Genius Minds Born In Moldova

We can not deny the fact that our identity is linked to the Soviet Union, as for a long time we were a member of it. Naturally, it had its impact on our history, our culture and our lifestyle. Thus, Moldovans and people born on this land, could activate in any country of the Soviet Union.

Despite the Moldova being a small country, here were born genius people, as: 

Nicolae Donici (1874-1956), astronomer

Nicolae Donici, named “the Moldovan Einstein”, was born in an old family of nobles in Chisinau. In 1908, he built the first observatory in Moldova, in the village Dubasarii Vechi. He conducted researches in countries such as Spain, Russia, Portugal, Indonesia, Egypt, Turkey, Algeria and USA. His main scientific interests were the Sun and its eclipses, planetary astronomy, zodiacal light.  The asteroid 9494 Donici is named after him.

Lev Berg (1876-1950), geographer, biologist and ichthyologist

Berg, born in Bender, studied and determined the depth of the lakes of Central Asia, including Balkhash and Issyk Kul. He developed Dokuchaev’s doctrine of natural zones, which became one of the foundations of the Soviet biology. Among his pioneering monographs on climatology were “Climate and Life” (1922) and “Foundations of Climatology” (1927). During his lifetime, Berg was a towering presence in the science of ichthyology. In 1916, he published four volumes of the study of Fishes of Russia. He was said to have discovered the symbiotic relationship between lampreys and salmon. Berg’s name is featured in the Latin appellations of more than 60 species of plants and animals.

Nikolay Zelinsky (1861-1953) – chemist

Nikolay Zelinsky, born in Tiraspol, was an outstanding Russian organic chemist, the author of fundamental discoveries in the hydrocarbon synthesis, organic catalysis, catalytic oil cracking, protein hydrolysis, and chemical protection, and the founder of a scientific school. He is the inventor of the first effective filtering activated charcoal gas mask in the world (1915). The crater Zelinskiy on the Moon is named in his honor.