(1843-1920) Russian naturalist-Darwinist
Kliment Arkadyevich Timiryazev was born on May 22, 1843 in St. Petersburg into a noble family. He received his initial education at home, and in 1860 he entered the natural sciences department of the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of St. Petersburg University. But he was soon expelled from it for refusing to sign a statement that the students promised not to engage in anti-government activities. But he still graduated from the university, though not as a student, but as a volunteer, and for final work he was awarded a gold medal.
After graduating from the university, Kliment Timiryazev went abroad, first to Germany and later to France, where he worked in the laboratories of outstanding scientists: Hermann Helmholtz, G. Kirchhoff, P. Baertlot. In the spring of 1871, the scientist defended his master’s thesis “Spectral Analysis of Chlorophyll” at St. Petersburg University and became the head of the department of botany at the Petrovsky Agricultural and Forestry Academy in Moscow (now the Moscow Agricultural Academy named after Kliment Arkadyevich Timiryazev).
Later he was invited by Moscow University to the Department of Anatomy and Physiology of Plants.
Kliment Timiryazev devoted more than 30 years to the development of the most important issues of biology, for example, the role of sunlight in the creation of earthly plants organic matter. As a result of a long study of the absorption spectrum of the green pigment chlorophyll, the scientist found that red and somewhat weaker blue-violet rays are absorbed most intensely. In addition, it turned out that chlorophyll not only absorbs light, but is also chemically involved in the process of photosynthesis itself. Modern science has finally confirmed the scientist’s conclusions.
However, the main scientific merit of Kliment Timiryazev lies in proving that greatest law nature - the law of conservation of energy - extends to the process of photosynthesis, and therefore to living nature. Having developed an unusually accurate research technique, Timiryazev established that only the rays absorbed by the plant produce work, that is, carry out photosynthesis. Green rays, for example, are not absorbed by chlorophyll, and photosynthesis does not occur in this part of the spectrum. In addition, he noted that there is a direct proportionality between the amount of light rays absorbed and the work produced. Chlorophyll absorbs red rays the most, so photosynthesis occurs more intensely in red rays than in blue or violet rays, which are less absorbed.
When figuring out why plants are green, Timiryazev proceeded from the principles of Darwinism. He considered green color as a natural result of plant adaptation in the process of evolution (natural selection). In his opinion, as a result of natural selection, those plant forms that adapted with the help of chlorophyll survived.
Many years have passed since the appearance of Kliment Timiryazev’s works on photosynthesis. Now we know for sure chemical composition chlorophyll and even the arrangement of all the atoms in its complex molecule. It is also known that energy light beam decomposes water, not carbon dioxide. Nevertheless, the results of the scientist’s work remain a solid foundation on which the modern doctrine of the process of creating organic matter from carbon dioxide and water under the influence of sunlight.
Kliment Arkadyevich Timiryazev harmoniously combined the unity of theory and practice in his work. In articles under the general title “Agriculture and Plant Physiology,” he promoted certain agronomic measures, such as the widespread use of sunlight. This can be achieved by earlier sowing dates, correct distribution of plants in the field, use of fertilizers, creation of the most productive varieties, etc. Timiryazev emphasized great importance popularization of science. His book “The Life of Plants,” first published in 1878, went through dozens of editions in Russian and foreign languages. He gave a course of public lectures “The Life of a Plant” and gave Sunday public talks at the Polytechnic Museum.
Kliment Timiryazev was one of the first propagandists of Darwinism in Russia. Also in student years the future scientist published his articles on the theory of Charles Darwin in the journal Otechestvennye Zapiski, and in his last year of university he published them in the form of a separate book “ Brief essay Darwin's theories." From these articles, his wonderful work subsequently grew - the book “Charles Darwin and His Teachings”. Distinguished by the depth and clarity of its interpretation of the foundations of Darwinism, this work played an outstanding role in promoting Darwin's ideas among the Russian scientific community.
In 1877, Timiryazev visited the English naturalist on his estate Down. The conversation with him further inspired the scientist and convinced him of the correctness of his own views on evolutionary theory.
In 1911, Kliment Timiryazev was forced to leave Moscow University along with 125 professors and associate professors in protest against the dismissal of the rector and two of his assistants by the reactionary Minister Casso, who were fighting against the arbitrariness of the police within the walls of the university. By this time, the scientist was already old and sick, but his ability to work remained, and he did not stop his scientific and journalistic activities.
The merits of Kliment Arkadyevich Timiryazev are recognized throughout the world. He was a member of the Royal Society of London, honorary doctor of many universities, and a corresponding member of the Edinburgh Botanical Society. Timiryazev enthusiastically accepted the October Revolution, believing that he would now be able to freely implement his ideas. At the beginning of 1920, the scientist published the book “Science and Democracy”, in which he showed that the real scientific progress possible only in a democratic society.
Kliment Arkadievich Timiryazev was born on May 22 (old style) 1843 in St. Petersburg, on Galernaya Street. Later the family moved to Vasilyevsky Island.
In 1860 Timiryazev entered St. Petersburg University. In 1861, for participating in student unrest, Kliment Arkadievich was forced to leave the university. Only in 1863 was Timiryazev able to resume studies at the university as a volunteer.
In 1864, Kliment Arkadievich wrote a student scientific work on liver mosses. In botany at that time little was known about plant organisms. Timiryazev's essay was awarded a gold medal.
In the fall of 1865, Kliment Arkadievich completed his studies at the university. In the same year, Timiryazev’s first book, “A Brief Essay on Darwin’s Theory,” was published.
On February 18, 1866, K. A. Timiryazev received a diploma from St. Petersburg University.
At the beginning of January 1868, the First Congress of Russian naturalists and doctors opened. Kliment Arkadievich made his report at it. His message was called “An instrument for studying the air supply of leaves and the use of artificial lighting for this kind of research.”
To the participants of the congress of naturalists and doctors, the young scientist demonstrated a device that, in any conditions - in the laboratory, in the field, in the forest - ensured the study of the air supply of a green leaf. The device provided answers to the questions: how much carbon dioxide was absorbed by the green leaf? How much food did you take in?
The second part scientific communication Timiryazev was to clarify the question: does carbon dioxide assimilation occur under artificial lighting? The new device gave the researcher the opportunity to answer this question. The results of the study showed that under artificial light, the process of assimilation of carbon dioxide by the plant is significantly reduced.
The Council of St. Petersburg University decided to grant Timiryazev a two-year scientific trip abroad. Kliment Arkadievich went to Heidelberg, where he began working at the local university, in the Bunsen laboratory.
While working in the laboratory, Timiryazev discovered a substance in chlorophyll that determines its characteristic optical properties. Kliment Arkadievich called this substance chlorophyllin. Timiryazev managed to isolate chlorophyllin in its pure form.
Kliment Arkadievich proved that the action of sunlight changes the composition of this substance, similar to the action of acids: in both cases, chlorophyll turns brown and turns into phylloxanthin.
Timiryazev's candidacy was proposed for the position of teacher in the Department of Botany at the Petrovsky Academy (Moscow). The corresponding official notification was sent to Kliment Arkadievich abroad.
Timiryazev accepted the Academy’s offer, and on November 22, 1869, he was elected to a teaching position.
At the beginning of September 1870, Kliment Arkadievich arrived in Moscow and settled near the Academy.
In the person of Kliment Arkadievich, the academy received a teacher close to it in spirit.
In May 1871, at St. Petersburg University, Timiryazev defended his master’s thesis on the topic “Spectral analysis of chlorophyll.” Two months after his defense, Kliment Arkadievich was elected extraordinary professor at the Petrovsky Academy.
In 1872, Kliment Arkadievich was invited to the position of freelance teacher at Moscow University. This fall, he gave the inaugural lecture at the university auditorium. From that time until the end of his life, Timiryazev was associated with Moscow University. Kliment Arkadievich and his ideological friends formed a close-knit group of advanced scientists at the university.
In 1875, at St. Petersburg University, Timiryazev defended his doctoral dissertation on the topic “On the absorption of light by plants.” Of all the waves of radiant energy from the sun that reach green chlorophyll grains, red light waves have the greatest energy: under their influence, the process of photosynthesis occurs most intensely, since they bring green leaves greatest number energy.
This was the most important conclusion from the doctoral dissertation of Kliment Arkadievich Timiryazev.
In 1877, Kliment Arkadievich was elected extraordinary professor at Moscow University.
In 1878, the first edition of Timiryazev’s book “The Life of Plants” was published, which was based on a course of lectures on plant physiology, given by the author in a large auditorium of the Moscow Museum of Applied Sciences (now the Polytechnic Museum).
At the VI Congress of Russian Naturalists and Doctors in St. Petersburg, Timiryazev presented reports: “Quantitative analysis of chlorophyll,” “ New method for studying the process of respiration and decomposition of carbon dioxide in plants", "Objective study of the law of absorption and quantitative study of mixtures of two chlorophyll pigments", "Gluten as a material for osmotic research in application to chlorophyll", "On the physiological significance of chlorophyll".
In 1884, Kliment Arkadievich was approved as an ordinary professor at Moscow University.
Kliment Arkadyevich’s significant contribution to the science of research led to his election as a corresponding member in 1890 Russian Academy Sci.
Kliment Arkadyevich Timiryazev died on April 28, 1920. He was buried at the Vagankovskoye cemetery.
Timiryazev Kliment Arkadyevich - scientist, Darwinian naturalist, one of the founders of the Russian school of plant physiology (discovered the phenomenon of light saturation - photosynthesis.
Timiryazev Kliment Arkadyevich was born on May 22 (June 3), 1843 in St. Petersburg. He received his primary education at home. In 1861 he entered St. Petersburg University at the cameral department, then transferred to the physics and mathematics department, the course of which he graduated in 1866 with a candidate's degree. In 1868 Timiryazev K.A. was sent by St. Petersburg University to prepare for professorship for two years abroad (Germany, France), where he worked in the laboratories of prominent scientists. Upon returning home in 1871, Timiryazev K. A. successfully defended his thesis “Spectral analysis of chlorophyll” for a master’s degree and became a professor at the Petrovsky Agricultural and Forestry Academy in Moscow (currently it is called the Moscow Agricultural Academy named after K. A. Timiryazev) . In 1875, after defending his doctoral dissertation (“On the absorption of light by plants”), he became an ordinary professor. In 1877, Timiryazev was invited to Moscow University to the department of anatomy and physiology of plants. He also gave lectures at women's “collective courses” in Moscow. In addition, Timiryazev was the chairman of the botanical department of the Society of Natural History Lovers at Moscow University. In 1911 he left the university in protest against the actions of the reactionary Minister of Education Casso. In 1917, after the Great October Revolution socialist revolution, Timiryazev was reinstated as a professor at Moscow University, but due to illness he could not work at the department. For the last 10 years of his life he was also engaged in literary and journalistic activities.
Timiryazev's main research on plant physiology is devoted to the study of the process of photosynthesis, for which he developed special techniques and equipment. Timiryazev found that the assimilation of carbon by plants from carbon dioxide in the air occurs due to the energy of sunlight, mainly in red and blue rays, which are most completely absorbed by chlorophyll. Timiryazev was the first to express the opinion that chlorophyll is not only physically but also chemically involved in the process of photosynthesis, thereby anticipating modern ideas. He proved that the intensity of photosynthesis is proportional to the absorbed energy at relatively low light intensities, but when they increase, it gradually reaches stable values and does not change further, that is, he discovered the phenomena of light saturation of photosynthesis.
For the first time in Russia, Timiryazev introduced experiments with plants on artificial soils, for which in 1872 at the Petrovsky Academy he built a growing house for cultivating plants in vessels (the first scientifically equipped greenhouse), literally immediately after the appearance of similar structures in Germany. A little later, Timiryazev installed a similar greenhouse in Nizhny Novgorod at the All-Russian Exhibition.
Timiryazev is one of the first propagandists of Darwinism in Russia. He considered Darwin's evolutionary doctrine as the greatest achievement of science of the 19th century, establishing a materialistic worldview in biology. Timiryazev repeatedly emphasized that modern forms organisms are the result of long-term adaptive evolution.
Thanks to his outstanding scientific achievements in the field of botany, Timiryazev was awarded a number of resonant titles: corresponding member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences since 1890, honorary member of Kharkov University, honorary member of St. Petersburg University, honorary member of the Free Economic Society, as well as many other scientific communities and organizations . Timiryazev K. A. is known all over the world. For his services in the field of science, he was elected a member of the Royal Society of London, the Edinburgh and Manchester Botanical Societies, as well as an honorary doctor of a number of European universities– in Cambridge, Glasgow, Geneva.
Klimenty Arkadyevich Timiryazev (1843-1920)
Timiryazev (Kliment Arkadyevich) - professor at Moscow University, was born in St. Petersburg in 1843. He received his primary education at home. In 1861 he entered St. Petersburg University at the cameral department, then transferred to the physics and mathematics department, the course of which he graduated in 1866 with a candidate’s degree and was awarded a gold medal for the essay “On Liver Mosses” (not published). In 1868, his first scientific work, “A Device for Studying the Decomposition of Carbon Dioxide,” appeared in print, and in the same year Timiryazev was sent abroad to prepare for a professorship. He worked for Hoffmeister, Bunsen, Kirchhoff, Berthelot and listened to lectures by Helmholtz, Claude Bernard and others. Returning to Russia, Timiryazev defended his master’s thesis (“Spectral analysis of chlorophyll”, 1871) and was appointed professor at the Petrovsky Agricultural Academy in Moscow. Here he lectured in all departments of botany until he was left on staff due to the closure of the academy (in 1892). In 1875, Timiryazev became a Doctor of Botany for his essay “On the Assimilation of Light by Plants,” and in 1877 he was invited to Moscow University to the Department of Anatomy and Physiology of Plants, which he continues to occupy to this day. He also gave lectures at women's "collective courses" in Moscow. In addition, Timiryazev is the chairman of the botanical department of the Society of Natural History Lovers at Moscow University. Timiryazev's scientific works, distinguished by their unity of plan, strict consistency, accuracy of methods and elegance of experimental technology, are devoted to the question of the decomposition of atmospheric carbon dioxide by green plants under the influence of solar energy and contributed greatly to the understanding of this most important and interesting chapter of plant physiology. Study of composition and optical properties green plant pigment (chlorophyll), its genesis, physical and chemical conditions decomposition of carbon dioxide, determination of the components of a solar ray taking part in this phenomenon, elucidation of the fate of these rays in the plant and, finally, the study of the quantitative relationship between absorbed energy and work performed - these are the tasks outlined in the first works of Timiryazev and largely resolved in his subsequent works. To this it should be added that Timiryazev was the first to introduce experiments with plant cultivation in artificial soils in Russia. The first greenhouse for this purpose was built by him at the Petrovsky Academy back in the early 70s, i.e., shortly after the appearance of this type of device in Germany. Later, he built the same greenhouse at the Petrovsky Academy back in the early 70s, i.e., shortly after the appearance of this type of device in Germany. Later, the same greenhouse was set up by Timiryazev at the All-Russian exhibition in Nizhny Novgorod. Timiryazev's outstanding scientific achievements earned him the title of corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences, honorary member of Kharkov and St. Petersburg universities, the free economic society and many other scientific societies and institutions. Timiryazev is widely known among educated Russian society as a popularizer of natural science. His popular scientific lectures and articles, included in the collections "Public Lectures and Speeches" (Moscow, 1888), "Some Basic Problems modern natural science"" (Moscow, 1895), ""Agriculture and plant physiology"" (Moscow, 1893), ""Charles Darwin and his teaching"" (4th ed., Moscow, 1898) are a happy combination of strict science, clarity of presentation, brilliant style. His "Life of a Plant" (5th ed., Moscow, 1898; translated into foreign languages), is a sample of a public plant physiology course. In his popular scientific works, Timiryazev is a staunch and consistent supporter of the mechanical view of the nature of physiological phenomena and an ardent defender and popularizer of Darwinism. In addition, Timiryazev carried out a study of gas exchange in the root nodules of leguminous plants (“Proceedings of the St. Petersburg Society of Natural Scientists”, vol. XXIII). Under the editorship of Timiryazev, the “Collected Works” of Charles Darwin and other books were published in Russian translation.
Professor at Moscow University; genus. in St. Petersburg in 1843. He received his primary education at home. In 1861 he entered the St. Petersburg University. to the cameral faculty, then moved to the physics and mathematics department, the course of which he graduated in 1866 with a candidate's degree and was awarded a gold medal for the essay “On Liver Mosses” (not published). In 1868, his first scientific work, “A Device for Studying the Decomposition of Carbon Dioxide,” appeared in print, and in the same year T. was sent abroad to prepare for a professorship. He worked for Hofmeister, Bunsen, Kirchhoff, Berthelot and listened to lectures by Helmholtz, Claude Bernard and others. Returning to Russia, T. defended his master's thesis ("Spectral analysis of chlorophyll", 1871) and was appointed professor at the Petrovsky Agricultural Academy in Moscow. Here he lectured in all departments of botany until he was left on staff due to the closure of the academy (in 1892). In 1875, T. Doctor of Botany for his op. “On the absorption of light by plants,” and in 1877 he was invited to Moscow University to the department of anatomy and physiology of plants, which he continues to occupy to this day. He also gave lectures at women's “collective courses” in Moscow. In addition, T. is the chairman of the botanical department of the Society of Natural History Lovers at Moscow University. T.'s scientific works, distinguished by their unity of plan, strict consistency, precision of methods and elegance of experimental technology, are devoted to the question of the decomposition of atmospheric carbon dioxide by green plants under the influence of solar energy and have greatly contributed to the understanding of this most important and interesting chapter of plant physiology. The study of the composition and optical properties of the green pigment of plants (chlorophyll), its genesis, the physical and chemical conditions for the decomposition of carbon dioxide, the determination of the components of the solar ray that take part in this phenomenon, the clarification of the fate of these rays in the plant and, finally, the study of the quantitative relationship between the absorbed energy and the work produced - these are the tasks outlined in T.’s first works and largely resolved in his subsequent works. To this it should be added that T. was the first to introduce experiments with plant cultivation in artificial soils in Russia. The first greenhouse for this purpose was built by him at the Petrovsky Academy back in the early 70s, i.e., soon after the appearance of this type of device in Germany. Later, the same greenhouse was built by T. at the All-Russian Exhibition in Nizhny Novgorod. Outstanding scientific achievements of T. gave him the title of corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences, honorary member of Kharkov and St. Petersburg universities, the Free Economic Society and many other scientific societies and institutions. Among educated Russian society, T. is widely known as a popularizer of natural science. His popular scientific lectures and articles, included in the collections “Public Lectures and Speeches” (M., 1888), “Some Basic Problems of Modern Natural Science” (M., 1895), “Agriculture and Plant Physiology” (M., 1893), "Charles Darwin and His Teaching" (4th ed., Moscow, 1898) is a happy combination of strict scientific knowledge, clarity of presentation, and brilliant style. His “Life of a Plant” (5th ed., Moscow, 1898; translated into foreign languages) is an example of a publicly accessible course in plant physiology. In his popular scientific works, T. is a staunch and consistent supporter of the mechanical view of the nature of physiological phenomena and an ardent defender and popularizer of Darwinism. List 27 scientific works T., which appeared before 1884, is placed in the appendix to his speech "L" etat actuel de nos connaissances sur la fonction chlorophyllienne" ("Bulletin du Congrès internation. de Botanique à St. Petersburg", 1884). After 1884 . appeared: "L"effet chimique et l"effet physiologique de la lumière sur la chlorophylle" ("Comptes Rendus", 1885), "Chemische und physiologische Wirkung des Lichtes auf das Chlorophyll" ("Chemisch. Centralblatt", 1885, no. 17) "La protophylline dans les plantes étiolées" ("Compt. Rendus", 1889), "Enregistrement photographique de la fonction chlorophyllienne par la plante vivante" ("Compt. Rendus", CX, 1890), "Photochemical action of the extreme rays of the visible spectrum" ("Proceedings of the Department of Physical Sciences of the Society of Lovers of Natural History", vol. V, 1893), "La protophylline naturelle et la protophylline artificielle" ("Comptes R.", 1895), etc. In addition, T. belongs to the study of gas metabolism in the root nodules of leguminous plants ("Proceedings of St. Petersburg. General Natural History", vol. XXIII). Under the editorship of T., published in Russian. translation of "Collected opus." Ch. Darwin and other books.
(Brockhaus)
Timiryazev, Kliment Arkadevich
Rus. Darwinian naturalist, outstanding botanist-physiologist, talented popularizer and promoter of scientific knowledge, corresponding member. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (since 1890). Born in St. Petersburg into a progressive-minded noble family. In 1860 T. entered St. Petersburg. University to the cameral (legal) fact, but soon switched to the natural sciences department of physics and mathematics. fact. For refusing to sign an obligation not to participate in student gatherings and organizations, he was expelled from the university in 1862 and returned there only a year later as a volunteer. As a student, publ. a number of articles on Darwinism and socio-political. themes ("Garibaldi on Caprera", 1862, "Famine in Lancashire", 1863, "Darwin's Book, Its Critics and Commentators", 1864). In 1865 he graduated from the university, receiving a candidate of science degree for his work on liver mosses; T. began his scientific activity under the guidance of the famous Russian. botany A. N. Beketova.
T.'s worldview was formed during the era of the rise of revolutionary democracies. movements in Russia; scientific thought was developed by a brilliant galaxy of naturalists: D. I. Mendeleev, I. M. Sechenov, brothers V. O. and A. O. Kovalevsky, I. I. Mechnikov, brothers A. N. and N. N. Beketov, A. M. Butlerov, L.S. Tsenkovsky, A.G. Stoletov and others. T. spoke of this time as the “era of renaissance” in Russian. natural sciences. In T., as in all Russians. naturalists of the "sixties", a strong influence was exerted by the works of the great revolutionary democrats V. G. Belinsky, A. I. Herzen, N. G. Chernyshevsky, D. I. Pisarev, N. A. Dobrolyubov, who were interested in natural science and used its achievements to justify materialistic view of nature. A huge role in the formation of T.’s worldview was played by the works of Sechenov, as well as materialism. evolutionary doctrine of Charles Darwin. T. was one of the first in Russia to become acquainted with K. Marx’s “Capital”.
In 1868 at the 1st Congress of the Russian Federation. naturalists and doctors T. made a report “A device for studying the air supply of leaves and the use of artificial lighting for studies of this kind.” This work marked the beginning of his research in the field of plant photosynthesis, to which he devoted his entire life. In 1868-70 he was on a business trip abroad and worked in the laboratories of leading scientists (in Germany - with physicists G. Kirchhoff and G. Helmholtz, chemist R. Bunsen, botanist W. Hofmeister, in France - with chemist P. Berthelot, agricultural chemist J. Boussingault, physiologist C. Bernard). In 1869 T. was elected teacher of botany in the Petrovskaya agricultural district. and the Forestry Academy (now the Moscow Agricultural Academy named after K. A. Timiryazev). In 1871 he defended his master's thesis. "Spectral analysis of chlorophyll" and became an extraordinary prof. academies; in 1875 he defended his doctoral dissertation. “On the absorption of light by plants” and received the title of ordinary prof. At the Academy, T. organized a laboratory of plant physiology and built (1872) the first in Russia (and one of the first in Europe) growing house for cultivating plants in vessels. In 1877, prof. Moscow University at the Department of Anatomy and Physiology of Plants. T. enjoyed enormous popularity and love among students. His public lectures on plant physiology, books on Darwinism, and articles on the history of science were extremely famous and aroused Russian sentiment among wide circles. intelligentsia interest in issues of biology and natural science in general.
T. was a materialist, an active freedom fighter scientific research and for democracy. All his life he fought against reactionary attempts to force science to serve the strengthening of autocracy and religion; He was constantly under suspicion from the tsarist government and was persecuted, although his name as a major physiologist and evolutionist was known throughout the world. In 1892 Petrovskaya agricultural Academy due to the “unreliability” of its prof. and students was closed and Moscow was organized instead. agricultural Institute; T., along with other scientists disliked by the tsarist government, was not allowed to see prof. activities and remained "on staff". In 1898 he was dismissed from the staff of the professor. Moscow University "for length of service" (30 years of teaching), and in 1902 he was removed from lecturing and left only as the head of botanical science. office. In 1911 he left the university along with a large group of professors and teachers in protest against Minister Casso’s gross violation of university autonomy. Only in 1917 T. was restored to the rank of professor. Moscow university, but due to illness he could no longer work at the department.
Recognition of T.'s outstanding services to world science was expressed in the election of its member. London. queens about-va, honorary doctor of the universities in Cambridge, Glasgow and Geneva, member. Edinburgh. and Manchester. botanical about-v. T. was an honorary member. many Russians un-tov and scientific about-v. However St. Petersburg Academy Sciences limited itself only to electing him as a corresponding member.
T. enthusiastically welcomed the Great Oct. socialist revolution and devoted all his strength to selfless service to the young socialist. to the state; T. has always been an ardent patriot, but this was especially evident during the years of Soviet power. In protest against British intervention in Russia, he refused the title of honorary doctor of Cambridge in 1919. un-ta. Despite his serious illness, 75-year-old T. actively participated in the work of the State. Academic Council of the People's Commissariat of Education of the RSFSR, helped in organizing the Socialist. (later Communist) Academy, a member of which he was elected in 1919. In 1920 Moscow. the workers elected him as a deputy to Moscow. advice. Until the end of his life, T. continued his scientific and literary work. He prepared the collection "The Sun, Life and Chlorophyll" (1923) for publication, and prepared his work for a separate publication " Historical method in biology..." (1922), wrote and published a number of articles. Shortly before T.’s death, a collection of his articles “Science and Democracy” (1920) was published. Regarding this book, V. I. Lenin in a letter to T. . wrote: “I was absolutely delighted reading your remarks against the bourgeoisie and for Soviet power"(Works, 4th ed., vol. 35, p. 380).
On the night of April 27-28, 1920, the great scientist died. T. was buried at the Vagankovskoye cemetery. Soviet people deeply honors his memory. In Moscow, T. was erected a monument and a memorial apartment museum was created; his name was given to Moscow. agricultural Academy, Institute of Plant Physiology of the USSR Academy of Sciences. One of the districts of Moscow and streets in many cities of the USSR are named after T. The USSR Academy of Sciences awards the T. Prize for best works in plant physiology and annually conducts the so-called. Timiryazev readings. By decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR, T.'s "Works" were published in 10 volumes (1937-40).
The role of Timiryazev in the development of plant physiology. T. was one of the most prominent plant physiologists of the 2nd half of the 19th and early 20th centuries; its main merit as a physiologist lies in experimental and theoretical. development of the problem of plant photosynthesis. Works on the study of the dependence of photosynthesis on the intensity and qualitative composition of light, of which the most important are “Spectral Analysis of Chlorophyll” (1871) and “On the Assimilation of Light by Plants” (1875), are still of great importance and have made his name immortal. T. was able to show that at high light intensities close to full sunlight, the intensity of photosynthesis reaches a certain value and does not change further, i.e. he discovered the phenomena of light saturation of photosynthesis (“Dependence of carbon assimilation on light intensity”, 1889), currently recognized as one of the main. indicators characterizing the dependence of photosynthesis on the amount of light. Before T.’s research, it was believed that photosynthesis occurs most intensely in the yellow-green rays of the solar spectrum, which are very weakly absorbed by chlorophyll, and it was even suggested that chlorophyll has nothing to do with photosynthesis (N. Pringsheim). This idea was finally refuted by T.'s brilliant experiments, which showed that the use of light for the formation of organic matter. plant substances is the essence of photosynthesis. T. firmly established that sunlight cannot be used for chemicals. work performed in a green plant if it is not absorbed by the sensitizing pigment - chlorophyll, the main absorption maximum of which lies in the red rays of the spectrum. That. he experimentally proved the applicability of the law of conservation of energy and the first law of photochemistry to the process of photosynthesis. T. was the first to apply the concept of sensitization to photosynthesis, which was subsequently widely used in the study of light reactions in photosynthesis. Further research led T. to the discovery of the second maximum of light absorption by chlorophyll (and the second maximum of photosynthesis), located in the blue rays of the spectrum (“Photographic registration of carbon assimilation by chlorophyll on a living plant,” 1890).
The success of T.'s research in the field of photosynthesis is largely explained by the attention he invariably paid to the development of new, more advanced methods for studying physiological. processes in plants; proposed a highly sensitive device for gas analysis and a number of other devices for studying the absorption of various rays of the solar spectrum by the green leaf of a plant.
No less valuable than experimental work T., represents the idea expressed by him about the need to apply the principles of Darwinism, primarily natural selection, to the explanation of physiological. processes in plants. Using historical method, he made an attempt to explain why it is chlorophyll, which has the optical properties described above. properties, became universally widespread in autotrophic plants and why the evolution of plants led to such a perfect way of using solar energy to carry out photosynthesis. From a modern point of view, this happened because it is the red rays, predominantly absorbed by chlorophyll, that carry greatest number quanta having a reserve of energy sufficient to carry out photosynthesis. Therefore, they can provide the greatest photochemical. action with the highest useful coefficient. T. posed the problem of the evolution of photosynthesis, which was widely developed in modern science. He attached great importance to the study of plant photosynthesis in a natural environment and developed special equipment for this, which is a prototype of many modern instruments. In the well-known so-called Cronian lecture given in London. queens about-ve - “The Cosmic Role of Plants” (1903, in Russian translation 1904), T. summed up the results of his thirty years of work on photosynthesis. The very invitation to give this lecture spoke of T.’s worldwide recognition as a major scientist in the field of plant physiology. T. expressed a number of theoretical ideas. regulations and other sections of plant physiology: on water regime, mineral nutrition and other issues of plant life.
T.’s activity was of great importance as a popularizer of achievements in the field of plant physiology and an active fighter for their implementation in Russian practice. With. x-va. He considered the task of a botanist-physiologist not only to describe and explain the phenomena of plant life, but also to control the processes of their life activity ("Agriculture and Plant Physiology", 1906, "Science and the Farmer", 1906). One of the main The principles of T.'s work were the study of plant physiology in connection with agriculture. For example, he considered it expedient to breed varieties with a powerfully developed root system or reduced transpiration, and substantiated the possibility of increasing transpiration productivity with the help of fertilizers; pointed out the need to use the vegetation method in the village. x-ve, the creation of factories for the production of nitrate; predicted the production value of growing plants under artificial electricity. lighting
The role of Timiryazev in the defense and development of Darwinism. While still a first-year student, T. became acquainted with Charles Darwin’s book “The Origin of Species” (1859). In Darwin's evolutionary theory, he was able to see the genius general theory organic development world and understand its philosophical materialism. basis. T. became one of the first and most talented propagandists of Darwinism in Russia. In 1864, he began publishing articles on Darwinism in the progressive journal Otechestvennye zapiski for that time. Having summarized them, the following year he published the book “A Brief Outline of Darwin’s Theory” (1865), which was the predecessor famous work"Charles Darwin and His Teachings", which went through 15 editions between 1883 and 1941. A series of articles was published. T. (1908-10) in connection with the 50th anniversary of the publication of Darwin’s book “The Origin of Species”. Other works of T. are largely devoted to the promotion of the ideas of Darwinism - “The Life of a Plant” (1878, 15th edition 1949) and “Historical Method in Biology” (published posthumously, 1922), etc.
Darwin's theory was enthusiastically received by advanced scientists, who saw in it one of the most important discoveries of the 19th century, marking a revolution in biology, and fierce attacks on it from reactionary scientists and churchmen who tried to preserve the doctrine of the constancy of species, the doctrine of final causes, in organisms tendencies towards improvement, etc. idealistic. concepts that led to the recognition of the divine will of the creator of all living things. T. was a militant materialist who defended science against the penetration of idealism in any form. He invariably emphasized that science originates from practice and that it develops under the pressure of requests economic activity person. T. was an atheist all his life; he never agreed that religion could be reconciled with science in one way or another. In Russia, anti-Darwinism in the 19th century. expressed himself most sharply in the speeches of N. Ya. Danilevsky, N. N. Strakhov, V. S. Solovyov and a number of other reactionaries. In defense of Darwinism from the attack on it by religious idealists. reaction immediately, with his characteristic passion, T. spoke with his brilliant public lectures and articles - “Will Darwinism be refuted?” (1887), “The powerless anger of the anti-Darwinist” (1889), “A strange example of scientific criticism” (1889), “Some basic tasks of modern natural science” (2 parts, 1895-1904). T. spoke no less passionately in defense of Darwinism at the beginning of the 20th century, when the English. geneticist W. Betson announced that genetics could replace Darwinism (“Reply to the Vitalists” and “Refuge of the Mendelians”, 1913). In the fight against anti-Darwinism, T. consistently defended Darwin's teachings as progressive materialistic. development theory.
Promoting Darwinism, T. at the same time developed it, overcoming the weaknesses of Darwin's theory and raising it to a higher level. Darwin, as we know, not only erroneously used Malthus's reactionary "theory" of overpopulation as one of the starting points in the chain of evidence for his correct explanation of evolution through the struggle for existence and natural selection in animals and flora, but also recognized that the progressive development of man also occurs under the influence of natural selection. T. fought fiercely all his life against any form of the so-called. social Darwinism. Realizing that social phenomena cannot be explained biologically. laws, T. declared that the doctrine of the struggle for existence stops at the threshold of cultural history and that “Malthus’s law is dangerous only for unconscious beings” (Works, vol. 3, 1937, p. 31).
Darwin gave a materialistic explanation of historical organic development peace. T. set as the immediate task of science the study of the question of physiological. the nature of variability, seeing this as the key to the success of active human intervention in the process of formation. Therefore, he fought with such energy for the development of experimental morphology, which, in his opinion, should lead to the development of methods for controlling the nature of the plant.
T. gave a deep analysis of the factors of evolution - variability, heredity and natural selection in their interrelationship, and, developing the teachings of Darwin, contributed a lot of his own to the understanding of each of the elements of this triad.
More specifically than Darwin, he spoke about the role of the environment in the variability of organisms; believed that the initial cause of changes in organisms is the direct or mediocre (indirect) action of external conditions, and only then comes the action of secondary influences, such as correlations in the development of organs, etc.
T. defined heredity as the ability of organisms to retain the influence of previously existing conditions, as the ability to maintain similarity due to the successive transmission of the characteristics of organization and functions. To find ways to understand the physiology of heredity, he recommended studying the phenomenon of “aftereffect”, in which the effect of an absent but existing cause appears over several generations.
T. paid special attention to natural selection, developing and deepening this “characteristic essence of Darwinism,” emphasizing the creative role of selection. This is due to T. with a very clear understanding that the evolutionary process cannot be reduced to variability and heredity. He wrote: “The environment changes, but changing does not mean improving. Heredity complicates, but complication is not yet improvement. Of all the natural factors known to us, only that critical principle improves, which from this changed and complicated material preserves the useful and eliminates the harmful. Improves organisms that combination of limitless productivity and inexorable criticism, which we allegorically call natural selection" (Works, vol. 5, 1938, pp. 139-140). T. saw the fundamental flaw of anti-Darwinism in the lack of understanding of this basic position of Darwinism. evolutionary theories, against which he fought.
T. also brought greater clarity to the understanding of the species in comparison With Darwin. Darwin repeatedly noted that “species” is an arbitrary concept, invented for the sake of convenience to designate a group of closely similar individuals. At the same time, an analysis of Darwin's works shows that in fact he recognized the species as actually existing during a certain period of time. T. clearly said that there is a view and an abstract general concept(category of the general in relation to the individual - individual) and really existing fact. At the same time Live nature, a set of organic creatures, according to T., represents “an undoubted chain, but precisely a chain of individual links (species - ed.), and not a continuous thread” (Works, vol. 8, 1939, p. 115). T. epistemologically correctly saw the basis of the problem of species in the unity of discontinuous and continuous in the process of development of nature.
T.'s merit is his development of historical. method as an obligatory link in scientific knowledge peace. Being a first-class experimenter and a tireless promoter of the experimental method, fighting for the rapprochement of biology with the “exact sciences,” primarily with physics and chemistry, T. nevertheless understood the inadequacy of this method when applied to the analysis of the laws of the evolutionary process. In this analysis, T., along with descriptive and experimental methods, takes a leading place in historical research. method - “neither morphology, with its brilliant and fruitful comparative method, nor physiology, with its even more powerful experimental method, covers the entire field of biology, does not exhaust its tasks; both seek complements in the historical method” (Op. , vol. 6, 1939, p. 61).
Timiryazev as a historian and popularizer of science. All character traits materialistic T.'s worldview and his passion for the struggle for free scientific thought were fully manifested in his numerous works on the history of science. Each of T.'s speeches on the history of science was polemical. character, was an integral part of the united struggle for science and democracy. He wrote generalizing works: “Centenary Results of Plant Physiology” (1901), “Main Features of the History of the Development of Biology in the 19th Century” (1907), “The Awakening of Natural Science in the Third Quarter of the Century” (1907; published in 1920 under the title “Development of Natural Science in Russia” in the era of the 60s"), "Advances of botany in the 20th century" (1917; in 1920 published under the title "The most important successes of botany at the beginning of the 20th century"), "Science. Essay on the development of natural science over 3 centuries (1620-1920)" (1920), etc. Proudly celebrating the achievements of science in Russia, promoting the works of outstanding Russians. natural scientists and emphasizing their contribution to world science, T. was alien to nationalism. He paid tribute to foreign progressive scientists, wrote about the influence that their ideas had on the development of science in Russia. He defended the idea of the international character of true science and the enormous role of science in the struggle for peace. In 1917, T. wrote: “...Science and democracy by their very essence are hostile to war. Science is identical With truth; outside the truth it does not exist, it is simply unthinkable, that is why it is one” (Oc., vol. 9, 1939, p. 252).
The popularization of science was a real need for T. He wrote: "From his first steps mental activity I set myself two parallel tasks: to work for science and to write for the people, that is, popularly" (ibid., pp. 13-14). He considered the popularization of scientific knowledge as a way to unite science and democracy. All T.'s articles and books are written in clear and simple language - they are at a high scientific level and at the same time, by the nature of their presentation, are accessible to the widest circles. The extreme clarity of his figurative and temperamental language, the brightness and richness of comparisons, examples, comparisons, and especially the ability to reveal the logic of scientific research, show ways scientific discovery, to describe the picture of the development of science in its struggle for truth place T.'s popular science works in one of the first places in the world scientific literature.
In the person of T., science in Russia had not only a great scientist, but also a materialist thinker, who rose in his works to deep philosophical generalizations.
Studying the process of photosynthesis and seeing in it direct evidence of the unity of organic. and inorganic nature, developing historical. method in biology and using it in their research and generalizations, actively participating in public life on the side of the progressive forces of society and selflessly serving the people, T. walked “through the data of his science” from revolutionary democracy to scientific communism, to dialectical. materialism. T. cannot be called a consistent dialectician-materialist, but his philosophical statements and scientific generalizations, especially in the last period of his life, when he became more familiar with Marxism and, in particular, with the works of V. I. Lenin, played a huge role in the development of the Soviet Union. . biology. T. was the first of the large Russians. scientists who accepted the Great Oct. socialist revolution. Shortly before his death, he said: “...The Bolsheviks who are pursuing Leninism, I believe and am convinced, are working for the happiness of the people and will bring them To happiness."
Works: Works, vol. 1-10, M., 1937-40; Selected works, vol. 1-4, M., 1928-49; Selected works, vol. 1-2, M., 1957.
Lit.: In memory of K. A. Timiryazev. A collection of reports and materials from the session... dedicated to the 15th anniversary of the death of K. A. Timiryazev. 1920-1935, ed. P. P. Bondarenno [et al.], M.-L., 1936; Kliment Arkadyevich Timiryazev. Collection, M., 1940 (Moscow Agricultural Academician named after Timiryazev); A great scientist, fighter and thinker. Collection, ed. acad. L. A. Orbeli, M.-L., 1943; Komarov V.L., Maksimov N.A. and Kuznetsov B.G., Kliment Arkadyevich Timiryazev, M., 1945 (there is a bibliography of works on T. published before 1945); Korchagin A. I., K. A. Timiryazev. Life and creativity, M., 1948; Novikov S. A., K. A. Timiryazev, ed. A.K. Timiryazeva, M., 1948; Platonov G.V., Worldview of K.A. Timiryazev, 2nd ed., M., 1952 (there is a bibliography of works about T. published in 1945-52); Tsetlin L. S., K. A. Timiryazev, 2nd ed., M., 1952; Platonov G.V., Kliment Arkadyevich Timiryazev, M., 1955 (Figures of Russian agronomy).