V. I. Vernadsky (1863 - 1945)

Vladimir Ivanovich Vernadsky was one of the leading mineralogists and geochemists in the USSR. Vernadsky's early work was devoted to a chemical study of alumino-silicates, a subject which he later expanded and applied in a wider field of the structure of silicates and especially of kaolinite, feldspars and chlorites. At the same time he was working on descriptive mineralogy and he described and named a number of new minerals. In his lectures at Moscow University he began to break new ground by stressing the genetic aspect in minera-logy. This genetic approach to mineralogy was fully developed in his books: "Essay on Descriptive Mineralogy" and "History of Minerals of the Earth's Crust". Eventually genetic mineralogy overstepped its proper boundaries and became merged in the far wider field of geochemistry. Thus Vernadsky may be considered the founder of the new Russian school of geochemistry.

Endowed with a versatile genius and full of tremendous energy and enthusiasm, Vernadsky was involved in activities far and wide. He organized syste-matic research into mineralogy and geochemistry, helped to establish the Mi-neralogical Museum in Moscow and promoted the establishment of numerous scientific institutions.

Vernadsky's direct contributions to science are considerable, but they are dwarfed by the greater importance of his influence on the development of new ideas in geochemistry and mineralogy.

A. E. Fersman (1883 - 1945)

Academician Fersman ranks among those leading mineralogists who have converted mineralogy from a purely descriptive science into a science based on the most fundamental chemical investigations. On the one hand, as the organizer of the Chemical Institute in Moscow, which later became the Lomonosov Institute, Academician Fersman worked out the basic lines for the study of the chemical elements and, in so doing, laid the foundations for the scientific surveying and prospecting of economic minerals. On the other hand, the establishment by him in his Institute of the laws of the connections between the occurrence of economic minerals and basic geochemical causes led to his organizing a series of scientific expeditions directed by him in the Academy.

Many scores of scientific expeditions organized under his leadership co-vered very diverse regions of the Soviet Union and he personally took part in many of these. He was the leader of the important investigation of the Kara-Kum Desert which resulted in the discovery of big sulphur deposits, the organization of a large-scale factory and the production of sulphur and sulphur products. Academician Fersman led expeditions to Central Asia, the Urals, Altai, Transbaikal, the Caucasus and Crimea; he is especially well known for the de­tailed investigation of the Kola Peninsula which involved a series of expeditions over a period of more than ten years. These investigations led to the discovery of enormous apatite deposits and the development of a whole mining region in the Khibin Mountains.

In his famous book "The Scientific Study of Soviet Mineral Resources" Fersman showed the close connection between our scientific work and the economy and development of the country.

To be read after Sections 4 — 5