Ivan Ivanovich Lappo (; 29 August 1869 – 23 December 1944) was a Russian historian. He specialized in history of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, especially during the late medieval and early modern period. He shared the vision prevailing in Russian historiography, namely that the union between Lithuania and Poland was enforced by the latter. However, unlike most Russian scholars of the era, he kept maintaining that the Grand Duchy retained political autonomy and remained the subject of international politics. Throughout his career, he held academic seats at the universities of Tartu, Voronezh, Prague, Kaunas and Vilnius. Academic career Lappo began his teaching career by holding minor jobs at the University of St. Peterburg (1902–1905). Then he assumed the chair of Russian history in Juriev (1905–1918) and briefly held various jobs in Voronezh (1918–1919). On exile he kept teaching at the Russian University in Prague, Czechoslovakia (1923–1932) and at the Vytuautas the Great University in Kaunas, Lithuania (1933–1940). Early years Lappo descended from an old Ruthenian noble family, whose roots can be traced back to the 16th-century. It was related to what is now Eastern Belarus and its various representatives held estates between Minsk and Vitebsk. The branch of Lappo's ascendants did not hold land possessions; his father was a mid-range official in administration of the Synod of the Russian Orthodox Church, though his exact position is not clear. In 1888 the 19-year-old Ivan entered the historical-philological faculty of St. Peterburg Imperial University. For reasons which are not known and were probably related to financial difficulties some time in the early 1890s he commenced teaching in of the high schools and graduated as late as 1902. His thesis gained the G. F. Karpov prize, awarded by the Russian Historical Society, and was published as a book. Its author was offered a junior teachning role at the university. Teaching in Russia In 1905 Lappo assumed the chair of Russian history at the University of Juriev (now Tartu). In 1911 he obtained PhD laurels at the University of Moscow and then became head of the historical department in Juriev; at the same time he was commissioned to prepare scientific edition of the Lithuanian Statute of 1588. In 1916 he was nominated to a historiographic committee of the Education Ministry. Following German takeover of the Governorate of Livonia Lappo decided to leave for central Russia. In the summer of 1918 together with most