The history of the Nobel Prize and the stories of the people who have won it are very interesting, especially in the times when we are entering the new millennium. To what extent are the Nobel Prize winners outstanding in their own generation, pointing the way? This article is dedicated to the history of Nobel Prize in Russia and it’s Russian winners.

The Will of Alfred Nobel

Born in Stockholm in 1833, Alfred Nobel was in many respects a typically successful man of his century - a talented inventor who created a prosperous business, and who in the process made an enormous fortune.

Yet Nobel was exceptional, if not unique, in two respects. First, the geographical spread of his complex business pursuits, which were international in an age of active nationalism, made him care little about frontiers; second, there was irony in the fact that his fortune was made from the development of explosives for peaceful purposes, which in our own century are used for both peace and war.

In 1860 Alfred Nobel started experiments with nitroglycerine, and in 1863 obtained the first patent. In 1865 he moved to Germany to set up Alfred Nobel & Co. Factory in Krümmel near Hamburg and in 1866 established the United States Blasting oil company in the U.S. In 1867 Nobel obtained patent for dynamite and at the age of 40 became a very wealthy man.

During his final years, Nobel developed the idea of creating a prize that would encourage scientific progress, thereby improving the human condition. In his last will and testament dated November 27, 1895, Nobel specified how the portion of his estate to be used for such prizes. In 1895 the third and last will of Alfred Nobel was signed in Paris and in 1896 he died.

Nobel Prize in Russia

Nobel Prize is widely known today as one of the most prestigious awards in the fields of physics, chemistry, physiology and medicine, literature, peace and economy. Every year on December 10 (the date of Nobel’s death) the prize is awarded to winners in Stockholm and Oslo. Among the laureates are famous writers and scientists, including Einstein, Bor, Show and others. The Russian list of Nobel Prize winners includes Sakharov, Mechnikov, Kapitsa, Sholokhov, Brodsky and many others.

In the Soviet times in the USSR, Noble Prize was not considered prestigious by both the government, struggling against the capitalist West, and many scientists. However there were many others who were proud to take part in the competition and receive the award. There were attempts to establish several local alternatives to the Nobel Prize, but they did not prove successful. After the fall of the iron curtain, Russian scientists gained more opportunities and freedom and now the Prize is well known among the scientific community.

In 2000 and 2003, Russians won Nobel Prize in physics. To be exact, in 2003 it was quantum physics. Quantum physics controls the micro-world and has a wide range of spectacular effects that do not normally occur in our ordinary macro-world. 2003 Nobel Prize in physics was awarded for developments in superconductivity and superfluidity both of which occur at very low temperatures. Alexei Abrikosov and Vitaly Ginzburg have developed theories for superconductivity and Anthony Leggett has explained one type of superfluidity.

It is also not fortuitous that Nobel Prize in physics for 2000 was awarded to Russian scientist Zhores Alfyorov, without whom one cannot imagine modern electronics. This energetic man heads the physical-technical institute of world renown in St. Petersburg. He spends much time and effort on training a new generation of scientists, working in his research-educational center with young people who are still studying in general schools. Academician Alfyorov contributed a third of his Nobel Prize to the fund of assistance to education and science, which was created on his initiative. We must do something to stop talented people from leaving Russia, so that they would work at home, he says. "It is science and technologies, and not banking and the sale of resources, that are the future of Russia," as Alfyorov said.

Nobel Prize Winners from Russia

Below we present a list of the Russian Nobel Prize winners and brief history of their achievements.

Zhores I. Alferov, born in 1930. The Prize for developing semiconductor heterostructures used in high-speed and opto-electronics.(2000, physics)

Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev, born in 1931. The Prize for his leading role in the peace process which today characterizes important parts of the international community. (1990, peace).

Pyotr Leonidovich Kapitsa (1894 - 1984), was born in Kronshtadt, Russia. The Prize was divided, one half being awarded to him for his basic inventions and discoveries in the area of law-temperature physics. (1978, physics)

Ilya Romanovich Prigogine, was born in Moscow in 1917. The Prize for his contributions to non-eguilibvium their modynamics, particularly the theory of dissipative structures. (1977, chemistry)

Leonid Vitaliyevich Kantorovich (1912 - 1986). He was born in Saint-Petersberg, Russia. The Prize was awarded jointly to Leonid Vitaliyevich Kantorovich and Tjalling C. Koopmans for their contributions to the theory of optimum allocation of resources. (1975, economics)

Andrei Dmitrievich Sakharov (1921 - 1989), was born in Moscow, Russia. The Prize for fearless support of fundamental principles of peace between peoples and for mankind fight with corruption in government and with any forms of suffocation of human rights. (1975, peace)

Aleksandr Isaevich Solzhenitsyn, was born in Kislovodsk in 1918. The Prize for the ethical force with which he has pursued the indispensable traditions of Russian literature. (1970, literature)

Michail Alexandrovich Sholokhov (1905 - 1984), he was born in Kruzilin village, near Rostov, Russia. The Prize for the artistic power and integrity with which, in his epic of the Don, he has given expression to a historic phase in the life of Russian people. (1965, literature)

Nycolay Gennadiyevich Basov (1922 - 2001), was born in Russia, near Voronezh, Russia. The Prize for fundamental work in the field of quantum electronics, which has led to the construction of oscillators and amplifiers, based on the maser-laser principle. (1964, physics)

Aleksandr Mikhailovich Prokhorov, was born in 1916 in family of emigrant from Russia. The Prize was divided, one half being awarded to him and to Nicolay Gennadiyevich Basov for fundamental work in the field of quantum electronics, which has led to the constructions of oscillators and amplifiers based on the maser-laser principle. (1964, physics)

Lev Davidovuch Landau (1908 -1968), was born in Baku, Russia. The Prize for his pioneering theories for condensed matter, especially liquid helium. (1962, physics).

Boris Leonidovich Pasternak (1890 - 1960), was born in Moscow, Russia. He was prized for his important achievement both contemporary lyrical poetry and in the field of the great Russian epic tradition. (1958, literature)

Ilja Mikhailovich Frank (1908 -1990), was born in Saint-Petersberg, Russia. The Prize for the discovery and the interpretation of the Cherenkov effect. (1958, physics)

Igor Yevgenyevich Tamm (1895 - 1971), was born in Vladivostok, Russia. The Prize for the discovery and interpretation of the Cherenkov effect. (1958, physics)

Pavel Alekseyevich Cherenkov (1904 - 1990), was born in Novaja Chigla near Voronez, Russia. The Prize for the discovery and the interpretation of the Cherenkov effect. (1958, physics)

Ivan Alekseyevich Bunin (1870 - 1953). He was born in Voronezh, Russia. The Prize for the strict with which he has carried on the classical Russian traditions in prose writing. (1920, literature)

Ilya Ilyach Mechnikov (1845 - 1916), was born in a village Ivanovka, Russia. The Prize was awarded jointly to him and Paul Ehrlich in recognition of their work on immunity. (1908, physiology and medicine)

Ivan Petrovich Pavlov (1849 - 1936), was born in Rjazan, Russia. In recognition of his work on the physiology of digestion, through which knowledge on vital aspect of the subject has been trams formed and enlarged. (1904, physiology and medicine)

Nobel Prize Laureates with Russian roots


There were also many people who were not Russians and never lived in Russia, but have Russian roots. Many were emigrants and some of them even did not visit Russia. Their achievements are presented below.

Stanley Cohen, was born in 1922 in family of emigrant from Russia. The Prize was awarded jointly to Stanley Cohen and Ritalevi-Montalcini for their discoveries of growth factors. (1986, physiology and medicine)

Sir John R. Vane, was born in family of emigrant from Russia in 1927.The Prize was awarded jointly to Sune K. Bergstrum, Bengt I. Sumuelsson and sir John R. Vane for their discoveries concerning prostaglandins and related biologically active substances. (1982, physiology and medicine)

Sheldon L. Glashow, one of the sons of emigrant from Belarus. He was born in 1932. The Prize was divided equally between Sheldon Weinberg for contributions to the theory of the unified weak and electromagnetic interaction between elementary particles. (1979, physics)

Herbert C. Brown, was born in family of emigrant from Russia in 1912. The Prize for their development of the use of boron- and phosphorus- containing compounds, respectively, into important reagents in organic synthesis. (1979, chemistry)

Daniel Nathans, was born in 1928 in family of emigrant from Russia. The prize was awarded jointly to him and Werner Arber, Hamilton O. Smith for the discovery of vestriction enzymes and their application to problems of molecular genetics. (1978, physiology and medicine)

Bellow Saul, was born in family of emigrant from Russia in 1915. The Prize for the human understanding and subtle analysis of contemporary culture that are combined in his work. (1976, literature).

Wassily Leontief, was born in 1906 in Saint-Petersberg, Russia. The Prize for the development of the input-output method and for its application to important economic problems. (1973, economics)

Dennis Gabor (1900 - 1979). He was born in Budapesht (Hungary). His father was a grandson of emigrant from Russia. The Prize for his invention and development of the holographic method. (1971, physics)

Simon Kuznets (1901 - 1985), was born in Harkov, Ukrain. The Prize for his empirically founded interpretation of economic growth which has led to new and deepened insight in to he economic and social structure and process of development. (1971, economics)

Andrei Lwoff, was born in 1902 in family of emigrant from Russia. The Prize was awarded jointly to him, Fransois Jacob and Jacounes Monod for their discoveries, concerning genetic control of enzyme and virus synthesis. (1965, physiology and medicine)

Melvin Calvin, was born in 1911 in family of emigrant from Russia. The prize for his research on the carbon dioxide assimilation in plants. (1961, chemistry).

Donald A. Glaser, was born in 1926 in family of emigrant from Russia. The prize for the invention of the bubble chamber. (1960, physics)

Selman Abraham Waksman (1888 - 1973). He was born in Priluki, Ukraine. The Prize for his discovery of streptomycin, the fist antibiotic effective against tuberculosis. (1952, physiology and medicine)

Sir Ernst Boris Chain (1906 - 1979), his father was an emigrant from Russia. The Prize was warded jointly to him and to Sir Alexander Fleming, Lord Haward Walter Florey for the discovery of penicillin and its curative effect in various in factious diseases. (1945, physiology and medicine)

Russian experts believe that despite tough economic conditions science is developing in Russia. Russia has a great potential, both in research projects and great human resource. The standards of education in Russia remain very high. This is proved by the demand for Russian specialists abroad and the large number of foreigners studying in Russian universities.

Statistics show that the Russian science is overcoming the crisis. The number of young scientists working in the institutes of the Russian Academy of Sciences grows every year, and the number of post-graduate students has reached high level. Several federal programs have been developed to improve the quality of education. Leading scientists deliver lectures for students.

The attitude to science is gradually changing, too. This year Russian science will get more funds, and Vladimir Putin has initiated the creation of the Council on Science under the Russian President. "I met with Putin seven times in the past year," says Nikolai Dobretsov, chairman of the Siberian branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. "I could discuss anything with him. I met only three times with Boris Yeltsin during his nine-year tenancy. This fact alone shows that there have been major changes in the attitude to science."

Russia has highly professional personnel, the conditions for bringing up young scientists, research schools and unique research-technical complexes. The main thing now is to wisely use this wealth accumulated over many decades.

Sources:
The Official Web Site of The Nobel Foundation
The Nobel Channel

The Embassy of the Russian Federation in the Netherlands

Российская Государственная Библиотека

Nobel Prize Laureates with Russian roots

Evgeniya Stroganova