Golden Names of Russia

On January 28, 1820, the Russian expedition led by Thaddeus Bellingshausen and Mikhail Lazarev discovered Antarctica, but its exploration began only 70 years ago. If the names of the discoverers are known to every schoolboy, then not everyone can name the scientists who began the actual study of the new continent.

In the late 19th century, Russia mined 40 times more platinum than the rest of the world combined. And yet, despite the skyrocketing demand, over 80% of that was exported to Europe at a meagre cost. What did a mining engineer do to stem the flow of huge losses?

Boris Bokii is rightly considered one of the founders of mining science who propelled early-20th-century coal mining to a new level. His brother was by no means a less prominent figure. Up to date, he is often called ’the most unusual person in the history of Soviet intelligence services.’

When Yuri Bilibin was convincing officials that there were large reserves of placer gold in the country’s northeast, members of the commission expressed disbelief. They wanted even to re-certify him as a mining engineer. The expedition took place, nevertheless. The participants lost provisions and part of their equipment while rafting, almost dying of cold, but the nuggets they found on the banks of the Kolyma tributaries changed the whole of gold mining in Russia.

In the late-19th century, Alexander Auerbach, a renowned mining engineer, set up mercury production, becoming thus the first to do so in Russia. His business was expected to be an imminent success. So how come 20 years later, he declared himself bankrupt?

Nikolai Zelinsky first familiarised himself with poisonous gases in 1886 when he accidentally synthesised mustard gas whilst running an experiment. Thirty years later, when the Germans began using this substance as a chemical weapon in World War I, he invented an ”antidote” — the world’s first-ever gas mask.

Vladimir Shukhov is renowned for designing Russia’s first oil pipeline and refinery. He was also the first to commercialise motor gasoline into production. Yet, nearing the end of his life, he was sentenced to a ”suspended death by shooting”…

The Valley of Geysers – a landmark of Kamchatka – was discovered by accident. In believing hoary legends, local hunters avoided this place. Yet one day, Tatiana Ustinova, in a dog sledge, left to explore the territory of the Uzon volcano and saw something she had not expected at all.

Igor Sikorsky, known outside of Russia as Mr Helicopter, made a small rubber band-powered helicopter at age 12. Forty years later, a machine of his design became the world’s first mass-produced helicopter. Yet few know, the model he had designed might have never seen the light of day if not for the help of another Russian, a famous composer who had nothing to do with aviation.

An epidemic of a mysterious disease, a previously unknown form of encephalitis, was raging in the Russian Far East. A scientist who identified its carrier is now righteously called the father of Soviet immunology. Yet, the medic was accused of spreading the deadly infection via water supply systems and declared a public enemy.