xx. Mendeleev is elected to the Academy of Sciences by all of Russia

DEATH CHOOSE THE BEST... I still have an old notebook in my bag - from last autumn, from Rock Asia. Its cover is smeared with paste - this is from the dense, powerful "sound" of Yanka Diaghileva's group - a punk-folk-rock-bard - the rod dripped. In the same place in the notebook, two densely

There are a number of misconceptions regarding the results of M.V. Lomonosov. The following statements occur in the works:

About corpuscles;

On the conservation of mass;

On Boyle's experience in roasting metals;

On the nature of heat.

Based on these theses, incorrect conclusions are being drawn that Lomonosov created the atomic and molecular theory, was the first to formulate the law of conservation of mass, and so on.

There are many legends about the life and scientific works of Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev.

Legend 1. DI. Mendeleev made several attempts to enter the University and each time flunked chemistry.

Reality. He did not pass the entrance exams to the university at all, because. according to the existing rules, he could not enter either Moscow or St. Petersburg universities (because he lived and studied in Tobolsk, which belonged to the Kazan educational district). In addition, entrance exams in chemistry at universities were not held, because. Chemistry began to be studied only at the university.

Legend 2. Doctoral dissertation D.I. Mendeleev "On the combination of alcohol with water" was devoted to vodka - the definition and explanation of its unusual properties.

Reality. In his dissertation, Mendeleev studied alcohol-water solutions with a specific gravity of alcohol from 50 to 100% and did not pay much attention to solutions with an alcohol content below 33% by weight. He showed that the maximum contraction (compression of the solution) is observed at 46% by weight. These investigations by Mendeleev were important for substantiating the hydrate theory of solutions.

Legend 3. DI. Mendeleev saw the periodic table in a dream.

Reality. Recent studies show that the periodic table and the law were created over several years. There is no reliable evidence about the dreams of D.I. Mendeleev.

Legend 4. Mendeleev determined the composition of smokeless powder, counting wagons with goods in France that arrived at the gunpowder factory.

Reality. By that time, methods for producing pyroxylin had long been known. Mendeleev officially received a sample of smokeless pyroxylin powder, with the permission of the French authorities.

8. Describe the most important elements of the formation of chemistry as a scientific discipline and area of ​​professional activity in Russia in the XIX-beginning. XX centuries (scientific research, teaching, etc.)

Elements of the formation of chemistry as a scientific discipline and field of professional activity in Russia in the XIX-beginning. XX centuries are:

1. Development of the subject area. Scientific research. Formation of scientific schools

2. Development of terminology

3. Institutional allocation of chemistry teaching

4. Chemical periodicals

5. Scientific societies, scientific forums

6. History of chemistry

1. Development of the subject area. Scientific research. Formation of scientific schools

In the 1840s The first chemical schools began to appear in Russia.

On January 25, 1755, Moscow University was founded, at the beginning of the 19th century. in Russia, several more universities were opened: Dorpat, Vilnius (1802-1803), Kazan (1804), Kharkov (1805), St. Petersburg (1819), Kyiv (1835). In the development of the subject area, the following important points can be distinguished: the opening of universities; the emergence of Russian professors, Russian textbooks in chemistry, chemical laboratories; gradual transfer of scientific research to universities.

2. Development of terminology

At the beginning of the XIX century. chemical terminology begins to develop. V.M. Severgin, translation of the work of J.L. Kade: “A chemical dictionary containing the theory and practice of chemistry”, as well as Severgin’s book: “A guide to the most convenient understanding of foreign books, containing chemical dictionaries”. G.I. Hess also worked on the creation of Russian chemical terminology (work by G.I. Hess et al.: “A Brief Review of Chemical Names”, 1836), D.I. Mendeleev (1860s, nomenclature of inorganic compounds). In 1912, the Commission on nomenclature was established at the Russian Physical and Chemical Society, which took as a basis the nomenclature proposed by Hess and developed by D.I. Mendeleev.

3. Institutional allocation of teaching chemistry.

Since 1804, according to the university charter, the main department of chemistry was established at the faculties of physics and mathematics; Later, departments of technical chemistry (chemical technology) and agrochemistry appeared. At the beginning of the twentieth century. independent chemistry faculties began to appear (at Moscow University in 1929).

Since 1819, a system of attestation of scientific and teaching staff began to take shape in Russia. In 1819 - the law "On the production of academic degrees" (candidate of science, master of science, doctor of science). In 1835, the university charter fixed the correspondence of academic degrees to teaching positions (professors and associate professors).

In the teaching system, two main stages can be distinguished: in the XIX century. the course system of teaching prevails; in 1906-1920 the subject system of teaching is introduced; since 1920, under the Soviet regime, they again returned to the exchange rate system.

Textbooks in chemistry: at the beginning of the XIX century. mainly translated textbooks were used, from the 1820s. original textbooks began to appear (A. Iovsky, G. Hess, etc.), from the middle of the century textbooks appeared in certain areas of chemistry (organic, analytical, etc.). See question #9 for details.

4. Chemical periodicals

See question #9 for details.

5. Scientific societies, scientific forums

An important element in the formation of chemistry as a scientific discipline and area of ​​professional activity is the unification of the chemical community into special organizations - scientific societies, as well as the need to exchange information and professional communication through scientific forums - congresses, conferences, congresses. See question #10 for details.

6. History of chemistry

Evidence of the formation of a scientific discipline is also attention to its history. The first historical and scientific monographs in Russia began to appear in the 1870s. (for example, F.I. Savchenkov, "History of Chemistry"), at the turn of the XIX-XX centuries. the history of chemistry begins to be taught as a separate discipline at universities, there are diploma works on historical and scientific topics, the first conferences.

(1834-1907) - a great Russian scientist, known for his work in the field of chemistry, physics, geology, economics and meteorology. Also an excellent teacher and popularizer of science, a member of a number of European academies of sciences, one of the founders of the Russian Physical and Chemical Society. In 1984, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) named Mendeleev the greatest scientist of all time.

Personal data

D.I. Mendeleev was born in the Siberian city of Tobolsk in 1834 in the family of the director of the gymnasium Ivan Pavlovich Mendeleev and his wife Maria Dmitrievna. He was their last, seventeenth child.

At the gymnasium, Dmitry did not study very well, he had low marks in all subjects, Latin was especially difficult for him. After the death of his father, the family moved to St. Petersburg.

In the capital, Dmitry entered the Pedagogical Institute, which he graduated in 1855 with a gold medal. Almost immediately after graduating from the institute, Mendeleev fell ill with pulmonary tuberculosis. The doctors' prognosis was disappointing, and he hastily left for Simferopol, where the famous surgeon N.I. Pirogov .

When Pirogov examined Dmitry, he made an optimistic diagnosis: he said that the patient would live for a very long time. The great doctor turned out to be right - Mendeleev soon fully recovered. Dmitry returned to the capital to continue his scientific work, and in 1856 he defended his master's thesis at St. Petersburg University.

Labor biography

Having become a master, Dmitry received the position of Privatdozent and began to read a course of lectures on organic chemistry. His talent as a teacher and scientist was highly appreciated by the authorities, and in 1859 he was sent on a two-year scientific mission to Germany. Returning to Russia, he continued lecturing and soon discovered that the students lacked good textbooks. And in 1861, Mendeleev himself published a textbook - "Organic Chemistry", which was soon awarded the Demidov Prize by the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. In 1864, Mendeleev was elected professor of chemistry at the Technological Institute. And the following year he defended his doctoral dissertation "On the combination of alcohol with water." Two years later, he already headed the department of inorganic chemistry of the university. Here Dmitry Ivanovich starts writing his great work - "Fundamentals of Chemistry".

In 1869 he published a table of the elements entitled "Experiment on a system of elements based on their atomic weight and chemical similarity". He compiled his table on the basis of the Periodic Law he discovered. Even during the life of Dmitry Ivanovich, Fundamentals of Chemistry was reprinted 8 times in Russia and 5 times abroad, in English, German and French. In 1874, Mendeleev derived the general equation of state for an ideal gas, including, in particular, the dependence of the state of the gas on temperature, discovered in 1834 by the physicist B.P.E. Clapeyron (the Clapeyron-Mendeleev equation).

Mendeleev also suggested the existence of a number of elements unknown at that time. His ideas were confirmed, as there is documented evidence. The great scientist was able to accurately predict the chemical properties of gallium, scandium and germanium.

In 1890, Mendeleev left St. Petersburg University because of a conflict with the Minister of Education, who, during student unrest, refused to accept a student petition from Mendeleev. After leaving the university, Dmitry Ivanovich in the period in 1890-1892. participated in the development of smokeless powder. Since 1892, Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleev has been the scientist-custodian of the Depot of Exemplary Weights and Scales, which in 1893, on his initiative, was transformed into the Main Chamber of Weights and Measures (now the All-Russian Research Institute of Metrology named after D.I. Mendeleev). In a new field for himself, Mendeleev achieved good results by creating the most accurate weighing methods for that time. By the way, Mendeleev's name is often associated with the choice of 40° strength for vodka.

Mendeleev developed a new oil refining technology, was engaged in the chemicalization of agriculture, and created a device (pycnometer) for determining the density of a liquid. In 1903 he was the first State Admission Committee of the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute.

In addition to science, Mendeleev was well versed in economics. He once joked: “What a chemist I am, I am a political economist. What is there "Fundamentals of Chemistry", here is the "Explanatory Tariff" - that's another matter. It was he who proposed a system of protectionist measures to strengthen the economy of the Russian Empire. He consistently defended the need to protect Russian industry from competition from Western countries, linking the development of Russian industry with customs policy. The scientist noted the injustice of the economic order, which allows countries that process raw materials to reap the fruits of the labor of workers in countries that supply raw materials.

Mendeleev also developed a scientific justification for promising ways of developing the economy. Shortly before his death, in 1906, Mendeleev published his book Toward an Understanding of Russia, in which he summarized his views on the prospects for the development of the country.

Information about relatives

Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev's father, Ivan Pavlovich Mendeleev, came from a family of a priest and himself studied at a religious school.

Mother - Maria Dmitrievna, came from an old, but impoverished merchant family of the Kornilievs.

The son of Dmitry Ivanovich from his first marriage, Vladimir (1865-1898), chose a naval career. He graduated with honors from the Naval Cadet Corps, sailed on the frigate "Memory of Azov" around Asia and along the Far Eastern coast of the Pacific Ocean (1890-1893). He also took part in the entry of the Russian squadron to France. In 1898, he retired and began to develop the "Project for raising the level of the Sea of ​​Azov by the dam of the Kerch Strait." The talent of a hydrological engineer was clearly manifested in his work, but Mendeleev's son was not destined to achieve major scientific successes - he died suddenly on December 19, 1898.

Olga - Vladimir's sister (1868-1950), graduated from the gymnasium and married Alexei Vladimirovich Trirogov, who studied with her brother in the Naval Cadet Corps. She dedicated her entire life to her family. Olga wrote a book of memoirs "Mendeleev and his family", which was published in 1947.

In his second marriage, Mendeleev had four children: Lyubov, Ivan, and the twins Maria and Vasily.

Of all the descendants of Dmitry Ivanovich, Lyuba turned out to be a person who became known to a wide circle of people. And first of all, not as the daughter of a great scientist, but as a wife Alexander Blok- the famous Russian poet of the Silver Age and as the heroine of his cycle "Poems to the Beautiful Lady".

Lyuba graduated from the "Higher Women's Courses" and for some time was fond of theatrical art. In 1907-1908. she played in the troupe of V.E. Meyerhold and in the Theater of V.F. Komissarzhevskaya. The married life of the Bloks was chaotic and difficult, and Alexander and Lyubov are equally to blame for this. However, in the last years of the poet's life, his wife always remained by his side. By the way, she became the first public performer of the poem "The Twelve". After the death of Blok, Lyubov studied the history and theory of ballet art, studied the school of teaching Agrippina Vaganova and gave acting lessons to the famous ballerinas Galina Kirillova and Natalia Dudinskaya. Lyubov Dmitrievna died in 1939.

Ivan Dmitrievich (1883-1936) graduated from the gymnasium in 1901 with a gold medal, entered the St. Petersburg Polytechnic Institute, but soon transferred to the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of the University. He helped his father a lot, performed complex calculations for his economic work. Thanks to Ivan, a posthumous edition of the work of the scientist "Addition to the knowledge of Russia" was published. After the death of Dmitry Ivanovich, the life of his son changed dramatically. He lived in France for several years, then settled in the Mendeleev estate of Boblovo, organizing a school for peasant children there.

From 1924 until his death, Ivan worked in the "Main Chamber of Weights and Measures", continuing the work of his father, who published a number of works in the field of the theory of weights and measures. Here he conducted research on the theory of weights and designs of thermostats. One of the first in the USSR to study the properties of "heavy water". From a young age, Ivan studied philosophy. He outlined his ideas in the books Thoughts on Knowledge and Justification of Truth, which were published in 1909-1910. In addition, Ivan wrote memoirs about his father. They were published in their entirety only in 1993. One of the biographers of the scientist, Mikhail Nikolaevich Mladentsev, wrote that between the son and father “there was a rare friendly relationship. Dmitry Ivanovich noted the natural talents of his son and in his person he had a friend, an adviser, with whom he shared ideas and thoughts.

Little information has been preserved about Vasily. It is known that he graduated from the Naval Technical School in Kronstadt. He had the ability for technical creativity, developed a model of a super-heavy tank. After the revolution, fate threw him to the Kuban, to Yekaterinodar, where he died of typhus in 1922.

Maria studied at the "Higher Women's Agricultural Courses" in St. Petersburg, then for a long time she taught at technical schools. After the Great Patriotic War, she became the head of the Museum-archive of D.I. Mendeleev at the Leningrad University. A year before the death of Maria Dmitrievna, the first collection of archival information about Mendeleev was published, on which she worked - "D.I. Mendeleev's Archive" (1951).

Personal life

In 1857, Dmitry Mendeleev proposes to Sofya Kash, whom he knew back in Tobolsk, gives her an engagement ring, and is seriously preparing for marriage with a girl whom he loves very much. But unexpectedly, Sophia returned the engagement ring to him and said that there would be no wedding. Mendeleev was shocked by this news, fell ill and did not get out of bed for a long time. His sister Olga Ivanovna decided to help her brother in organizing his personal life and insisted on his engagement to Feozva Nikitichnaya Leshcheva (1828-1906), whom Mendeleev knew back in Tobolsk. Feozva, the adopted daughter of Mendeleev's teacher, the poet Pyotr Petrovich Ershov, the author of the famous "Humpbacked Horse", was six years older than her fiancé. April 29, 1862 they were married.

Three children were born in this marriage: daughter Maria (1863) - she died in infancy, son Volodya (1865) and daughter Olga. Mendeleev loved children very much, but his relationship with his wife did not work out. She did not understand her husband at all, absorbed in scientific research. There were often conflicts in the family, and he felt unhappy, which he spoke to his friends about. As a result, they separated, although formally they remained married.

At 43, Dmitry Ivanovich fell in love with 19-year-old Anna Popova, a beauty who often visited the Mendeleevs' house. She was fond of painting, was well educated, easily found a common language with famous people who gathered at Dmitry Ivanovich's. They began a relationship, although Anna's father was categorically against this union and demanded that Mendeleev leave his daughter alone. Dmitry Ivanovich did not agree, and then Anna was sent abroad, to Italy. However, Dmitry Ivanovich went after her. A month later they returned home together and got married. This marriage turned out to be very successful. The couple got along well and understood each other perfectly. Anna Ivanovna was a good and attentive wife, living in the interests of her famous husband.

Hobbies

Dmitry Ivanovich loved painting, music, was fond of fiction, especially novels Jules Verne. Despite being busy, Dmitry Ivanovich made caskets, made suitcases and frames for portraits, and bound books. Mendeleev approached his hobby very seriously, and things made by his own hands were of high quality. There is a story about how Dmitry Ivanovich once bought materials for his crafts, and allegedly one seller asked another: “Who is this venerable gentleman?” The answer was quite unexpected: “Oh, this is a suitcase master - Mendeleev!”

It is also known that Mendeleev sewed his own clothes, considering the purchase uncomfortable.

Enemies

The real enemies of Mendeleev were those who voted against his election as an academician. Despite the fact that Mendeleev was recommended for the post of academician by the great scientist A.M. Butlerov and despite the fact that Dmitry Ivanovich was already world-famous and recognized as a scientific bright, the following people voted against his election: Litke, Veselovsky, Gelmersen, Schrenk, Maksimovich, Strauch, Schmidt, Wild, Gadolin. Here it is, the list of obvious enemies of the Russian scientist. Even Beilstein, who was promoted to academician instead of Mendeleev by a margin of just one vote, often said: “In Russia, we no longer have talents as powerful as Mendeleev.” However, the injustice has not been corrected.

Companions

A close friend and colleague of Mendeleev was the rector of St. Petersburg University A.N. Beketov- grandfather of Alexander Blok. Their estates were located near Klin, not far from one another. Also, members of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences - Bunyakovsky, Koksharov, Butlerov, Famintsyn, Ovsyannikov, Chebyshev, Alekseev, Struve and Savi - were also associates in Mendeleev's scientific activities. Among the friends of the scientist were great Russian artists Repin , Shishkin , Kuindzhi .

Weaknesses

Mendeleev smoked a lot, carefully selecting tobacco and rolling cigarettes with his own hands; he never used a mouthpiece. And when friends and doctors advised him to quit, pointing to his poor health, he said that it was possible to die without smoking. Another weakness of Dmitry Ivanovich, along with tobacco, was tea. He had his own channel for the delivery of tea home from Kyakhta, where he arrived in caravans from China. Mendeleev, through "scientific channels", agreed to prescribe tea for himself by mail directly from this city straight home. He ordered it for several years at once, and when the tsibiki were delivered to the apartment, the whole family began to sort and pack the tea. The floor was covered with tablecloths, the tsibiki were opened, all the tea was poured onto the tablecloth and quickly mixed. This had to be done because the tea in cybics lay in layers and it was necessary to mix it as quickly as possible so that it would not run out of steam. Then the tea was poured into huge glass bottles and sealed tightly. All members of the family participated in the ceremony, and all household members and relatives were dressed in tea. Mendeleev's tea earned great fame among friends, and Dmitry Ivanovich himself, not recognizing any other, did not drink tea at a party.

According to the recollections of many people who knew the great scientist closely, he was a tough, harsh and unrestrained person. Oddly enough, even being a very famous scientist, he was always worried at the demonstrations of experiments, afraid of "getting into embarrassment."

Strengths

Mendeleev worked in various fields of science and achieved excellent results everywhere. Even a few ordinary human lives would not have been enough for such a colossal expenditure of mind and spiritual strength. But the scientist had a phenomenal capacity for work, incredible endurance and dedication. He managed to be ahead of time in many areas of science for many years.

All his life, Mendeleev made various predictions and predictions, which almost always came true, because they were based on the natural mind, significant knowledge and unique intuition. Many testimonies of his relatives and friends have been preserved, shocked by the gift of a brilliant scientist to anticipate events, literally see the future, not only in science, but also in other areas of life. Mendeleev had excellent analytical skills, and his predictions, even relating to political issues, were brilliantly confirmed. For example, he accurately predicted the beginning of the Russo-Japanese War of 1905 and the severe consequences of this war for Russia.

The students to whom he taught loved their illustrious professor very much, but at the same time they said that it was not easy for him to pass the exams. He made no concessions to anyone, could not stand ill-prepared answers, and was intolerant of negligent students.

In everyday life, tough and harsh, Mendeleev treated children very kindly, loved them incredibly tenderly.

Merits and failures

The merits of Mendeleev to science have long been recognized by the entire scientific world. He was a member of almost all the most authoritative academies that existed in his time and an honorary member of many scientific societies (the total number of institutions that considered Mendeleev an honorary member reached 100). His name was especially honored in England, where he was awarded the medals "Davy", "Faraday" and "Copileus", where he was invited (1888) as a "Faraday" lecturer, an honor that falls to the lot of only a few scientists.

In 1876 he was a corresponding member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, in 1880 he was promoted to academician, but Beilstein, the author of an extensive reference book on organic chemistry, was accepted instead. This fact aroused indignation in wide circles of Russian society. A few years later, when Mendeleev was again offered to run for the Academy, he refused.

Mendeleev is certainly an outstanding scientist, but even the greatest people make mistakes. Like many scientists of that time, he defended the erroneous concept of the existence of "ether" - a special entity that fills the world space and transmits light, heat and gravity. Mendeleev suggested that the ether could be a specific state of gases at high rarefaction or a special gas with a very low weight. In 1902, one of his most original works, An Attempt at a Chemical Understanding of the World Aether, was published. Mendeleev believed that "the world ether can be represented like helium and argon, incapable of chemical compounds." That is, from a chemical point of view, he considered ether as an element preceding hydrogen, and in order to place it in his table, he introduced it into the zero group and zero period. The future showed that Mendeleev's concept of the chemical understanding of the ether turned out to be erroneous, like all such concepts.

Far from immediately, Mendeleev was able to understand the significance of such fundamental achievements as the discovery of the phenomenon of radioactivity, the electron, and subsequent results directly related to these discoveries. He lamented that chemistry was "entangled in ions and electrons". Only after visiting the Curie and Becquerel laboratories in Paris in April 1902 did Mendeleev change his point of view. Some time later, he instructed one of his subordinates in the Chamber of Weights and Measures to conduct a study of radioactive phenomena, which, however, had no consequences in connection with the death of the scientist.

Compromising evidence

When Mendeleev wanted to formalize his relationship with Anna Popova, he faced great difficulties, since official divorce and remarriage were complex processes in those years. To help the great man arrange his personal life, his friends convinced Mendeleev's first wife to agree to a divorce. But even after her consent and subsequent divorce, Dmitry Ivanovich, according to the then laws, had to wait another six years before entering into a new marriage. The Church imposed a "six-year penance" on him. In order to obtain permission for a second marriage, without waiting for the expiration of the six-year period, Dmitry Ivanovich bribed the priest. The amount of the bribe was huge - 10 thousand rubles, for comparison - Mendeleev's estate was estimated at 8 thousand.

Alexander Mikhailovich - great chemist who lived at the end of the 19th century. From early childhood, he was distinguished by curiosity and a love of learning. After boarding school and university, he quickly climbed the career ladder.

For a provincial boy, young Sasha has reached unimaginable heights. He was also recognized the best lecturer. Students listened to Butlerov's lectures in one breath, thanks to his enthusiasm and responsible approach to business. Students noted that the professor was a living example for them, whom they observed and adopted the skill.

While working, the scientist and teacher did not forget about his hobbies and made discoveries not only in the scientific field, but also in beekeeping and floriculture. In addition to flowers and bees, he cultivated tea in the Caucasus.

In addition to books on the exact sciences, he wrote various literature on common topics. Subsequently, his creations were in great demand.

The chemist also worked with the education of women, took part in the creation of higher courses for women.

From a young age he was distinguished good health and no one expected his sudden death on his personal estate in Kazan. But his memory is still preserved. The pipe that student Butlerov bent into the number 6 is kept at the university, as is a collection of his favorite butterflies. In the 20th century, a monument was erected in honor of the great lecturer and professor, a lunar crater was named after him, the Faculty of Chemistry of Kazan University was renamed into the A. M. Butlerov Chemical Institute. The streets named after him are located in the cities of Kazan, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Kyiv, Dzerzhinsk, in his native city of Chistopol and Volgograd. In 2011, a congress was held dedicated to Alexander Mikhailovich.

Facts about activities and hobbies

Being a busy man, Butlerov managed to devote a lot of time to his hobby and contributed to the development of floriculture and zoology in Russia. Also, the scientist conscientiously fulfilled his obligations and held high positions at St. Petersburg University.

His most interesting achievements are:

1. Beekeeping. The chemist's passion was bees. He had many beekeepers at home. This is one of the oldest hobbies of Alexander Mikhailovich. Subsequently, he worked on a pamphlet on this entertaining subject, for which he was awarded by a well-known society.
2. Butterfly breeding. Insects Butlerov began to get involved in his student years. In the process of learning, he devoted a dissertation to beautiful butterflies. And the collection of butterflies dear to the owner was preserved even after his death at the university.
3. Breeding a new variety of roses. In appearance, the variety resembled a wild rose. The flowering time of plants was from the beginning of spring almost to the very end of autumn. The species was named Zelenushka Butlerov, a diurnal bluefly butterfly.
4. Music. Playing the piano attracted little Sasha at an early age. Although the attachment to music did not develop into something more, the scientist loved it and was fond of it.
5. Spiritualism is a belief in the existence of ghosts and various spirits. For this hobby, Alexander Mikhailovich was repeatedly condemned by society, since this concept is completely contrary to the principles of the exact sciences.
6. Book edition. The lecturer spent quite a long time working on the textbook. The result was the book Introduction to the Complete Study of Organic Chemistry. The publication of the book dates from 1864 to 1866. Due to its popularity, the textbook was also translated into German.
7. High post. 1880 was a significant time for the scientist. Butlerov was elected president of the Russian Physical and Chemical Society. Prior to that, in the period from 1860-1863, he twice rose to the rector. But at that time it was an unpleasant situation, as these three years were especially hectic for the university and academic professors.
8. Creation of the theory of chemical structure. Its essence lies in the connection of atoms and molecules. Most of Butlerov's book is devoted to this particular theory, which is why it gained popularity in Rus' and abroad.

General information about life

In addition to work and hobbies, the busy life of a scientist is full of other interesting facts.

These include:

• Native city- Chistopol. This town was in the province of Kazan. Sasha was born on September 15, 1828. His mother died four days after giving birth. Relatives were engaged in the upbringing of the boy.
• Proficiency in French and German. The relatives who raised Alexander were his maternal aunts. Thanks to them, having entered the boarding school, he was already fluent in foreign languages ​​and spoke well. At that time the boy was 10 years old.
• Several times Butlerov was denied resignation. Initially, the resignation of the lecturer fell on 1875. But the successes of the scientist made him an indispensable teacher. The University Council has postponed this deadline twice for five years. As a result, Butlerov's last working day was in 1885.
• Idol - Nikolai Zinin. Nikolai Nikolaevich was the direct supervisor of Butlerov, being an organic chemist. While still a student, he studied with Klaus and Zinin. It was they who inspired him to become a teacher.
• Alexander praised and respected Mendeleev. After Butlerov was elected a professor of chemistry, Mendeleev noticed his works and noted that, unlike other discoveries, the theory of chemical structure belongs only to him and he is the founder of the Butler school and direction.
• He worked for over 30 years. As mentioned above, the scientist was not allowed to retire for about 10 years. Thus, instead of the prescribed 25 years, he worked for 35 years.
• Brochure about beekeeping was popular. The project was created for rural residents, but soon after the publication it was translated into German. For this work, the beekeeper was awarded an award and a prize. “Bee, her life. The Rules of Intelligent Beekeeping” awarded the professor a gold medal and an award from the Imperial Free Economic Society.
• He was married to Aksakov's niece. In 1851, Butlerov married Glumilina. Sergei Timofeevich was a relative of the girl. Alexander and Sergey became friends, worked together. Aksakov was also fond of spiritualism and published a magazine on this topic, sometimes sharing the opinion of Butlerov, who did not give up his hobby, not noticing the sidelong glances and condemnation of his students and colleagues.

Rod Butlerov

“Our surname, they say and think, is of English origin, and according to others, we come from the German nation: for one German, our namesake, found the same coat of arms as ours, which, among other things, represents a mug (it’s true that our ancestors were addicted to beer, like all the British and Germans, ”Alexander Mikhailovich wrote about himself.

Family tree of the Butlerovs

Childhood interests

Kama in flood. 19th century

Mikhail Vasilyevich Butlerov, the father of Sasha Butlerov, enjoyed great respect and love from all who knew him, was an educated and inquisitive person. He left an excellent library in Butlerovka and was very fond of reading fiction and books on various branches of knowledge. The love of reading was passed on to my son. Labor was respected in the Butlerovs' house, and the owner of the house himself showed an example of hard work to everyone. Thanks to his skillful leadership, agriculture on his estate was carried out successfully and culturally.

The versatility of the father aroused in the son the desire for multifaceted activities. There were clavichords in the house, and the boy willingly studied music. Throughout his life he retained a love for music, he understood it very subtly and later played the piano well himself.

Clavichord

The father sought to develop his son not only mentally, but also physically. Sports were held in high esteem in the house of Colonel Butlerov. Young Alexander himself made weights and other gymnastic accessories on his father's lathe and practiced with them daily. Physically, he became so strong that later, when he became an adult, he used to take an iron poker from them in the kitchen without finding his friends, and left it instead of a business card, bent in the shape of the letter “B”.

Entertainment and hobbies

In studies, he was always distinguished by outstanding abilities: great organization, curiosity, and by nature had an excellent memory. A.S. memorized by heart. Pushkin, other Russian poets, was engaged in the study of foreign languages, having mastered French, English and German to perfection.

He loved fireworks and, in addition, he liked chemical glassware. His imagination was occupied with the process of transformation of substances.

Once, carried away by the experiments, he completely forgot about the precautions and the kitchen of the boarding house where he was secretly engaged was shaken by a deafening explosion. This is how comrade A.M. Butlerov, M. Shevelyakov, from the Topornin Kazan boarding school recalls this day: “One fine day, spring evening, the pupils were noisily and cheerfully playing bast shoes, ... and the “furious Rolland” was dozing in the sun, a deafening explosion was heard in the kitchen ... Everyone gasped, and Rolland, with a tiger's leap, found himself in the basement floor where the kitchen was located.Then, the tiger appeared before us again, ruthlessly dragging Butlerov with scorched hair and eyebrows, and behind him, head down, was the uncle, attracted as an accomplice, secretly To the honor of the boarding house A. S. Topornin, it should be noted that the rods were never used in this institution, but since Butlerov’s crime was out of the ordinary, our teachers came up with a new unprecedented punishment. or three criminals were taken out of the dark punishment cell to the common dining room with a black board on the chest, on the board there was a sign in large white letters: "The Great Chemist". murmured!"

Interests of Youth

After Butlerov entered Kazan University, he, a naturally inquisitive young man, had opportunities to express himself to the fullest. In his first years, he was especially fond of botany, zoology, in particular - entomology - the science of insects. Every year, student Butlerov made long natural-scientific excursions and expeditions of a botanical nature in the vicinity of Kazan, exploring the flora and fauna of the local region. In the person of students D.P. Pyatnitsky, M.Ya. Kittara and N.P. Wagner (son of Professor Pyotr Ivanovich Wagner), Alexander Butlerov found comrades and like-minded people in his studies in the natural sciences and love for nature, in his passion for tourism and scientific excursions.

The constant entertainment of the future great chemist was the burning of fireworks, which he himself made, being a skilled pyrotechnician. Interest in chemical experiments, acquired back in Topornin's boarding house, found rich food at the university, where, in the person of outstanding professors who were in love with chemistry - K.K. Klaus and N.N. Zinina Butlerov, a student, realized his interest in this science. Here is how Butlerov himself talks about his studies in chemistry at Kazan University: “Nikolai Nikolayevich himself had just received azoxybenzide at that time, and benzidine followed him. A sixteen-year-old novice student - I at that time was naturally fond of the outer side of chemical phenomena and admired with particular interest the beautiful red plates of azobenzene and the shiny silvery flakes of benzidine.

K.K. Klaus N.N. Zinin

Interests and entertainment of youth

Despite the fact that Butlerov worked hard and hard during his student years at the university, he knew how to relax and have fun, play pranks and hang out. Once, on the main street of Kazan, a large crowd of worshipers gathered near the church. Suddenly, a man of monstrous stature walked slowly past the crowd. At the sight of the monster, the worshipers began to make the sign of the cross. There were shouts:

• Antichrist!

The "Antichrist", who was led by the hands of two people, was slowly moving away. Suddenly, the monster “crumbled”, and four young men ran with laughter in front of the dumbfounded crowd. It was a trick of Butlerov and his comrades: Butlerov perched on the shoulders of the tall Pyatnitsky, and Kittary and Wagner put on an overcoat on the giant and the whole gang paraded in front of a crowd of townsfolk, frightened by the arrival of the "Antichrist".

One of the hobbies, perhaps influenced by visiting acrobats, was exercise. Butlerov managed to copy some of the acrobatic numbers, although in general he "was heavy, clumsy and awkward." To develop strength and dexterity, friends made cast-iron pood balls and juggling metal balls and sticks. Butlerov was so strong that once with his hands he straightened a thick massive hook fixed in the wall, on which the door at the university was locked.

Circus tent in Kazan

Butlerov is a scientist, the most enthusiastic

Lecturer and popularizer of chemical science in Kazan

A.M. Butlerov with employees

Laboratory in Kazan

Butlerov's workload did not prevent him from giving public lectures free of charge to "persons of all conditions", seeing this as one of the forms of serving the people. These lectures demanded from him a great deal of methodological preparation and special attention to questions of practical application. Butlerov became Klaus' successor in lecturing in technical chemistry to the general public. At the lectures of Alexander Mikhailovich, people were attracted not only by the talent of the lecturer, but also by the fact that they were accompanied by spectacular experiments. The great influence on the audience and the benefits for them of these lectures can be judged from the memoirs of Zakhar Stepanovich Bobrov, a talented Russian inventor from the people. In May 1881, Bobrov came to St. Petersburg, but did not find him and left a long letter, from which it follows: “I have the honor to be recommended, I am one of those ... who had the happiness of listening to your wonderful popular, free lectures in Kazan.

I, a peasant in the Vyatka province, 25 years ago, came from the village to Kazan to listen to your lectures; After several lectures, I was introduced to Your Excellency by your kind assistant, Fyodor Khristianovich Grahe, was honored by you with gracious attention so that I was even treated kindly by you and allowed to listen to several of your ordinary lectures among the students. Finally, I was even allowed to make some experiments in the laboratory. Your high attention to me encouraged my love for the sciences and affirmed my desire to study, that I immediately promised myself to study, by all means, the natural sciences, as far as my brains were enough ... The fruit of my labors, I have the right to report to Your Excellency, that I came out of the profane in relation to the knowledge of these sciences so much that for twenty years now I have been working with the desired success in chemistry, mechanics and medicine ”(note: Bobrov published his inventions in the Agricultural Newspaper and Vyatka Gubernskie Vedomosti.).

Lecturer and promoter of chemical science in St. Petersburg.

Butlerov A.M. and Mendeleev D.I. with colleagues. St. Petersburg.

Many of the leaders of Russian science and technology, according to Timiryazev, "recognized in these lectures the first impetus that awakened in them the desire to study natural science." Appearing in St. Petersburg at the height of a broad intellectual movement, characterized by the flowering of natural science, Butlerov did not stand aside. He read and then published lectures "On the practical significance of scientific chemical works" in 1871. In it, Alexander Mikhailovich in a popular form showed the connection between science and society, the importance of scientific work on "pure chemistry" for the development of the chemical industry, the interdependence between the experimental side and theory. In 1875, Butlerov gave two public lectures organized by the Russian Technical Society on a very relevant and new topic -

Members of the Russian Technical Society

“On Luminous Gas”, and in 1885 three very interesting lectures “On Water”, which, unfortunately, remained unpublished. In the popular science article "Something from Chemistry and Physics" (1873), written for a children's literary and scientific collection, Butlerov very simply and intelligibly told young readers about combustion processes.

Love for music and theater

In his free time (if any), Alexander Mikhailovich devoted himself to playing the piano or visiting the theater. So during his efforts to defend his doctoral dissertation, he spent most of his time in Moscow playing billiards, with relatives or in the theater. He always passionately loved music, especially vocal music, and later, during the St. Petersburg period of his life, he devoted all his free evenings to the opera. On the same trip to Moscow, Butlerov was attracted to the theater by the famous Rachel, who toured Russia.

Rachel. Photo.

Technology and Commerce

Paper mill in England

During a trip abroad, Butlerov made detailed descriptions of the machines and equipment of factories, supplied with his own drawings. Most of all, he was interested in factories for the production of gas, the raw material for which was wood. In the report on the trip, he emphasized that the use of gas in almost all the laboratories he had seen was a great convenience, and its absence was one of the shortcomings of the Kazan University laboratory. Shortly after returning to Kazan, Butlerov began to receive gas in the same way at Kazan University.

One of the authors of the memoirs about Butlerov tells about his attempt to set up a soap factory: “This coincided with the revival of activity after the Crimean War. Alexander Mikhailovich tried to apply his theoretical knowledge to practical activities and failed: then he was not yet thirty years old, and he did not know that it was important in industry to know how to present a product in person. He began to brew in his factory an excellent egg soap from egg yolks - it could not be cheap and could not have a bright yellow color; his competitors dyed plain soap with yellow paint, called this mixture egg soap, and sold it. Such soap was cheap, buyers willingly took dyed soap, mistaking it for egg. Having failed with soap, Butlerov began to prepare phosphorus from bones, and “incendiary matches” from phosphorus, but this production also suffered the fate of the first. But, not everything turned out to be so bad for Alexander Mikhailovich with commerce. For example, in the village of Aleksandrovka, which is now in the Bavlinsky district of the Republic of Tatarstan, (before the revolution in the Samara province), a small distillery appeared already in its Petersburg period.

View of the village of Aleksandrovka, 60s of the XX century

All affairs were managed by the manager F. M. Burenin. During the year, the plant worked for 6-7 months. The season starts in September and ends in April. The daily production of raw alcohol was 150-180 buckets. Until the 1950s, it was a small enterprise with manual labor. Wood, peat, coal were used as fuel. It was from Butlerov that Alexandrovka got its name.

Rural passions of Butlerov

Love for nature

Under the influence of his father, Alexander Butlerov from childhood knew well and passionately fell in love with his native nature, learned to work independently, to field and garden work, beekeeping, became an excellent shooter and hunter, an excellent rider and swimmer. Even as a child, Alexander Mikhailovich, together with his father, willingly, with great love, was engaged in various crafts (locksmithing, turning), looked after the fruit trees in his garden. He helped his father and worked on the beekeeper. Having medical knowledge and skills, his father, Mikhail Vasilyevich, treated the residents of Butlerovka and the surrounding villages who turned to him free of charge, which was passed on to his son.

Love for nature. Beekeeping.

Alexander Mikhailovich played a big role in spreading beekeeping knowledge. It was he who proposed to introduce beekeeping into the number of subjects taught in teacher's seminaries and on the distribution of popular books on beekeeping to theological seminaries and soldiers' schools. Love for bees allowed A.M. Butlerov to create his own theory of beekeeping, and his charm, gentleness in handling and a special ability to interest everyone in the mysterious world of honey bees increased the number of lovers of silver-winged pickers. His work, written in 1871: “The bee, its life and the main rules of intelligent beekeeping” was awarded an honorary Gold Medal, was awarded the Elenninskaya Prize by the Imperial Free Economic Society and went through 10 editions.

Alexander Mikhailovich met bees quite by accident. In the summer of 1860, his student friend prof. zoology N. P. Wagner. The latter at that time conceived an extensive work on the anatomy of bees and, at his request, A. M. arranged a glass beehive in his house, according to the model proposed by the Kazan beekeeper Klykovsky. It is not known whether Wagner wrote his work, but only Butlerov was so carried away by bees that the next year there were already several decks with bees in his garden.

Until 1869, the bees were kept on their own and Alexander Mikhailovich could only admire them in the summer. During these years, the bees did not give income. During a trip abroad in 1867-68, A. M. Butlerov got acquainted in Germany with the beekeeping of Dzirzhan and Berlept. His powerful mind immediately realized how collapsible hives, like Berlepta, are better and more convenient for a beekeeper of a non-collapsible log (before Butlerov, non-collapsible logs were used in beekeeping, which were a stump of a tree trunk). During a trip abroad in 1867-68, Butlerov was struck by the difference in public beekeeping that existed between Russian and foreign beekeeping.

Decks used in beekeeping in the 19th century.

Abroad, beekeeping literature, both periodical and non-periodical, was available in fairly large quantities; beekeepers were united in partnerships and societies, numbering thousands of their members. Realizing all the importance of beekeeping for Russia and seeing that it is falling, and even going to complete destruction, thanks to the methods of beekeeping that do not correspond to the time, Butlerov decides to help the population in this matter. The work was enormous, but Alexander Mikhailovich goes to this truly feat without fear. Realizing that help in this case is possible only in the form of giving appropriate knowledge, and they cannot help in Russia with all sorts of material benefits, he decides to enlighten Russian beekeepers. First of all, it was necessary to assemble a certain core, on which one could rely in one's work.

And on November 25, 1871, Alexander Mikhailovich, at a meeting of the Free Economic Society, without being a member, makes a report "on measures to spread rational beekeeping." Since 1872, the beekeeping department in the "Proceedings of I.V.E. O.". In the first year of its existence (1872), more than 20 articles appeared; in 1873 - more than 45; in 1874 - more than 50, etc. In addition to the articles of Russian beekeepers in the beekeeping department, the Proceedings of the News of the Free Economic Society contained notes on the news of foreign beekeeping. At the beginning, these notes were compiled by A.M. himself, and when an independent magazine, then posted articles in it.

The "Proceedings" also published a list of beekeepers known to the Imperial Free Economic Society thanks to this list beekeepers could interact with each other. 31 hours, in January 1873 - 73, in January 1874 - 106, in January 1875 - 138 and, finally, in 1886 the list of beekeepers had 394 people. Butlerov. This can be seen at least from the fact that, according to V.S. Rossolovsky (nephew of A.M.), Alexander Mikhailovich had to answer more than 1000 letters from beekeepers a year.

Emblem of the Imperial Free Economic Society

Until 1880, the Proceedings of the Imperial Free Economic Society was the only body of beekeepers. By the end of 1885, funds were found to publish a separate beekeeping journal. And since January 1886, the first independent beekeeping journal, Russian Beekeeping Leaf, appeared in Russia, edited A. M. Butlerova. Funds for the publication were given by I.V.E.O. The first subscription to the "Russian beekeeping leaflet" gave 600 subscribers (the last time in one book for the whole year "Russian beekeeping leaflet" was published in 1918, having existed for 33 years).

Living in St. Petersburg, Alexander Mikhailovich devoted at least one evening a week to a meeting of the beekeeping commission, corresponded with beekeepers throughout Russia, worked in the ministry for the establishment and improvement of beekeeping schools, for permission to send bees by postal parcels, by rail, on steamboats, on measures to combat falsification of wax, etc. At the same time, he gave public lectures, supervised translations, and edited beekeeping periodicals. The last meeting of the beekeeping commission at the Free Economic Society with the participation of the great chemist took place on March 24.

Headquarters of the Imperial Free Economic Society