Dmitry Mendeleev (1834-1907)

A world-known scientist, the author of the periodic table, Dmitry Mendeleev was born in January 27, 1834. His father Ivan Mendeleev was Director of the Tobolsk gymnasium. His mother originated from the well-known merchant family Kornilyev. After his farther retired from service because of poor health the mother got down to management over a glass factory in the settlement Aremzyani, where the Mendeleevs family moved to.

In 1849 Mendeleev graduated from the Tobolsk gymnasium, and went to Moscow to enter the university. But at that time graduates from Moscow gymnasiums were only allowed to the Moscow university. In 1850 Mendeleev was enlisted to the St.-Petersburg pedagogical institute, for the department of natural science and math. In 1855 he brilliantly graduated from the institute, and was appointed to a gymnasium in the town of Sympheropol.

In 1857 at the age of 23 he became a senior lecturer on Chemistry at St.-Petersburg university. In 1869 the first volume of ‘Foundations of Chemistry’, his major work, was published.

Dmitry Mendeleev was a founder of the Russian Chemical Society, professor at St.-Petersburg university, a corresponding member of the Russian Academy of sciences. The prominent scientist published over 500 research works.

His name is well-known first and foremost as a chemist and the brilliant author of the periodical table. But it is known that only 9% of his published works were related to Chemistry. Dmitry Mendeleev could be by right regarded as a physicist and a technologist, since his researches in these sciences outnumbered his works in Chemistry in twice. He would focus his attention on refinery industry in Russia. A great part in his research activities was occupied by studies in economics and social sciences. A characteristic feature of Mendellev’s gift was a comprehensive approach towards the world as an integrated system, which could be only learned through its complicated interconnections.