Who was awarded the Nobel Prize? Nobel Prize laureates from Russia and the USSR

During Nobel week, as usual, attention is drawn to the history of this scientific award, the great scientists who became its laureates, as well as those who for some reason did not receive it, are remembered. Interesting source Information in this regard may become available on the website of the Nobel Foundation, a catalog of nominations, where information is published on all candidates nominated for awards and those who nominated each candidate. Information about candidates remains secret for 50 years, so the catalogs now contain data from 1901 to 1963. In particular, there is no data on the economics award at all, since it has existed only since 1969.

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Those wishing to study the catalog should take into account some features. When classified by country, domestic nominees are divided into two groups: “Russian Federation” and “USSR”; the “Russian Empire” option is not provided. The split is quite unpredictable. All applicants for the prize in physiology and medicine, for example, are considered representatives of the USSR, even Ivan Pavlov and Ilya Mechnikov. All those nominated for the Peace Prize are representatives Russian Federation, including, for example, Nicholas II, who in 1901 claimed the prize for his initiative in convening the 1899 Hague Conference on the Laws and Customs of War. Physicists and chemists are chaotically distributed between Russian Federation and the USSR.

We will present brief overview domestic scientists who could receive prizes in the natural sciences.

Physics Prize

In 1905 and 1912, Peter Lebedev, famous for his experiment in which he discovered the pressure of light, was nominated for the prize. This outstanding experimental physicist would probably have received a prize sooner or later, but in the same 1912, the 46-year-old scientist died of a heart attack.

In 1930, the list of nominees included Leonid Mandelstam and Grigory Landsberg, nominated for the discovery of Raman scattering of light. This year's prize went to Indian physicist Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, who independently discovered the same phenomenon. The only difference is that Mandelstam and Landsberg observed the effect of scattering on crystals, and Raman observed the effect of scattering in liquids and vapors. Perhaps the Nobel Committee felt that Raman was ahead of his Soviet colleagues. As a result, Raman scattering is called Raman scattering rather than Mandelstam-Landsberg scattering.

In 1935, biologist Alexander Gurvich appeared on the list of those nominated for a prize in physics, for the discovery of ultra-weak ultraviolet radiation from body tissues. Since Gurvich believed that this radiation stimulated cell division (mitosis), Gurvich called it “mitogenetic radiation.” Commentators on Bulgakov's works call Gurvich one of the possible prototypes of Professor Persikov from the story “Fatal Eggs.”

Pyotr Kapitsa first appears on the list back in 1946. Subsequently, he was nominated for the prize many times, sometimes in the same year by different nominators simultaneously (1946–1950, 1953, 1955, 1956–1960). Among the scientists who proposed Kapitsa's candidacy were Niels Bohr and Paul Dirac. He received the Nobel Prize only in 1977, 31 years after his first nomination.

The candidacy of Vladimir Veksler was proposed in 1947. In 1944, this scientist discovered the principle of autophasing, which is the basis of charged particle accelerators: synchrotrons and synchrophasotrons. Under Wexler's leadership, a synchrophasotron was built at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna. A year later, the principle of autophasing was discovered independently of Wechsler by the American scientist Edwin MacMillan, who received the 1951 Nobel Prize in Chemistry (together with Glenn Seaborg), although not for the autophasing principle itself, but for his research at an accelerator of the nuclei of transuranium elements. Vladimir Veksler was also nominated in 1948 and 1951 (together with Macmillan), 1956, 1957 and 1959, but he never received the prize.

In the same 1947, the Nobel Committee proposed the candidacy of Dmitry Skobeltsyn, a cosmic ray physicist.

In 1952, among those nominated for a prize in physics, Pavel Cherenkov was mentioned for the first time, who back in 1934, when he was a graduate student of Sergei Vavilov, studied luminescence in liquid under the influence of gamma radiation and discovered a bluish glow caused by fast electrons knocked out of atoms by gamma rays Open phenomenon known as " Cherenkov radiation" and "The Vavilov-Cherenkov effect." Cherenkov was also nominated in 1955–1957 and received the prize in 1958 together with Ilya Frank and Igor Tamm, who gave a theoretical explanation of the effect he discovered (Frank and Tamm were first nominated a year earlier). In 1957 and 1958, Sergei Vavilov was also on the list of nominees, but he died back in 1951, and the prize could no longer be awarded to him.

The story of Lev Landau, in terms of the number of proposals for his candidacy and the high authority of the scientists who nominated him, resembles the story of Pyotr Kapitsa, but still he did not have to wait so long for recognition, less than ten years. Landau nominated his candidacy for the first time American physicist Robert Marshak in 1954. Continuous nominations follow from 1956 to 1960, and in 1962 Landau finally receives the prize. Interestingly, the following year, 1963, five scientists, including Niels Bohr, again proposed Landau's candidacy. Whether these proposals continued further is still unknown, because information for subsequent years is not publicly available.

Among the scientists nominated in 1957, in addition to Vladimir Veksler, there are two more Soviet scientists involved in the creation of charged particle accelerators: Alexey Naumov and Gersh Budker.

Another outstanding experimental physicist, Evgeniy Zavoisky, was repeatedly nominated for the prize. This happened from 1958 to 1963, and possibly further (the scientist died in 1976). Zavoisky became famous for his discovery of electron paramagnetic resonance. This is truly a major scientific achievement, undoubtedly worthy of a Nobel Prize.

In 1959, 1960 and 1963, the mathematician and physicist Nikolai Bogolyubov, the author of a number of discoveries in quantum physics, is mentioned. In his case, it is also very likely that proposals for his candidacy continued after 1963. Nikolai Bogolyubov died in 1992.

Abram Ioffe was nominated in 1959. It is unlikely that the reason for the nomination was the electron charge experiment that Ioffe carried out in 1911 independently of Robert Millikan (in 1923 Millikan received the Nobel Prize). Ioffe was most likely nominated for his later work in solid state and semiconductor physics.

Creators quantum generators Nikolai Basov and Alexander Prokhorov received the prize in 1964 together with their American colleague Charles Townes. Before that, they were nominated (together with the same Towns) in 1960, 1962 and 1963.

In 1962, geochemist and crystallographer Nikolai Belov was nominated for the prize. It is most likely that the theory he developed of the symmetry of the closest packings of atoms in crystals was noted, which made it possible to study the structures large quantity minerals.

Prize in Chemistry

In the first couple of decades of the Nobel Prize’s existence, they still tried to more or less adhere to the words from Alfred Nobel’s will: “... to those who for the previous year made the greatest contribution to the progress of mankind...". Later, they wisely abandoned this altogether, but such an outstanding scientist as Dmitry Mendeleev never received a prize in chemistry, because his main thing was periodic law– he did back in 1869. Although it was put forward by many scientists in 1905 - 1907.

In 1914, among the candidates was Paul Walden, who worked at the University of Riga. Coincidentally this last year life of a scientist in Russian Empire, with the outbreak of World War I, Walden emigrated to Germany. Please note that here the nominators are still trying to comply with the “principle of the previous year”; Walden’s most famous achievement occurred shortly before the nomination. He was the first to obtain an ionic liquid with a melting point below room temperature - ethyl ammonium nitrate.

Botanist and physiologist Mikhail Tsvet became a contender for the 1918 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the invention of chromatography, which played a significant role in the subsequent development of analytical chemistry. The next year the scientist died.

In 1921, the candidacy of microbiologist Sergei Vinogradsky was proposed. He is known for discovering chemosynthesis - the production of energy through an oxidation reaction inorganic compounds. Chemosynthesis is characteristic of a number of bacteria. Winogradsky studied, in particular, iron bacteria, which oxidize divalent iron to trivalent iron, and nitrogen-fixing bacteria, which oxidize ammonia and play a huge role in the natural nitrogen cycle. Before Winogradsky's discovery, only one type of autotrophic (capable of independently creating organic matter) organisms – plants that exist through photosynthesis.

One of the founders of electrochemistry, Alexander Frumkin, was nominated for the Nobel Prize in 1946, 1962, 1963 (probably later). He is best known for his explanation of surface phenomena on electrodes in solution and their relationship to velocity chemical reaction(kinetics of electrode processes).

The only Russian scientist who received the Nobel Prize for discoveries in the field of chemistry, Nikolai Semenov, was on the list of candidates in 1946 - 1948, 1950, 1955 and received the prize in 1956. It is interesting that he is also among those nominated for the prize in chemistry next year, 1957.

Alexander Braunstein is known for his work on the biochemistry of amino acids and enzymes, in particular the discovery of transamination reactions and the role of pyrodoxine (vitamin B6) in the transformations of amino acids. His candidacy was proposed in 1952.

It is interesting that Max Volmer (1955) appears as a representative of Russia in the catalog of nominees, although he lived in the USSR only from 1946 to 1955. He worked first in Moscow at NII-9 on a method for producing heavy water, then at “plant No. 817” in Chelyabinsk-40 (now PA “Mayak” in the city of Ozersk), where the tellurium-120 isotope was produced. Volmer is known for his work in the field of electrochemistry. He discovered the phenomenon of “Volmer diffusion” in adsorbed molecules, and was also one of the co-authors of the “Butler-Volmer equation”. In 1955, Vollmer moved to the GDR. He was nominated for a prize in the field of chemistry six more times as a representative of Germany. His presence in the list of domestic scientists is a curiosity in the Nobel catalogue.

Organic chemist Alexander Arbuzov was among the candidates in 1956, 1961 and 1962. Moreover, in 1956 he was nominated together with his son and student Boris Arbuzov. He discovered many organoelement compounds and studied their properties. Alexander Arbuzov is especially famous for his research into organic derivatives of phosphorus acids.

Georgy Stadnikov is known for his works on the chemistry of hot shale, asphalt rocks, coal, peat and oil. His candidacy was proposed in 1957. Let us note that just two years earlier the scientist was released from prison, where he spent 17 years, and was completely rehabilitated “due to newly discovered circumstances” and “for lack of corpus delicti.”

In 1957 and 1962, the candidacy of geochemist Alexander Vinogradov was proposed, the author of works on the geochemistry of isotopes, the chemical evolution of the Earth and the mechanisms of formation of planetary shells, biogeochemistry, the isotope method in the study of plant photosynthesis, the chemical composition of meteorites, the soil of the Moon and Venus.

Two scientists whom we have already mentioned among physicists were also nominated for the prize in chemistry. These are Evgeny Zavoisky (1958, 1960) and Nikolai Belov (1962).

Prize in Physiology and Medicine

In terms of the number of nominations in this field, domestic scientists surpass physicists (114 versus 80), but it should be borne in mind that of these nominations, 62 relate to one person - Ivan Pavlov. From the first year of the award's existence, his candidacy was proposed by huge amount scientists. In 1904, the prize was finally awarded “for work on the physiology of digestion, which has expanded and changed the understanding of vital important aspects this question." However, Pavlov's subsequent work on the study of higher nervous activity were no less deserving of the Nobel Prize, so he was repeatedly nominated again in 1925, 1927, 1929 (ten nominations per year). But Ivan Petrovich still did not become a two-time Nobel Prize winner.

In the very first year of the prize’s existence, Ilya Mechnikov was also nominated. In total, he was nominated 69 times in 1901–1909. He received the Metchnikoff Prize in 1908 for his work on immunity, therefore, the four scientists who proposed his candidacy in 1909 considered him worthy of two prizes. It is interesting that in the catalog on the Nobel Committee’s website, Mechnikov’s nominations are classified not as Russian, but as French. From 1887 until his death he worked in Paris at the Pasteur Institute.

In 1904, the candidacy of Ernst von Bergmann was proposed. Although at that time he had long worked in Germany at the Universities of Würzburg and Berlin, he is worth mentioning. Until 1878, von Bergmann was a professor at the University of Dorpat, and in 1877, during Russian-Turkish war, was a military doctor in the Russian army. In science, von Bergmann is known for his works on military field surgery, asepsis, and most importantly, he is one of the founders of neurosurgery. His work has become a classic Surgical treatment diseases of the brain."

In 1905, a professor was nominated for the prize Kyiv University Sergey Chiriev, author of works “On the coordination of animal movements”, “Physical statics of blood”, “Electromotive properties of muscles and nerves”, “General muscular and nervous physiology” and others.

Among the contenders for the Nobel Prize were Ivan Dogel and Alexander Dogel, uncle and nephew. Ivan Dogel, who worked at Kazan University, was nominated in 1907 and 1914. He was one of the founders of experimental pharmacology, and also studied the physiology of the organs of vision and hearing, the nervous system and blood circulation. He was the first to experimentally prove the possibility of reflex cardiac arrest when the nerve endings of the nasal mucosa are irritated. In the Nobel Committee catalog it is erroneously presented as two different people: Jean Dogiel (1907) and Ivan Dogiel (1914).

Alexander Dogel was a pioneer of neurohistology. He was the first to describe the nerve terminal apparatus in the tissues and organs of animals, and laid the foundation for the study of synapses of the autonomic nervous system. Alexander Dogel also developed a method for intravital staining of nerve elements with methylene blue. His candidacy was proposed in 1911.

Sergei Vinogradsky, whom we talked about in the section on chemistry, was nominated for a prize in physiology and medicine in 1911. Another scientist, also already mentioned, only among physicists, Alexander Gurvich, was nominated in 1929, 1932 - 1934.

In 1912, 1914 and 1925 (in the latter case, eight times a year), the candidacy of Vladimir Bekhterev, an outstanding neurologist and psychiatrist, was proposed. Much attention to him in 1925 is apparently explained by the fact that shortly before that his work “General Fundamentals of Human Reflexology” was published.

Alexander Maksimov was nominated for the prize in 1918. Among the achievements of this histologist are the development of a tissue culture method and the study of the process of hematopoiesis. He described hemocytoblasts (hematopoietic stem cells) and was the first to coin the term " stem cell» ( Stammzelle in his work published in German).

In 1934, Pyotr Lazarev was proposed as a candidate. He graduated from both the medical and (external) physics and mathematics faculties of Moscow University. Petr Lazarev made a significant contribution to biophysics, creating a physicochemical theory of excitation and studying the action electric current on nervous tissue.

The candidacy of Leon Orbeli was proposed in 1934 and 1935. His main achievements relate to evolutionary physiology, the study of the functions of the sympathetic and autonomic nervous systems, and the mechanisms of higher nervous activity.

In 1936, six scientists at once proposed the candidacy of Alexei Speransky. He studied the role of the nervous system in pathological processes, as well as in compensating for impaired body functions. In 1930, his work “The Nervous System in Pathology” was published, and in 1936 - “Nervous trophism in the theory and practice of medicine.”

Among the many achievements of physiologist Nikolai Anichkov, the most important is the discovery of the role of cholesterol in the development of atherosclerosis. As the modern American biochemist Daniel Steinberg writes: “If true meaning his findings would have been assessed in a timely manner, we would have saved more than 30 years of effort in resolving the cholesterol controversy, and Anichkov himself could have been awarded the Nobel Prize.” Anichkov's candidacy was proposed in 1937.

Efim London created the world's first work on radiobiology, “Radium in Biology and Medicine” (1911). Further research on the effects ionizing radiation on living organisms he outlined in the book “Radium and X-rays” (1923). Another of his achievements was the angiostomy technique, which made it possible to study metabolism in the organs of a living animal. He was nominated for the Nobel Prize in 1939.

In 1939, according to the Molotov-Ribbentropp Pact, Soviet troops occupied western Ukraine, in particular the city of Lviv. It was this circumstance that became the reason that among the Soviet scientists nominated for the Nobel Prize, the founder Lviv Institute epidemiological research Rudolf Weigl. His candidacy was proposed precisely in 1939. In science, Weigl is famous as the creator of the first effective vaccine against epidemic typhus. Until 1939, he was nominated several dozen times as a Polish scientist, but never received the prize. Perhaps Weigl would be a worthy candidate for the Nobel Peace Prize. In his clinic he during German occupation hid Jews and Poles, and also secretly transported the vaccine to the Warsaw and Lviv ghettos.

In 1946, two Soviet scientists were nominated for the prize. If the prize were awarded to them, they would join the number of married couples among the laureates. Biochemists Vladimir Engelhardt and Militsa Lyubimova-Engelhardt proved that the protein myosin, from which mostly consist of muscles, has the properties of an enzyme. It breaks down adenosine triphosphoric acid, and the energy released provides contraction of muscle fibers.

Finally, in 1950, the famous physiologist and ophthalmologist Vladimir Filatov, who created the corneal transplant method, was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.

Every year, for many years, the Nobel Prize is awarded in Stockholm (Sweden) and Oslo (Norway).

The award is very prestigious and is awarded only to the most worthy representatives who have achieved significant achievements, playing important role in the development of all humanity. In the article we grouped Nobel Prize laureates from Russia and the USSR by field of science.

History of the Nobel Prize

The prize was invented by Alfred Nobel, after whose surname it is called. He was also the first laureate to receive the award for the invention of dynamite in 1867. In 1890, the Nobel Foundation was founded to pay prizes to awarded laureates. His initial capital was the savings of Alfred Nobel, accumulated throughout his life.

The size of the Nobel Prize is quite high, for example in 2010 it was about one and a half billion dollars. Prizes are awarded in the following fields: medicine and physiology, physics, chemistry and literature.

Additionally, the Peace Prize is awarded for active actions in establishing world peace. Our compatriots have been nominated more than once for the prestigious Nobel Prize in all respects and often become laureates.

Nobel Prize Laureates in Physics

1958 - Igor Tamm, Ilya Frank and Pavel Cherenkov became the first Nobel Prize laureates. The award was presented for collective research in the field of gamma radiation and its effects on various liquids.

During the experiments, a blue glow was discovered, later called the "Cherenkov effect". The discovery made it possible to use new techniques in measuring and detecting the velocities of nuclear, high-energy particles. This was a huge breakthrough for experimental nuclear physics.

In 1962 - Lev Landau. A legendary figure in the history of the development of physics. He has conducted many studies in the most different areas physics and mechanics. He made a huge contribution to the development of many branches of science.

He received his prize for the creation and detailed description of the theory of quantum liquid, as well as for experimental studies various condensed matter. The main experiments were carried out with liquid helium.

In 1964 - Alexander Prokhorov and Nikolai Basov. The award was received for joint developments in the field of radiophysics and quantum electronics. These studies made it possible to invent molecular generators - masers, as well as special amplifiers that concentrate radiation into one powerful beam.

1978 - In 1978, using the example of helium, he discovered the phenomenon of superfluidity - the ability of a substance that is in the state of a quantum liquid and in temperature conditions close to absolute zero to penetrate without any friction through the smallest holes.

2000 - Zhores Alferov- awarded for the development of fundamentally new semiconductors that can withstand enormous energy flows and used in the creation of ultra-fast computers. In DVD drives, which are equipped with all modern computers, laser recording to disk uses precisely these technologies.

2003 - trio: Vitaly Ginzburg, American Anthony Leggett and Alexey Abrikosov- for a theory explaining two phenomena quantum physics– superfluidity and superconductivity of various materials.

IN modern science they are used to create superconductors used in ultra-precise diagnostic medical equipment, in scientific equipment involved in research related to particle acceleration and many other physical phenomena.

2010 - Andrey Geim and Konstantin Novoselov (former citizens Russia, now subjects of the Kingdom of Great Britain) received a prize for the discovery of graphene and the study of its properties. It captures and converts light into electrical energy 20 times more than all previously discovered materials and increases the speed of the Internet connection.

Nobel Prize Laureates in Chemistry

1956 - Nikolay Semenov author of many scientific achievements. However, his most famous work, for which he received this prestigious prize, was his research into various chain reactions that occur when high temperatures. This discovery made it possible to gain control over all ongoing processes and predict the final outcome of each process.

1977 - Ilya Prigozhi n (a native of Russia, lives in Belgium) received the prize for the theory of dispassive structures and for research on nonequilibrium thermodynamics, which made it possible to eliminate many gaps between biological, chemical and social research fields.

Nobel Prize Laureates in Medicine and Physiology

1904 - Ivan Pavlov, the first Russian academician - physiologist to receive the Nobel Prize. He studied the physiology of digestion and the nervous regulation of the processes occurring during this process. Awarded by the Nobel Committee for his research into the main digestive glands and their functions.

It was he who divided all reflexes of the digestive tract into conditioned and unconditioned. Thanks to these data, a clearer understanding of the vital aspects of what is happening in the human body has been obtained.

1908 - Ilya Mechnikov– made many outstanding discoveries that made it possible to continue the development of experimental medicine and biology in the 20th century. I. Mechnikov received the Nobel Prize together with the German biologist P. Ehrlich for developing the theory of immunity.

Research in this area and the creation of the theory took the academician 25 years. But it was precisely thanks to these studies that the phenomena by which human body becomes immune to many diseases.

Nobel Prize Laureates in Economics

1975 - Leonid Kantorovich- the only one Soviet economist and a mathematician who has earned the highest praise for his economic activity. It was he who put mathematics at the service of production and thereby simplified the organization and planning of all production processes. Received an award for his major contribution to the theory of optimal resource allocation.

Nobel Prize Laureates in Literature

1933 - Ivan Bunin- received the title of laureate for two books: “The Life of Arsenyev” and “The Gentleman from San Francisco.” And, of course, for his contribution to the development of traditional Russian culture. The author's artistic talent, artistry and truthfulness made it possible to recreate a typically Russian multifaceted character in lyrical prose.

1958 - Boris Pasternak- many times claimed to be a Nobel Prize laureate, even before the release of his world-famous novel Doctor Zhivago, which became the decisive argument in choosing the winner.

The award was presented with the wording: “for greatest achievements in poetry and for maintaining the traditions of the great, mighty Russian novel."

However, Pasternak, being recognized in his homeland as an “anti-Soviet” element, and under heavy pressure from the Soviet authorities, was forced to refuse. The son of the great writer received the medal and diploma 30 years later.

1965 - Mikhail Sholokhov- unlike Pasternak and Solzhenitsyn, he was actively supported by the government of his native country, his stories describing the life and way of life of the settlers of the writer’s small homeland - the Don Cossacks - were repeatedly published in all popular publications.

M. Sholokhov's books were popular among Soviet readers. In addition to the “Cossack” theme, the author repeatedly wrote about the Great Patriotic War, the echoes of which were still alive in the memory of the entire Soviet people. However, he received recognition from his foreign colleagues by writing the novel “Quiet Don,” which tells about Don Cossacks during a difficult period of life, full of revolutions and wars. For this novel he was awarded the Nobel Prize.

1970 - Alexander Solzhenitsyn, was a banned author before the collapse of Soviet power. He served time in prison for criticizing the leadership of the USSR. His works were considered openly anti-Soviet and were not published in the countries of the USSR. The most famous works, such as “In the First Circle”, “Gulag Archipelago” and “ Cancer building", were published in the West and enjoyed very high popularity there.

For his contribution to the development of the traditions of Russian literature and the highly moral strength of his works, Solzhenitsyn was awarded the Nobel Prize. However, he was not released for presentation, forbidden to leave the territory of the USSR. Representatives of the committee who tried to present the award to the laureate in their home country were also denied entry.

After 4 years, Solzhenitsyn was expelled from the country and only then, with great delay, could he be awarded a well-deserved prize. The writer was able to return to Russia after the collapse of Soviet power.

1987 - Joseph Brodsky, who was an outcast in the USSR and deprived of citizenship under pressure from the authorities, received the Nobel Prize as a US citizen. With the wording: “for clarity of thought, for intense poetic and literary creativity.” After receiving the prize, the poet’s works were no longer boycotted in his homeland. For the first time, in the USSR, they were published in the popular publication “New World”.

Nobel Peace Prize Laureates

1975 - Andrei Sakharov Russian physicist, fighter for human rights. Being one of the creators of the first Soviet hydrogen bomb, actively fought for the signing of a moratorium on the ban on nuclear weapons testing, which provokes an arms race. In addition to his other numerous merits, Sakharov is the author of the draft constitution of the USSR.

Being the leader of the human rights movement defending human rights and freedoms, he was recognized as a dissident and for his active work deprived of all awards and prizes awarded previously.

For the same activity he received the title of laureate in the Peace Prize category.

1990 - Mikhail Gorbachev is the first and only president of the USSR. During the period of his activity, the following large-scale events took place that influenced the whole world:

• The so-called “Perestroika” is an attempt to reform the Soviet system, to introduce the leading signs of democracy into the USSR: freedom of speech and press, openness, the possibility of free democratic elections, reforming the socialist economy towards a market economic model.
• End of the Cold War.
• Conclusion Soviet troops from the territory of Afghanistan.
• Refusal of all communist ideologies and further persecution of all dissidents.
• The collapse of the USSR as a result of its transition to democracy.

For all these merits, Mikhail Gorbachev was awarded the Nobel Prize with the wording: “for his leading role in peace processes that form an important part of the life of the entire international society.” Today the personality of Mikhail Gorbachev is perceived Russian society very controversial and his activities during the collapse of the USSR cause a lot of heated debate. Whereas in the West his authority was and continues to be undeniable. He received recognition as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate in Western society, but not in Russia.

One of key events in the social and intellectual life of Sweden - Nobel Day - the annual presentation of the Nobel Prize, which takes place on December 10 in Stockholm's Studhuset (city hall).

These awards are used international recognition, as the most honorable civilian distinction. The Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature and Economics are presented to the laureates by His Majesty the King of Sweden at a ceremony held on the anniversary of the death of Alfred Nobel (December 10, 1896).

Each laureate receives gold medal with a picture of Nobel and a diploma. Currently, the Nobel Prize is worth 10 million Swedish kronor (about 1.05 million euros or $1.5 million).

The Prizes in Chemistry, Physics and Economics are awarded by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences, the Prizes in Medicine are awarded by the Karolinska Institutet, and the Swedish Academy awards the Prize in Literature. The only non-Swedish prize, the Peace Prize, is awarded in Oslo by the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

By the way, last option Nobel signed his famous will almost a year before his death - November 27, 1895 in Paris. It was announced in January 1897: “All my movable and immovable property must be converted by my executors into liquid assets, and the capital thus collected must be placed in a reliable bank. Income from investments should belong to the fund, which will distribute them annually in the form of bonuses to those who brought greatest benefit humanity... The indicated percentages must be divided into five equal parts, which are intended: one part - to the one who makes the most important discovery or invention in the field of physics; the other - to the one who makes the most important discovery or improvement in the field of chemistry; the third - to the one who makes the most important discovery in the field of physiology or medicine; fourth - to the one who creates the most outstanding literary work idealistic direction; fifth - to the one who has made the most significant contribution to the unity of nations, the abolition of slavery or the reduction of the size of existing armies and the promotion of peace congresses… My special wish is that when awarding prizes, the nationality of candidates is not taken into account..."

Alfred Bernhard Nobel, Swedish inventor, industrial magnate, linguist, philosopher and humanist, was born in 1833 in Stockholm into a Swedish family. In 1842, his family moved to St. Petersburg, the capital of what was then Russia. Nobel received an excellent education of international class. He read, wrote, spoke and understood equally well at 5 European languages: Swedish, Russian, English, French and German. Nobel went down in history as the inventor of dynamite, a substance that played an important role in the development of world industry.

During his life, Alfred Nobel became the owner of 355 patents, which formed the basis of about 90 enterprises in 20 countries. His brothers Robert and Louis, who worked in Russia and later in Baku for oil fields. Alfred Nobel bequeathed $4 million (currently equivalent to $173 million) to be used as prizes in the fields of physics, chemistry, physiology and medicine. These areas were close to him, and in them he expected the greatest progress.

He did not bequeath prizes to architects, musicians and composers. Literature prizes also reflect Nobel's personal interests. In his youth he wrote poems and poems in English and Swedish, and throughout his life he was a voracious reader in all languages ​​accessible to him.The prizes in the field of science and literature were to be awarded in Sweden, and the peace prize in Norway. The history of the Nobel Prize, the fund of which amounted to 31 million crowns, began with this will.

A year later, on December 10, 1896, Alfred Nobel died in Italy from a stroke. Later this date will be declared Nobel Day. After opening the will, it turned out that almost all of Nobel’s fortune was inaccessible to his relatives, who were counting on this money.

Even showed dissatisfaction swedish king Oscar II, who did not want finances to leave the country, even in the form of awards for world achievements. Objective bureaucratic difficulties also arose. The practical implementation of Nobel's will turned out to be very difficult, and under certain conditions the prizes might not take place.

But soon all obstacles were overcome, and in June 1898, Nobel’s relatives signed an agreement to renounce further claims to the capital. The main provisions related to the awarding of prizes also received approval from the Swedish government. In 1900, the Charter of the Nobel Foundation and the rules regulating the activities of the Nobel structures being created were signed by the King of Sweden. The prize was first awarded in 1901.

The Nobel Prize has become the most prestigious prize in the fields of physics, chemistry, physiology, medicine, economics, literature and efforts to establish peace among nations. It is paid once a year from the funds of the fund created according to the will of Alfred Nobel. More than 600 people became Nobel Prize laureates during the 20th century.

Awarding awards does not always meet with universal approval. In 1953, Sir Winston Churchill received a literary prize, while the famous American writer Graham Greene never received it.

Each country has its own national heroes and often the award or non-award is disappointing. The famous Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren was never nominated for the prize, and the Indian Mahatma Gandhi never won the prize. But Henry Kissinger won the Peace Prize in 1973 - a year after vietnam war. There are known cases of refusal of the prize for reasons of principle: the Frenchman Jean Paul Sartre refused the literary prize in 1964, and the Vietnamese Le Dick Tho did not want to share it with Kissinger.

The Nobel Prizes are unique awards and are particularly prestigious. The question is often asked why these awards attract so much more attention than any other awards of the 20th century. One reason may be the fact that they were introduced in a timely manner and that they noted some fundamental historical changes in society. Alfred Nobel was a true internationalist, and from the very foundation of the prizes named after him, the international nature of the awards made a special impression. Strict rules for the selection of laureates, which began to apply since the establishment of the prizes, also played a role in recognizing the importance of the awards in question. As soon as the election for the current year's laureates ends in December, preparations begin for the election of next year's laureates. Such year-round activities, in which so many intellectuals from all over the world participate, orient scientists, writers and public figures for work in the interests of social development, which precedes the awarding of prizes for “contribution to human progress.”

The first Nobel banquet took place on December 10, 1901, simultaneously with the first presentation of the prize. Currently, the banquet is held in the Blue Hall of the City Hall. 1300-1400 people are invited to the banquet. Dress code: tailcoats and evening dresses. Chefs from the Town Hall Cellar (a restaurant at the Town Hall) and culinary specialists who have ever received the title of Chef of the Year take part in the development of the menu. In September, three menu options are tasted by members of the Nobel Committee, who decide what will be served “at the Nobel table.” The only dessert that is always known is ice cream, but until the evening of December 10, no one except a narrow circle of initiates knows what kind.

For the Nobel banquet, specially designed dinnerware and tablecloths are used. A portrait of Nobel is woven on the corner of each tablecloth and napkin. Handmade tableware: along the edge of the plate there is a stripe of three colors of the Swedish Empire - blue, green and gold. The stem of the crystal wine glass is decorated in the same color scheme. The banquet service was commissioned for $1.6 million for the 90th anniversary of the Nobel Prizes in 1991. It consists of 6,750 glasses, 9,450 knives and forks, 9,550 plates and one tea cup. The last one is for Princess Liliana, who doesn't drink coffee. The cup is stored in a special beautiful wooden box with the princess's monogram. The saucer from the cup was stolen.

The tables in the hall are arranged with mathematical precision, and the hall is decorated with 23,000 flowers sent from San Remo. All movements of the waiters are strictly timed down to the second. For example, the ceremonial bringing in of ice cream takes exactly three minutes from the moment the first waiter appears with a tray at the door until the last of them stands at his table. Other dishes take two minutes to serve.

Exactly at 19 o'clock on December 210, the guests of honor, led by the king and queen, descend the stairs to the Blue Hall, where all the invitees are already sitting. The Swedish king is holding a Nobel laureate on his arm, and if there is not one, the wife of a Nobel laureate in physics. The first to toast is to His Majesty, the second to the memory of Alfred Nobel. After this, the secret of the menu is revealed. The menu is printed in small print on cards included with each location and features Alfred Nobel's profile in gold embossing. There is music throughout the dinner - very famous musicians are invited, including Rostropovich and Magnus Lindgren in 2003.

The banquet ends with the delivery of ice cream, crowned with a chocolate monogram “N” like a crown. At 22:15 the Swedish king gives the signal for the start of dancing in the Golden Hall of the Town Hall. At 1:30 the guests leave.

Absolutely all dishes from the menu, from 1901 onwards, can be ordered at the Stockholm Town Hall restaurant. This lunch costs a little less than $200. Every year they are ordered by 20 thousand visitors, and traditionally the most popular menu is the last Nobel banquet.

The Nobel concert is one of the three components of the Nobel week, along with the presentation of prizes and the Nobel dinner. Considered one of the main European musical events of the year and the main musical event of the year Scandinavian countries. The most prominent classical musicians of our time take part in it. In fact, there are two Nobel concerts: one is held on December 8 of each year in Stockholm, the second in Oslo at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. The Nobel concert is broadcast on several international television channels on December 31 of each year.Quote from the message Vladimir_Grinchuv

Nobel Prize

On December 10, 1933, King Gustav V of Sweden awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature to the writer Ivan Bunin, who became the first Russian writer to be awarded this high award. In total, the prize, established by the inventor of dynamite Alfred Bernhard Nobel in 1833, was received by 21 people from Russia and the USSR, five of them in the field of literature. True, historically it turned out that for Russian poets and writers the Nobel Prize was fraught with big problems.

Ivan Alekseevich Bunin distributed the Nobel Prize to friends

It is known that Nobel laureates have the right to decide for themselves how to spend the money they receive. Some invest in the development of science, some in charity, some in their own business. Bunin, a creative person and devoid of “practical ingenuity,” disposed of his bonus, which amounted to 170,331 crowns, completely irrationally. Poet and literary critic Zinaida Shakhovskaya recalled: “ Returning to France, Ivan Alekseevich... in addition to money, began to organize feasts, distribute “benefits” to emigrants, and donate funds to support various societies. Finally, on the advice of well-wishers, he invested the remaining amount in some “win-win business” and was left with nothing».

Ivan Bunin is the first emigrant writer to be published in Russia. True, the first publications of his stories appeared in the 1950s, after the writer’s death. Some of his works, stories and poems, were published in his homeland only in the 1990s.

Dear God, why are you
Gave us passions, thoughts and worries,
Do I thirst for business, fame and pleasure?
Joyful are cripples, idiots,
The leper is the most joyful of all.
(I. Bunin. September, 1917)

Boris Pasternak refused the Nobel Prize

The writing community in the poet’s homeland took this news extremely negatively and on October 27, Pasternak was unanimously expelled from the Union of Writers of the USSR, at the same time filing a petition to deprive Pasternak of Soviet citizenship. In the USSR, Pasternak's receipt of the prize was associated only with his novel Doctor Zhivago. Literary newspaper wrote: “Pasternak received “thirty pieces of silver,” for which the Nobel Prize was used. He was awarded for agreeing to play the role of bait on the rusty hook of anti-Soviet propaganda... An inglorious end awaits the resurrected Judas, Doctor Zhivago, and his author, whose lot will be popular contempt.”.

The mass campaign launched against Pasternak forced him to refuse the Nobel Prize. The poet sent a telegram to the Swedish Academy in which he wrote: “ Due to the importance that the award given to me has received in the society to which I belong, I must refuse it. Please don't take my voluntary refusal as an insult.».

It is worth noting that in the USSR, until 1989, even in the school literature curriculum there was no mention of Pasternak’s work. The first to decide to introduce en masse Soviet people with the creative work of Pasternak, director Eldar Ryazanov. In his comedy “The Irony of Fate, or Enjoy Your Bath!” (1976) he included the poem “There will be no one in the house”, transforming it into an urban romance, which was performed by the bard Sergei Nikitin. Ryazanov later included in his film “ Office romance» excerpt from another poem by Pasternak - “To love others - heavy cross..." (1931). True, it sounded in a farcical context. But it is worth noting that at that time the very mention of Pasternak’s poems was a very bold step.

It's easy to wake up and see clearly,
Shake out the verbal trash from the heart
And live without getting clogged in the future,
All this is not a big trick.
(B. Pasternak, 1931)

Mikhail Sholokhov, receiving the Nobel Prize, did not bow to the monarch

Award presenter Soviet writer Gustavus Adolf VI called him "one of the most distinguished writers of our time." Sholokhov did not bow to the king, as prescribed by the rules of etiquette. Some sources claim that he did this intentionally with the words: “We Cossacks do not bow to anyone. In front of the people, please, but I won’t do it in front of the king...”

Alexander Solzhenitsyn was deprived of Soviet citizenship because of the Nobel Prize

On October 8, 1970, “for the moral strength drawn from the tradition of great Russian literature,” Solzhenitsyn was awarded the Nobel Prize. This became the reason for persecution of Solzhenitsyn in the USSR. In 1971, all the writer’s manuscripts were confiscated, and in the next 2 years, all his publications were destroyed. In 1974, a Decree of the Presidium was issued Supreme Council USSR, which for the systematic commission of actions incompatible with belonging to the citizenship of the USSR and causing damage to the USSR,” Alexander Solzhenitsyn was deprived of Soviet citizenship and deported from the USSR.

The writer’s citizenship was returned only in 1990, and in 1994 he and his family returned to Russia and actively became involved in public life.

Nobel Prize winner Joseph Brodsky was convicted of parasitism in Russia

In 1972, Brodsky turned to Secretary General Brezhnev with a request to work in his homeland as a translator, but his request remained unanswered, and he was forced to emigrate. Brodsky first lives in Vienna, London, and then moves to the United States, where he becomes a professor at New York, Michigan and other universities in the country.

On December 10, 1987, Joseph Brosky was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature “for his comprehensive creativity, imbued with clarity of thought and passion of poetry.” It is worth saying that Brodsky, after Vladimir Nabokov, is the second Russian writer who writes in English as in native language.

The sea was not visible. In the whitish darkness,
swaddled on all sides, absurd
it was thought that the ship was heading towards land -
if it was a ship at all,
and not a clot of fog, as if poured
who whitened it in milk?
(B. Brodsky, 1972)

Interesting fact
For the Nobel Prize in different times nominated, but never received it, such famous personalities like Mahatma Gandhi, Winston Churchill, Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Benito Mussolini, Franklin Roosevelt, Nicholas Roerich and Leo Tolstoy.

Literature lovers will definitely be interested in this book, which is written with disappearing ink.

Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology to Americans: 73-year-old Michael Rosbash, 72-year-old Geoffrey Hall and 68-year-old Michael Young . They received the award for their discovery of the molecular mechanisms responsible for the control of circadian rhythms.

Scientists have been able to isolate a gene in fruit flies that controls the daily biological rhythms of a living organism. They were able to "look inside our biological clocks and explain how plants, animals and people adapt their biological rhythms to Earth's," the press release said.Hall, Rosbash and Young discovered during their research that this gene contains a protein that accumulates in cells at night and is destroyed during the day.

They have been studying this topic for several decades and were able to identify the mechanisms that control biological clock both humans and other organisms that function according to the same principles. They adapt to the phases of the day and regulate behavior, hormone levels, sleep, body temperature, metabolism and many other important processes.

They were able to isolate the PER gene for the first time in 1984, and subsequent studies made it possible to identify others important components. It is now known that circadian rhythms concern more than just sleep and wakefulness, because almost all cells live in a cycle whose duration is approximately 24 hours.

Their work has important, after all, the discrepancy between lifestyle and rhythms affects human health and over time can lead to the development various diseases. In addition, knowledge about the features of the cycle may in the future contribute to the creation of drugs to normalize it, because for some it is shifted due to mutations in genes.

Rosbash noted that representatives of the committee called him at 5 am.“I was sleeping. And the first thought was that someone had died,” he noted. Yang was also very surprised. Each of the scientists will receive ⅓ of the monetary reward, which this year amounts to $1.1 million.

Physics

Nobel Prize laureates in physics alsoAmericans became - 85-year-old MIT professor Rainer Weiss, 81-year-old Barry Barish and 77-year-old Kip Thorne from the California Institute of Technology for decisive contributions to LIGO detector and observation of gravitational waves.

Photo: Credit Molly Riley/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

In February 2016 A group of physicists and astronomers have announced that they have detected waves using two gravitational telescopes as a result of the collision of two black holes that are located a billion light years from Earth. Here , which are called the main scientific discovery of the century, in 15 points.

Albert Einstein predicted gravitational waves a century ago, but no one had been able to detect them before. The Academy called it "a discovery that shocked the world."

Weiss, Barish and Thorne - creators of the LIGO observatory, which recorded gravitational waves, and the international scientific communityLIGO Scientific Collaboration, which has spent 40 years and more than $1 billion on research. Weiss will receive half of the cash prize, Barish and Thorne will split the other half. Their work will allow us to study things that scientists did not even know about before.

Weiss said the award recognizes the work of about a thousand people over the past 40 years. He also added that many did not believe it when they recorded the first signals in September 2015. It took another 2 months to be convinced of their reality.

Chemistry

Nobel Prize Laureates in Chemistry steel 75-year-old Swiss Jacques Dubochet, 77-year-old American Joachim Frank and 72-year-old Briton Richard Henderson. They received an award for the development of high-resolution cryoelectron microscopy.

Scientists have developed new way obtain accurate 3D images of biomolecules, such as proteins, DNA and RNA. This has helped decipher processes that occur in cells that were previously invisible, as well as better understand diseases such as the Zika virus. In the future, their discovery may help in the development of necessary drugs.

“There will be no more secrets. Now we see the complex details of biomolecules in every cell of our body,” said the head of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry, Sarah Snogerup Lince, during the announcement of the award results.

Henderson noted that he was at a briefing in Cambridge when the bell rang. He hung up, but the phone continued to ring. Frank received the good news early in the morning at his home in New York.

The shape of proteins and other biomolecules is important to understanding their functions. For example, the structure of a virus helps us understand how it attacks cells. Henderson, Dubochet and Frank, in the course of their work, proposed studying biomolecules by flash freezing the liquid in which they are located. The Swedish Academy of Sciences noted that this is important both for understanding the chemical principles of life in general and for the subsequent development of drugs. This technology has already been tested not only on the Zika virus, but also during the study of proteins involved in the control of circadian rhythms, for which this year the Nobel Prize in Medicine was awarded.

Literature

Following Svetlana Alexievich and Bob Dylan, he received the Nobel Prize this year 62-year-old British writer Japanese origin Kazuo Ishiguro. The Swedish Academy of Sciences awarded him an award with the wording "for novels of enormous emotional power that revealed the abyss hidden behind our illusory sense of connection with the world around us."

Ishiguro was born in 1954 in Nagasaki, Japan, into the family of an oceanographer, and at the age of 5 he moved to England. His passion for literature began at the age of 9–10, when he found stories about Sherlock Holmes in the local library.

In my youth future writer I wanted to make music and write songs. In the music industry great success he didn't achieve it, but it helped shape his distinctive style.

Ishiguro often addresses the theme of memory, death and time. The narration in his novels is usually in the first person, and the plot has deep implications. In addition, the writer managed to work in different genres- there are elements in his books detective stories, westerns, science fiction and even fantasy.

During his writing career, he published 7 novels, a number of short stories and plays. Among the most popular works are “The Remains of the Day” and “Never Let Me Go,” which were filmed at one time. Here we suggest things you should know in order to appear like a well-read intellectual.

The news of the award caught him during a press conference in London. For Ishiguro it was a shock. “If I had known anything, I would have washed my hair this morning. When I think of all the great modern authors who have not yet won a Nobel Prize, I feel a little like a fraud,” he added.

Ishiguro is currently working on a new novel. There are also plans for several film adaptations and theatrical projects.

World

The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to the coalition international organizations ICAN (International Movement to Abolish Nuclear Weapons). She received the award for her work in drawing attention to the catastrophic humanitarian consequences of any use of nuclear weapons and for her pioneering efforts in preparing a treaty banning such weapons.

The coalition actively contributed to the negotiations, which ultimately led to the adoption by the UN of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons in July 2017. It involves a ban on the development, testing, storage, acquisition, transportation and use of nuclear weapons. Despite active protests against this document, it has already been signed by 53 UN members. In its statement, ICAN noted that the award is a tribute permanent job millions of activists who oppose nuclear weapons.

“We greeted this news with joy. Every year there should be at least one happy event that gives us hope. And this is exactly the case,” said Costa Rica’s ambassador to the UN and head of the negotiation process Ellen White Gomez.

ICAN became the 24th organization to receive the Nobel Peace Prize since 1901. Previously, the award was given to the International Committee of the Red Cross and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

ICAN director Beatrice Fihn said that the coalition initially considered the news a hoax. A bell rang in their office, but no one believed it until the name of the organization was announced during the announcement of the award results. She also said that this award is a message to all nuclear states and all countries that continue to use nuclear weapons to ensure safety, because such behavior is unacceptable.

The Swedish Academy of Sciences will be the last to announce the name of the winner of the Economics Prize. This will happen on Monday, October 9, at 12:45 Kyiv time. You can watch the live broadcast.