Sokolov, Vladimir Evgenievich

Born February 1, 1928 in Moscow . Father - professor of the feeding department of the Moscow Fur and Fur Institute, Evgeny Alekseevich Sokolov , mother - Maria Ivanovna (nee Lazareva, 1886—?) ^[1] . Maria Ivanovna in her youth participated in the revolutionary movement, was a member of the Socialist Revolutionary Party , was in exile in Geneva until the revolution ^[2] . As a child, V.E. Sokolov went on excursions with professors of the fur and fur institute P. A. Manteifel , B. A. Kuznetsov ^[3] , and professor Sergei Ivanovich Ognev became his mentor at the university.

• He graduated from the Faculty of Biology of Moscow State University in 1950
• In 1950-1953, a graduate student at the Moscow Fur Institute. In 1952, the first scientific publication, “Spanberg Mammals” (Kuril Islands), was published in the Bulletin of the Moscow Society of Naturalists. In 1953 he defended his thesis on "The structure of the skin of marine mammals."
• In 1953-1956 assistant, senior lecturer, head of graduate school at the Moscow Technical Institute of the Fishing Industry (Mosrybvtuz)
• Since 1956 he worked at the Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University , and since the end of 1982, the head of the department
• Since 1960 - Associate Professor of Moscow State University
• Since 1964, Doctor of Biological Sciences (the theme of the dissertation is “Environmental morphology of the skin of mammals”)
• Since 1966 professor at Moscow State University
• Since 1967, director and head of the laboratory of the Institute of Evolutionary Morphology and Ecology of Animals named after A. N. Severtsova, USSR Academy of Sciences (since 1994 - Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the RAS)
• Corresponding Member of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Socialist Republic (1970)
• Since 1973 President of the All-Union Theriological Society
• Since 1974 academician of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR
• Since 1985, academician of the Academy of Agricultural Sciences and academician-secretary of the Department of General Biology of the USSR Academy of Sciences
• He died on April 19, 1998 . He was buried in Moscow at the Troekurovsky cemetery ^[4] .

Success in Sport

Vladimir Sokolov during his studies at Moscow State University paid much attention to the game of volleyball. He came to the university as a well-trained athlete, a graduate of the school of volleyball players of the Lokomotiv society . Sokolov was an attacker - with his height above 190 cm, he jumped high with “scissors” over 180 cm, but he was good at playing in defense. He was included as the main striker in the youth team of Moscow. Playing in tandem with fellow student L. I. Zotin, they played so much that they were invited to study at the volleyball section of Moscow State University. At first, Sokolov and Zotin played for the 3rd team of the university, took part in the Moscow championship in volleyball among students. Thanks to V. Sokolov, a very strong striker, captain and coach of the biology faculty of Moscow State University, she began to take first places in the competition for the championship of the university. Since 1946-1947, when members of sports societies (masters of sports, in fact, professional athletes) were banned from participating in student competitions, the MSU team began to take first places in intercollegiate volleyball competitions. At this time, the pair Sokolov-Zotin already played for the 1st team of Moscow State University, and V.E. Sokolov was the permanent captain of the team. As L. I. Zotin recalled: “Formally, training took place 2 or 3 times a week, but there was no day that we did not look into the gym, especially during exam sessions or vacations” ^[5] .

V. Sokolov was a coach and a female volleyball team of the biological faculty, it was during training that he met his future wife, first-year student Svetlana Stepanova ^[3] .

V. E. Sokolov received the title of master of sports for the game in the main composition of the Lokomotiv society, which in 1951 took third place at the USSR championship in volleyball ^[5] .

Party Work

He was a secretary of the Komsomol committee of the Moscow Technical Institute of the Fishing Industry . In 1956, in connection with the transfer of Mosrybvtuz to Kaliningrad, Sokolov transferred to the post of assistant of the Biological and Soil Faculty of Moscow State University ^[5] . In 1956 he became a member of the CPSU ^[4] . He was elected secretary of the Komsomol committee of Biofak Moscow State University, and in 1964 - secretary of the Biofak Party Committee. He was repeatedly elected to the party committee of Moscow University, for four years he was deputy secretary of the party committee of Moscow State University ^[5] . In 1965 he was elected deputy. Secretary of the Party Committee of the Moscow State University for Academic Affairs ^[6] .

According to the stories of V. Ye. Sokolov himself, he was faced with the choice of becoming a secretary of the party organization of Moscow State University. Lomonosov, rector of Novosibirsk University or director of the Institute of Evolutionary Animal Morphology of the USSR Academy of Sciences ^[5] .

Social Activities

Returning from foreign expeditions, he was a frequent participant in the television show " In the world of animals " ^[7] . Performed with lectures in the society "Knowledge", worked at the Ecocenter of Moscow State University, which was founded on the initiative of Vladimir Evgenievich in 1989. He participated in the development of the concept and programs of environmental education and upbringing, in the dissemination of environmental knowledge. He actively participated in the publication of the unique illustrated series “Reserves of the USSR”, “Red Book of the RSFSR” (1983), “Red Book of the USSR” (1984) and the preparation of materials from the Red Book of the Russian Federation , which was released after his death. He was the chief editor and co-author of the book "Rare animals of our country" (L .: Nauka, 1990).

V. E. Sokolov, together with Yu. A. Izrael and I. P. Gerasimov, developed the principles of environmental monitoring . Much attention was paid to them the role of biosphere reserves in conducting environmental observations, studying the influence of anthropogenic activities on biota and developing measures to protect the population from the toxic effects of pollutants ^[8] . He also paid great attention to the study of the cyclic (reversible) and autogenous (irreversible) dynamics of various biocenoses ^[9] . In the article “Fundamentals of Ecology in Connection with the Tasks of Biosphere Reserves” V. E. Sokolov emphasized that it is very difficult to judge the effect of anthropogenic changes in the environment on biota due to the complexity of the connections between different participants in trophic chains ^[10]

For many years he headed the Russian Committee for the UNESCO Man and the Biosphere Program, the National Committee of Biologists of Russia, and the Russian Society for the Protection of Animals. He was vice-president of the International Coordinating Council for the UNESCO Program “Man and the Biosphere”, a member of the Bureau of the International Association of Ecologists. He was chairman of the Commission on the development of scientific foundations and conservation of Przhevalsky horse at the Department of General Biology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He was a member of the editorial board of the journal “Reports of the Russian Academy of Sciences”, a member of the editorial board of the journal “Izvestiya AN SSSR. Biological Series ”, a member of the editorial board of the journal“ Nature ”, a member of the editorial board of the series“ Academic Readings ”of the Academy of Sciences (Nauka Publishing House). He carried out the general edition of individual volumes of the Pentazychny dictionary of animal names.

Administrative Resource

It cannot be said that the scientific and administrative career of V.E. Sokolov has always developed cloudlessly. There were difficulties. His classmate and partner in volleyball L.I. Zotin recalled:

... We were sure that he [Vladimir Sokolov] was provided with graduate school at the Department of Vertebrates after graduation. Volodya was also sure of this <...> But the incredible happened: in the fifth year, when the further fate of each of us was determined, he was assigned somewhere in the Omsk or Tomsk region by a high school teacher. Volodya, not without difficulty, got a postgraduate course at the Fur-Fur Institute ^[5] .

In 1958, professor of the invertebrate zoology department of Moscow State University, Y. A. Birshtein received permission to travel to the XV International Zoological Congress in London. He was already on the plane when he was informed that his trip was canceled. Before his eyes, his place was taken by V.E. Sokolov, candidate of biological sciences, who worked at the neighboring department of vertebrate zoology for only two years ^[11] . The author of the memoirs, Vadim, son of Ya. A. Birshtein, explains this by saying that Sokolov’s father-in-law was "a member of the Presidium of the CPSU Central Committee" ^[11] , which is not confirmed.

According to Academician A. A. Trofimuk , V.E. Sokolov did not show sufficient firmness in the issue of protecting Lake Baikal "But there were exceptions. The same academician V.E. Sokolov, <...> without consulting us, agreed to overstate norms of permissible concentrations. I signed everything that the departments demanded. I had to contact Vice President Yu. A. Ovchinnikov to bring his colleague to life. " ^[12] .

He supported the creation of new reserves, in particular, helped G. A. Voronov in organizing the Basegi reserve ^[13]

• Wife - Svetlana Mikhailovna Sokolova, nee Stepanova (born October 3, 1929), candidate of biological sciences, senior researcher at the Main Botanical Garden of the Russian Academy of Sciences ^[14] , daughter of an employee of the apparatus of the science department of the Central Committee of the CPSU M.?. Stepanova ^[15] .
  • Daughter - Natalia (born 1959), microbiologist, first wife of the entrepreneur A.E. Lebedev .
    • Grandson - Eugene .

Published about 1000 scientific papers. A number of works published abroad. The main directions of scientific activity: zoology, ecology, biogeocenology, the study of chemical communication of mammals. Major works on ecological morphology and taxonomy of vertebrates, problems of the biosphere, nature conservation. Studies of the skin and chemical communication in mammals.

• The skin of mammals . - M .: Nauka, 1973.- 487 p.
• Systematics of mammals , Volume 1. M., 1973;
• Systematics of mammals , Volume 2. M., 1976;
• Systematics of mammals , Volume 3. M., 1979;
• Rare and endangered species of animals. Mammals 1986.
• Mammals (an encyclopedic guide from the series “Fauna of the World”). 1990.
• Sokolov V. E., Filonov K. P. , Nukhimovskaya Yu. D. , Shadrina G. D. Ecology of the reserved territories of Russia / Ed. Acad. RAS V.E. Sokolova, Corresponding Member RAS V.N. Tikhomirova . - M .: Janus-K, 1997 .-- 576 p. - 1000 copies. - ISBN 5-88929-029-0 .
• Selected Works: In 2 vols. / RAS. Inst. ecology and evolution them. A. N. Severtsova. - M .: Nauka, 2002-2003. T. 1: Morphology, systematics, faunistics, evolution of mammals. - 2002. - 295 p .; T. 2: Behavior, ecology, conservation of mammals . - 2003. - 366 p.

• Order of Lenin (01/30/1988)
• Order of the Red Banner of Labor (1975)
• Order of Courage (1997)
• USSR State Prize (1984, 1990)
• Honored Scientist of the Russian Federation (1998)
• Demidov Prize (1996)
• Prize to them. A. N. Severtsova, USSR Academy of Sciences (1975)
• Gold medal named after E.N. Pavlovsky (1990)
• Gold medal named after S.I. Vavilov (1991)
• Gold Medal named after I.I. Mechnikov (1993)
• Gold medal of VDNH (1985)
• Awarded 2 orders ^{[ what? ]} and 5 medals ^{[ what? ] of} foreign countries, including received the Karpinsky Prize in 1985. Honorary Member and Member of 7 Academies of Foreign Sciences ^{[ specify ] [ what? ]} .

• Academician Vladimir Evgenievich Sokolov. Life and scientific activity in essays and memoirs. (Series: Scientists of Russia. Essays, Memoirs, Materials). Publisher: Nauka / Interperiodika MAIK, 2001. - 215 p. - ISBN 5-02-004363-X , ISBN 978-5-02-004363-3
• At the origins of domestic theriology / Soavt. J. A. Parnes; Institute of Evolution. morphology and ecology of animals named after A. N. Severtsova. - M .: Nauka, 1993 .-- 412 p.
• Panteleev P.A. Half a Century at the Academy of Sciences: Memoirs of a Zoologist / Russian Academy of Sciences . - M .: Halley-Print, 2015 .-- S. 118-129. - 192 p. - 200 copies. - ISBN 978-5-9907326-0-5 .

• Sokolov Vladimir Evgenievich // Great Soviet Encyclopedia : [in 30 vol.] / Ch. ed. A.M. Prokhorov . - 3rd ed. - M .: Soviet Encyclopedia, 1969-1978.

• Profile of Vladimir Evgenievich Sokolov on the official website of the RAS
• Sokolov Vladimir Evgenievich - article from the Biographical Encyclopedia of the RAAS , VASKHNIL
• Biographical information on the site "Annals of Moscow University"
• Historical background on the website of the Archive of the Russian Academy of Sciences
• Feoktistova N. Yu. V. E. Sokolov - an outstanding biologist of our time (on the occasion of his 75th birthday)