Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky (1863-1945) is a world famous Russian thinker and naturalist. He took an active part in the public life of the country. He is the main founder of the complexes of basic earth sciences. The scope of his study included such industries as:
- biogeochemistry;
- geochemistry;
- radiogeology;
- hydrogeology.
Is the creator of most scientific schools. Since 1917 he has been an academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and since 1925 - an academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences.
In 1919 he became the first resident of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, then - a professor at the Moscow Institute. However, he resigned. This gesture was a sign of protest against the bad treatment of students.
The stated thoughts of Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky became the starting point for the development of the modern picture of the scientific world. The main idea of the scientist was a holistic scientific development of such a concept as the biosphere. According to him, this term defines the living earth shell of the Earth. Vernadsky Vladimir Ivanovich ("noosphere" is also the introduced term of the scientist) studied the whole complex, in which the main role is played not only by the living shell, but also by the human factor. The teachings of such a clever andsensible professor on the relationship between people and the environment could not but have a significant impact on the scientific formation of the natural consciousness of every sane person.
Academician Vernadsky was an active supporter of Russian cosmism, which is based on the idea of the unity of the cosmos and all mankind. Also, Vladimir Ivanovich was the leader of the party of constitutionalists-democrats and the movement of zemstvo liberals. Received the USSR State Prize in 1943.
Childhood and youth of the future academician
Vernadsky Vladimir Ivanovich (biography confirms this) was born in St. Petersburg on March 12, 1863. Lived in a noble family. His father was an economist, and his mother was the first Russian female political economist. The baby's parents were quite famous publicists and economists and never forgot about their origin.
According to family tradition, the Vernadsky family originates from the Lithuanian gentry Verna, who went over to the side of the Cossacks and was executed by the Poles for supporting Bohdan Khmelnitsky.
In 1873, the hero of our story began his studies at the Kharkov gymnasium. And in 1877 his family was forced to move to St. Petersburg. At this time, Vladimir entered the Lyceum and subsequently successfully graduated from it. In the city on the Neva, Vernadsky's father, Ivan Vasilyevich, opened his own publishing company, which was called Slavic Printing, and also ran a bookstore on Nevsky Prospekt.
At the age of thirteen,the future academician begins to show interest in natural history, Slavism, and active social life.
1881 was an eventful year. Censorship closed his father's magazine, which at the same time was also paralyzed. And Alexander II was killed. Vernadsky himself successfully passed the entrance exams and began his student life at St. Petersburg University.
Desire to become a scientist
Vernadsky, whose biography is as popular as his scientific achievements, began his studies at St. Petersburg University in 1881. He was lucky to get to the lectures of Mendeleev, who encouraged students, and also strengthened their faith in themselves and taught them to adequately overcome difficulties.
In 1882, a scientific and literary society was created at the university, in which Vernadsky had the honor to conduct mineralogy. Professor Dokuchaev drew attention to the fact that a young student is learning to observe natural processes. A great experience for Vladimir was the expedition organized by the professor, which allowed the student to go through the first geological route on his own in a few years.
In 1884, Vernadsky became an employee of the mineralogical office of St. Petersburg University, taking advantage of the offer of the same Dokuchaev. In the same year, he takes over the estate. And two years later he marries a beautiful girl Natalia Staritskaya. Soon they have a son, George, who in the future will become a professor at Yale University.
In March 1888, Vernadsky (biography describeshis life path) goes on a business trip and visits Vienna, Naples and Munich. Thus begins his work in the laboratory of crystallography abroad.
And after the successful completion of the academic year at the university, Vernadsky decides to travel around Europe to visit mineralogical museums. During the trip, he took part in the fifth conference of the International Geological Assembly, which was held in England. Here he was admitted to the British Association of Sciences.
Moscow University
Vladimir Vernadsky, having arrived in Moscow, became a teacher at Moscow University, taking the place of his father. He had at his disposal an excellent chemical laboratory, as well as a mineralogical cabinet. Soon Vernadsky Vladimir Ivanovich (the young scientist was not so much interested in biology at that time) began to lecture at the medical and physics and mathematics faculties. The listeners spoke positively about the important and useful knowledge that the teacher gave.
Vernadsky described mineralogy as a scientific discipline that makes it possible to study minerals as natural compounds of the earth's crust.
In 1902, the hero of our story defended his doctoral dissertation on crystallography and became an ordinary professor. At the same time, he took part in the congress of geologists from all over the world, which took place in Moscow.
In 1892, the second child appeared in the Vernadsky family - daughter Nina. At this time, the eldest son was already nine years old.
Soon the professor notices that he has "grown" a whole new science, branching off from mineralogy. About its principlestold at the next congress of doctors and naturalists. Since then, a new branch has emerged - geochemistry.
May 4, 1906 Vladimir Ivanovich becomes an adjunct in mineralogy at the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. Here he was elected head of the mineralogical department of the Geological Museum. And in 1912, Vernadsky (his biography is a direct confirmation of this) became an academician.
Traveling the world, the scientist collects and brings home a wide variety of collections of stones. And in 1910, an Italian naturalist would call the mineral discovered by Vladimirov Ivanovich "vernadskite".
The professor graduated from his teaching career at Moscow University in 1911. It was during this period that the government crushed the cadet nest. A third of the teachers left the university in protest.
Life in St. Petersburg
In September 1911, scientist Vladimir Vernadsky moved to St. Petersburg. One of the problems that interested the professor was the transformation of the mineralogical museum of the Academy of Sciences into a world-class institution. In 1911, a record number of mineral collections - 85 - entered the museum's assortment. Among them were stones of unearthly origin (meteorites). The exhibits were found not only in Russia, but also brought from Madagascar, Italy and Norway. Thanks to new collections, the St. Petersburg Museum has become one of the best in the world. In 1914, due to the increase in staff, the Mineralogical and Geological Museum was formed. Vernadsky becomes its director.
While staying inPetersburg, the scientist is trying to create the Lomonosov Institute, which was supposed to consist of several departments: chemical, physical and mineralogical. But, unfortunately, the Russian government did not want to allocate finances for it.
Since the start of the First World War, loans for radium work in Russia began to decline significantly, and foreign ties with the luminaries of science were rapidly interrupted. Academician Vernadsky came up with the idea of creating a committee that would study the natural productive forces of Russia. The council, which consisted of fifty-six people, was headed by the scientist himself. And at this time, Vladimir Ivanovich began to understand how the whole scientific and state life is built. Despite the fact that things were getting worse in Russia, the commission, on the contrary, was expanding. And already in 1916 he was able to organize fourteen scientific expeditions to different regions of the country. In the same period, Academician Vernadsky was able to lay the foundations of a completely new science - biogeochemistry, which was supposed to study not only the environment, but also the nature of man himself.
The role of Vernadsky in the development of Ukrainian science
In 1918, the house of Vernadsky, built in Poltava, was destroyed by the Bolsheviks. Even despite the fact that the Germans came to Ukraine, the scientist was able to organize several geological excursions, as well as make a presentation on the topic “Living Matter.”
After the change of power, and Hetman Skoropadsky began to rule, it was decided to organize the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences. This important task was entrusted to Vernadsky. The scientist believed that the best solution would be to take the Russian Academy of Sciences as an example. Such an institution was supposed to contribute to the development of the material and spiritual culture of the people, as well as to increase the productive forces. Vernadsky, whose biography is a confirmation of many events that took place then in Ukraine, agreed to take on such an important matter, but on the condition that he would not become a citizen of Ukraine.
In 1919, the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences was opened, as well as a scientific library. At the same time, the scientist worked on opening several universities in Ukraine. However, even this was not enough for Vernadsky. He decides to conduct experiments with living matter. And one of these experiments gave a very interesting and important result. But with the advent of the Bolsheviks, it becomes dangerous to be in Kyiv, so Vladimir Ivanovich moves to a biological station in Staroselye. Unforeseen danger forces him to go to the Crimea, where his daughter and wife were waiting for him.
Science and Philosophy
Vladimir Vernadsky believed that philosophy and science are two completely different ways of understanding the world by a person. They differ in the object of study. Philosophy has no boundaries and reflects on everything. And science, on the contrary, has a limit - the real world. But at the same time, both concepts are inseparable. Philosophy is a kind of "nutrient" environment for science. Scientists have suggested that life is exactly the same eternal part of the universe as energy or matter.
In the last years of his life, Vladimir Ivanovichexpressed the philosophical idea of the development of the field of life into the field of reason, that is, the biosphere into the noosphere. He believed that the human mind is the guiding force of evolution, so spontaneous processes are replaced by conscious ones.
Geochemistry and biosphere
In 1924, Vladimir Vernadsky published a book called Geochemistry. The essay was written in French and published in Paris. And only three years later, "Essays on Geochemistry" appeared in Russian.
In this work, the scientist summarizes practical and theoretical information that concerns the atoms of the earth's crust, and also studies the natural composition of the geosphere. In the same work, the concept of "living matter" was given - a set of organisms that can be studied in the same way as any other substances: to describe their weight, chemical composition and energy. He defined geochemistry as a science that studies the chemical composition and laws of the distribution of chemical elements on Earth. Geochemical processes are able to cover all shells. The most grandiose process is the separation of substances in the process of solidification or cooling. But the source of all geochemical processes is the energy of the Sun, gravity and heat.
Using the laws of distribution of chemical elements, Russian scientists develop geochemical forecasts, as well as ways to search for minerals.
Vernadsky made the conclusion that any manifestation of life can exist only in the form of a biosphere - a huge system of the "area of the living". In 1926, the professor published the book "Biosphere", in which he outlined all the foundations of his teaching. The publication turned out to be small, written in a simple creative language. Enthralled so many readers.
Vernadsky formulated the biogeochemical concept of the biosphere. In it, this concept was considered as a living substance, consisting of many chemical elements found in all living organisms in the aggregate.
Biogeochemistry
Biogeochemistry is a science that studies the composition, structure, essence of living matter. The scientist has identified several important principles that show the model of the world.
What was Vladimir Vernadsky talking about?
The biosphere - the living shell of the Earth - never returns to its previous state, so it changes all the time. But living matter has a constant geochemical impact on the world around us.
The Earth's atmosphere is a biogenic formation, since the struggle for oxygen around the world is much more important than fights for food.
The most powerful and diverse living force on Earth is bacterial, discovered by Leeuwenhoek.
In 1943, the scientist was awarded the Order and the Stalin Prize. The professor gave the first half of the monetary reward to the Defense Fund of the Motherland, and spent the second half on the acquisition of geological collections for the Russian Academy of Sciences.
Vernadsky's doctrine of the biosphere and noosphere
Noosphere is an integral geological shell of the Earth, which is formed as a result of the cultural and technical activities of mankind, as well as natural phenomena and processes. The most important postulate of the concept was the role of people's conscious influence on the environment.
Vernadsky's doctrine of the biosphere and noosphere considers the emergence of consciousness as a completely logical result of evolution. Also, the professor was able to predict the expansion of the boundaries of the noosphere, implying the entry of a person into space. According to Vernadsky, the basis of the noosphere is the harmony of natural beauty and man. Therefore, beings endowed with reason must carefully treat this harmony and not destroy it.
The starting point for the appearance of the noosphere is the emergence of the first tools and fire in a person's life - this is how he turned out to have an advantage over the animal and plant world, active processes of creating cultivated plants and domesticating animals began. And now a person begins to act not as a rational being, but as a creator.
But the science that studies the detrimental effect of a representative of the human race on the environment appeared after the death of Vernadsky and was called ecology. But this science does not study the geological activity of people and its consequences.
Contribution to science
Vladimir Ivanovich made many important discoveries. From 1888 to 1897, the scientist developed the concept of silicates, defined the classification of silica compounds, and also introduced the concept of the kaolin core.
In 1890-1911. became the founder of genetic mineralogy, establishing special connections between the method of crystallization of the mineral, as well as its composition and the genesis of formation.
Russian scientists helped Vernadsky systematize and structure his knowledge in the fieldgeochemistry. The scientist for the first time conducted holistic studies not only of the Earth's atmosphere, but also of the lithosphere and hydrosphere. In 1907, he laid the foundation for radiogeology.
In 1916-1940 he determined the basic principles of biogeochemistry, and also became the author of the doctrine of the biosphere and its evolution. Vernadsky Vladimir Ivanovich, whose discoveries amazed the whole world, was able to study the quantitative content of the elements of a living body, as well as the geochemical functions that they perform. Introduced the concept of the transition of the biosphere into the noosphere.
A few words about the biosphere
The structure of the biosphere, according to Vladimir Ivanovich's calculations, consisted of seven main types of matter:
- Scattered atoms.
- Substances that have arisen from the living.
- Elements of cosmic origin.
- Substances formed outside of life.
- Elements of radioactive decay.
- Biobone.
- Living substances.
Every self-respecting person knows what Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky did. He believed that any living substance can develop only in real space, which is characterized by a certain structure. The chemical composition of living matter corresponds to a certain space, so the more substances, the more such spaces.
But the transition of the biosphere into the noosphere was accompanied by several factors:
- Population by a reasonable person of the entire surface of the planet Earth, as well as his victory and dominance over other living beings.
- Creation of a unified informationsystems for all mankind.
- Discovery of new sources of energy (especially such as nuclear). After such progress, humanity received a very important and powerful geological force.
- A person's ability to manage the masses of the people.
- Growth in the number of people who are engaged in science. This factor also gives humanity a new geological power.
Vladimir Vernadsky, whose contribution to biology is simply invaluable, was an optimist and believed that the irreversible development of scientific knowledge is the only significant proof of the existing progress.
Conclusion
Vernadsky Prospekt is the longest street in Moscow, which leads to the south-west of the capital. It originates near the Institute of Geochemistry, the founder of which was the scientist, and ends with the Academy of the General Staff. Thus, it symbolizes Vernadsky's contribution to science, which is reflected in the defense of the country. On this avenue, as the scientist dreamed, there are several research institutes and educational universities.
In terms of the breadth of his scientific horizons and the variety of his scientific discoveries, Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky stands perhaps apart from other great naturalists of our time. In many ways, he thanked his teachers for his achievements. He often fought for the lives of his friends and students, who became victims of the punitive system. Thanks to a bright mind and outstanding abilities, together with other scientists, he was able to create strong scientific institutions of world importance.
This man's life ended suddenly.
December 25, 1944 Vladimir Ivanovich asked his wife to bring coffee. And while she went to the kitchen, the scientist had a brain hemorrhage. A similar misfortune befell his father, and the son was very afraid to die the same death. After the incident, the scientist lived for another thirteen days without regaining consciousness. Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky died on January 6, 1945.
