Education
1901 graduate Yur’yev (Tartu) University.
1901 graduate Yur’yev (Tartu) University.
1903-1920 lecturer, 1920-1935 professor, Leningrad Polytech Institute. From 1930 senior associate, Petrographic Institute, then Institute of Geological Sciences, Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics Academy of Sciences. 1933-1943 correspondent member, Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics Academy of Sciences.
From 1949 acad secretary, Department of Geological and Geographical Sciences, Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics Academy of Sciences. Member, Main Editor Board, ”Biosystems Engineering ” (Large Soviet Encyclopedia). Specialized in petrography and mineralogy.
Did research in Urals, Caucasus and northern part of European Union of the Soviet Socialist Republics. Studied composition and structure of rocks in Il’menskiy Mountains in Urals. In Caucasus discovered and studied young intrusive rocks which frequently indicate presence of ore deposits.
His observations led him to the conclusion that contact relations (interaction of intrusive magma with solidified magma or sedimentary rocks) are an important factor in formation of various types of rock. His mineralogical research concentrated on main petrogenetic minerals (feldspars, micas, clay minerals) and on rare minerals, for example vishnevites of Centr Urals, hydrogarnets of Transcaucasus, narsarsukites of White Sea area, et cetera Also did research on industry stone (refractories, ceramic products, slags, binders, abrasives, glass, etc).
Laid foundations of tech petrography, which plays the same role in silicate technol as does metallography in metallurgy.