, Doctor of Historical Sciences A.S. Smirnov had been research coordinator at the Department of theory and methods with the Institute of Archaeology, Russian Academy of Sciences. Much attention is paid to his contribution to the historiography of Russian pre-revolution archaeology. A.S. Smirnov established a new concept of social-political conditions and activity results of Russian prospectors of antiquities in the imperial period of Russian history.