To the Day of Russian Science

To the 190th anniversary of D.I. Mendeleev and the 155th anniversary of the Mendeleev’s Periodic Table

Mendeleev was called Russian Leonardo not only for his outward similarity to the famous Italian. Like Leonardo da Vinci, the range of Mendeleev’s scientific interests and successes is amazing. “Chemistry and physics, hydrodynamics and technology, oil and coal exploration, smokeless powder and oil processing, flour, starch, petroleum jelly and distillation, glass production and farming techniques, mastering the path through the North Pole and flying alone on a balloon to observe a solar eclipse, the customs tariff and the exposure of spiritualism, the reform of the factory industry and public education, great contempt for the ranks, titles and awards, equal treatment with the minister and the peasant, instant temper and quick quickness, fascination with Russian painting and gutter novels with thefts and murders, chess, the invariably thickest cigarette of his own twist and the same unchanged strong tea of fresh tea leaves are all Mendeleev” (V. Orlov “Gamayun”. M., 1980). There is no such branch of national economy where the ideas of Mendeleev would not be applied. However, during the life of a scientist, the Russian Academy of Sciences did not want to elect him as a full member. Moreover, this is despite the fact that he was elected an academician or an honorary member of 70 academies of the world. The tragedy of most geniuses is that their ideas are always ahead of their time.

Language: French

On the external stands of the Russian House in Brussels