Vladimir I. Vernadsky

The Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry is named after Vladimir I. Vernadsky, a celebrated Russian naturalist and historian of science, the father of geochemistry, biogeochemistry, radiogeology and cosmochemistry, and the founder of an influential school in science. As water flows under the bridges, we appreciate with growing clarity and admiration the full importance of his profound concepts of the evolution of the universe and the Earth and Man's influence on the development of biosphere. Evidently, he was the first conservationist in this country.

    A born scientist, he worked with great success in many different fields and made an important contribution to the development of sciece in this country. In 1898, he became Professor of Moscow University. In 1912, he was elected full member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He was among the founders of the Commission (or t Studies of Natural Productive Forces of Russia and was its Chairman from 1915 till 1930. In 1919, he founded the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences and became its President. In 1922, he founded the Radium Institute. He was also the founder of the Biogeochemical Laboratory and a number of other research institutions. He was a man of extremely varied interests and a keen foresight, capable of posing and solving most challenging scientific problems.

   In 1926, Vernadsky organized a Living Matter Research Group under the Commission for the Studies of Natural Productive Forces in Leningrad. On October 1, 1928, the Group was officially reorganized into a Biogeochemical Laboratory, or BIOGEL, which later became the Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry o( the USSR Academy of Sciences.

   According to Vernadsky, biogeochemistry regards the geochemical medium and living organisms as a single whole. The subject of biogeochemistry is the role of living matter in geological processes and the development of biosphere as part of global evolution. Vernadsky's classical works, including "The Biosphere" (1926). "Essays on Geochemistry" (1927), "The Problems of Biogeochemistry" (1935, 1939) and others, deal with the basic problems of geochemistry. In his opinion, the primary tasks of BIOGEL were to provide analytical methods for the determination of the chemical and isotopic composition of natural objects and the calculation of what he termed as "geochemical constants".

   In the mid-1930's the Academy of Sciences was transferred from Leningrad to Moscow. BIOGEL also moved to Moscow and its staff was increased to cope with a broadening range of research. During World War II, many staff members went to the front, while others worked day and night to contribute to the country's war effort. In 1943, BIOGEL was named after Vernadsky in commemoration of his 80+h anniversary and has since been known as the Vernadsky Laboratory of Geochemical Problems.

   During the first post-war years, the Laboratory tackled a number of highly important scientific and applied problems, including research in the chemistry and technology of raw materials for the nuclear industry, studies of the properties of transuranium elements and provision of methods for their separation and identification, research In the analytical chemistry of rare-earth elements and in radioactivation analysis, and many others.

   By the governmental decree of March 20, 1947, the Laboratory, then having a staff of about 60 researchers, was transformed into the Vernadsky Institute of Geochemistry and Analytical Chemistry of the USSR Academy of Sciences (GEOCHI). A. P. Vinogradov, Associate Member of the Academy and one of Vernadsky's favorite disciples, was appointed Director of the Institute and initiated extensive research in geochemistry and analytical chemistry.

   In the 1950's, the Institute covered much ground in the field of biogeochemistry. It began the mapping of biogeochemical provinces of the USSR and worked out recommendations for the use of trace elements in the national economy. The Laboratory of the Geochemistry of Isotopes and Radiogeochemistry investigated isotope shifts as indicators of natural processes, determined the age of uranium and polymetallic deposits, worked on the geochronologlcal scale of the pre-Cambrian Period, and conducted systematic monitoring of radioactive contamination of the atmosphere by nuclear tests.

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