Rode, Alexey Andreevich

Born on April 9 ( 21 ), 1896 in the city of St. Petersburg in the family of a nobleman Andrei Alekseevich and Maria Pavlovna (nee Pastukhova, from the townspeople of the city of Saratov ) ^[2] . The noble title was bestowed by Alexander II to the great-grandfather A. A. Rode, Lieutenant General Andrei Karlovich Rode .

Father in 1898 for participating in the student movement at Kiev University , was arrested and deprived of the right to study at higher educational institutions of Russia. He continued his studies at Berlin, then Munich universities. He died in 1903 . ^[2] .

Mother before the revolution was engaged in children's literary and pedagogical work. After 1935 , she worked in Leningrad Soviet institutions ^[2] .

Learning

In 1903-1906 he studied at the home school of V. A. Gerd in the village of Lesnoy , a suburb of St. Petersburg ^[2] .

In 1906-1913 he studied at the 8-class Commercial School, where A. Ya. Sachs was his favorite teacher. He graduated from college with honors (the mark “good” was only for drawing).

In 1913 he was admitted to the Petrograd Polytechnic Institute , but studied there for only one year, before the outbreak of World War I. .. During the war, he worked at the Petrograd Student Organization for Assisting the Wounded , in the infirmary and in the sanitary units of the Union of Cities .

In June 1918, the family moved to the city of Rzhev . A. A. Rode was interrupted by casual earnings: he worked in the Insurance Company , in bookstores, as an instructor-trainee in the Education Department of the city. In December 1918 he moved to Moscow, was a forwarding agent in the book warehouse of the Central Partnership of a Cooperative Publishing House. In July 1919 he returned to Petrograd, where he got a job as an electrician ^[2] .

In September 1920, A. A. Rode entered the Petrograd Agronomic Institute , which was soon renamed the Petrograd Agricultural Institute. His teachers were famous professors: V.N. Sukachev , N.I. Vavilov , A.A. Yachevsky and K.D. Glinka (therefore A.A. Rode is attributed to the successors and followers of the Dokuchaev soil school ).

In 1921 he participated in the work of the White Sea ichthyological detachment of the Northern scientific-field expedition of the Supreme Economic Council .

Since 1922, he trained in the soil laboratory of the Petrograd Forest Institute . He graduated from the institute in 1923.

Scientific activity

In 1922, A. A. Rode began working (since March 1924 as a research fellow) at the Department of Soil Science of the Petrograd Forest Institute under the leadership of K. K. Gedroits, who later always called him his main teacher.

In the summer of 1927 he worked as a soil trainee in the Mugodzhar Party of the Kazakhstan Expedition of the USSR Academy of Sciences .

On October 31, 1928, he was enlisted as a 1st-level research fellow at the Soil Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences . In 1931, A. A. Rode was awarded the position of a scientific specialist, in 1933 - a senior scientific specialist, in 1936 - a senior scientific employee (changing the list of posts).

In 1931-1936 he took part in soil surveys as part of the Kazakhstan expedition of the USSR Academy of Sciences in the Mugodzharsky Mountains region (together with the future professor E.N. Ivanova), in the Urals (together with the future academician L.I. Prasolov), in the Leningrad Region ( Lisinsky experimental forestry). From 1933 to 1936, he led the first soil detachment, and then the entire Volga-Kama expedition of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, conducted research at the Pokrovsky station of the expedition. Based on the results of the work, a negative forecast was made on the impact of land flooding and flooding by the waters of the created Rybinsk reservoir on the soil cover and the region’s economy.

Since 1935, he headed the laboratory of podzolic soils at the VV Dokuchaev Soil Institute , and since 1938, he worked in the laboratory of soil chemistry.

In the spring of 1935 he was awarded the degree of candidate of geological sciences without defending a dissertation ^[3] .

In 1936, he created a hospital in the Central State Forest Reserve (Tver Region), where he continued research on forest soils and the podzolic soil formation process that had been started earlier in the Lisinsky forestry. This was the first experience of complex stationary work, in which, along with soil scientists, foresters, geobotanists, and zoologists took part. The result of these in-depth studies and enormous factual material collected was the monograph “Podzol Formation Process” (1937), which not only solved the problems of the genesis of these soils, but also laid the foundations for the development of a general theory of soil formation. In the same year, A. A. Rode defended his doctoral dissertation on the topic “Podzol-forming process” ^[4] .

In April 1938, the Higher Attestation Commission was approved to the degree of Doctor of Agricultural Sciences , in April 1939 - in the rank of professor ^[2] . At the same time, in the period 1938-1941 (and later in 1943-1948) he headed the work of the Department of Soil Science and Geology at the Bryansk Forestry Institute. According to Professor S. V. Zonn [2,3], A. A. Rode is becoming one of the leading soil scientists in the country.

In 1940, progressive inflammation of the joints ( polyarthritis ) began, a courageous fight against this disease lasted a lifetime.

During the Great Patriotic War , being evacuated as part of the Soil Institute in Tashkent, he acted as deputy director of the institute for science (and in fact, director of the institute), studied the water regime of rainfed and irrigated sierozems to increase the yield of cotton and food crops, to optimize the work of irrigation systems.

Upon his return to Moscow in 1943, A. A. Rode, together with his staff, resumes a comprehensive study of soil formation processes in various natural zones. In 1947, his monograph “The Soil Formation Process and Soil Evolution” was published.

In connection with the concept of soil development set forth in this work at the 1948 Supreme Agricultural Academy’s Session ^[5] A. A. Rode, among other scientists [5], was completely unreasonable, slanderous criticism from the scientifically literate “people's” academician Lysenko and his henchmen who conducted, in essence, the complete defeat of the biological sciences of the country. For some scientists (for example, N.I. Vavilov, V.V. Stanchinsky) it cost a living. A. A. Rode was deprived of the laboratory at the institute and the right to teach at the university, but having shown civic courage, integrity and firm will, he did not deviate from his convictions.

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In 1949, in connection with the Government’s Plan for the Transformation of Nature in the Steppe and Dry Steppe Zones, he began research as part of the Comprehensive Expedition for Sheep Afforestation.

In 1950, the Dzhanybek hospital was established on the border of Russia and Kazakhstan, whose permanent scientific director was until the end of his life. Here, for the first time, scientists of various specializations and institutes fully realized the principle of integrated biogeocenotic monitoring studies, which were of great scientific and practical importance. At the hospital, an environmentally friendly method of land reclamation and agricultural use of saline soils in rainfed conditions, in a system of forest shelter belts was developed .

A unique natural object - a full-scale model of the forest-agrarian complex, a sample of narrow-mass agriculture in the semi-desert zone, created under the direction of A. A. Rode on the basis of the Dzhanybek station, is not inferior in scale and importance to the famous Dokuchaevsky forest complex "Stone Steppe" in the Voronezh region. By the Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 719 of June 16, 1997, the territory of the Dzhanybek hospital was granted the status of a Nature Monument of Federal Importance .

In 1952 he created and headed at the Soil Institute. V.V. Dokuchaev is the only soil hydrology laboratory in the country. Its employees studied the water regime of soils that are widespread in the country, including those involved in agricultural production, and also carried out experimental studies of the properties and laws of movement of soil moisture in laboratory and field conditions.

In 1952, the publishing house of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR published his monograph Soil Moisture, which summarized the vast domestic and foreign experience in studying the properties of soil moisture, the water properties of soils and soils, and the ability of soils to provide moisture to plants. The book was translated and published abroad in German, English, Polish, Czech, Chinese and Japanese and became the desktop for specialists in soil hydrology .

In 1955, after the weakening of Lysenko’s influence in biological science, the textbook Soil Science prepared for publication back in 1948 was published. After additions and revision, this textbook was reprinted in 1972 in collaboration with V. N. Smirnov.

For merits in soil science in 1957, A. A. Rode was awarded the Gold Medal. V.V. Dokuchaev.

In 1965, having significantly supplemented and revised the monograph on soil moisture in 1952, he published the first volume of the fundamental work “Fundamentals of the Doctrine of Soil Moisture,” and in 1969 his second volume devoted to methods for studying the water regime of soils. For this two-volume monograph, A. A. Rode was awarded the USSR State Prize in 1972.

In 1971, A. A. Rode's important work on science, The System of Research Methods in Soil Science, was published, which outlined in its unity the methods of studying soils and soil processes.

In the 1960s and 70s, despite the exacerbation of a chronic disease, A. A. Rode worked a lot and wrote: he studies the phenomena of elementary cyclicity of the water balance of soils in connection with the cyclical precipitation, condensation in the soil of vaporous atmospheric moisture, systematizes data on the water regime of soils, develops individual issues of soil hydrology and genetic soil science, including debatable ones. He is one of the compilers and editor of the Explanatory Dictionary of Soil Science (1969) and the English-Russian Soil and Agrochemical Dictionary (1967), as well as a number of methodological manuals. In a team of authors involved in writing and editing a two-volume publication "Principles of organization and methods of stationary soil study" (1976), summarizing the vast experience of researchers of soil regimes. Participates with reports in international symposia, congresses and congresses of soil scientists, in the creation of international guidelines. He consults, reviews, edits a lot on soil science, manages the research of his employees, doctoral students and graduate students, often going to research sites, despite health problems. At the end of the 70s, he was working on the third volume of the monograph “Fundamentals of the doctrine of soil moisture”, in which he was going to summarize materials on the water regime of various types of soils. However, this work was not destined to be completed ^[7] .

Organizational work

In 1931-1932 he was the Scientific Secretary of the Soil Institute. V.V. Dokuchaev ^[2] .

In 1933-1936, A. A. Rode led the soil detachment of the Volga-Kama expedition of the USSR Academy of Sciences.

From 1935 he headed the laboratories of podzolic soils (then - soil chemistry), since 1952 - the laboratory of soil hydrology he created.

During the war years, he served as deputy director of the Soil Institute. V.V. Dokuchaev (June 1942 - February 1945).

In the period 1938-1941 and 1943-1948 he headed the Department of Soil Science and Geology of the Bryansk Forestry Institute .

He was the organizer and supervisor of soil research hospitals in the Leningrad, Tver, Moscow, Kursk, Voronezh, Volgograd, Chita, Tyumen regions of Russia.

Teaching work

In 1938-1941 and 1943-1948 A. A. Rode gave lectures and headed the Department of Soil Science and Geology at the Bryansk Forestry Institute .

A textbook by A. A. Rode for students of forestry departments of universities “Soil Science” has been published in two editions. His lectures and lectures at conferences attracted a large audience.

He was the head of graduate students and doctoral students, trouble-free consultant for specialists in various fields. Created a scientific school of soil scientists - hydrologists.

A. A. Rode created and headed the scientific school of soil hydrologists. L.O. Karpachevsky wrote in his memoirs:

The last years of life

He died on December 20, 1979 from a heart attack ^[9] . He was buried at the Vvedensky cemetery in Moscow.

Family

In 1926, A. A. Rode married Anna Ivanovna (née Skalkina) (1901-1993), a native of the Tver province .

• Daughter Tatyana - graduate of the Department of Soil Science, Faculty of Geography, Moscow State University M. V. Lomonosova (1956), Doctor of Sciences, Professor, Faculty of Soil Science, Moscow State University ^[10] .

• 1946 - Medal "For Valiant Labor in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945."
• 1948 - Medal "In memory of the 800th anniversary of Moscow"
• 1953 - Order of Lenin
• 1957 - Gold Medal named after V.V. Dokuchaev
• 1966 - Honored Scientist of the RSFSR
• 1972 - USSR State Prize
• 1975 - Medal "Veteran of Labor"
• 1975 - Anniversary medal "Thirty Years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-1945."

Not a member of any political parties ^[2]

• Member of the Council and Presidium of the All-Union Society of Soil Scientists , Chairman of the Commission on Soil Physics.
• Honorary Doctor of the University. A. Humboldt in Berlin .
• Honorary Member of the International Society of Soil Scientists .
• Chairman of the Commission on the publication of the Explanatory Dictionary of Soil Science.
• Member of the International Committee for Terminology in Soil Physics.

• 1996 - Memorial issue of the journal "Soil Science" to the 100th anniversary of A. A. Rode ^[11] .
• 2006 - Joint meeting ( April 20 ) of the Dokuchaev Society of Soil Scientists and the Scientific Council of the Soil Institute dedicated to the 110th anniversary of A. A. Rode ^[12] .
• 2008 - On the 110th anniversary of the birth of A. A. Rode, his most important works were reprinted in 2008-2009 in four volumes with a full list of his scientific and editorial works, including 280 titles ^[13] .
• 2016 - Articles dedicated to the 120th birthday of A. A. Rode in the journal Soil Science / Europian Soil Science. 2016. No. 4, sections Soil Chemistry and Soil Physics.
• 2016 - Anniversary issue No. 83 of the Bulletin of the Soil Institute named after V.V. Dokuchaev.

A. A. Rode for 55 years (1927-1981) scientific activity published about 280 scientific works, including 13 monographs. He was the editor of 51 scientific papers, wrote 25 reviews of scientific papers ^{[14] [15]} , including books:

• On the chemical composition of the mechanical fractions of several soils of podzolic and podzolic-bog types. L., 1933.56 p. (Proceedings of the Soil Institute of V.V. Dokuchaev. T. 8. Issue 3.)
• The soils of the Mugodzharsky mountains and adjacent plains. L., 1934. 83 p. (together with E. N. Ivanova) (Proceedings of the Soil Institute of V.V. Dokuchaev. T. 10. Issue 8).
• Soils of the Strugno-Krasnensky district of the Leningrad region. Proceedings of LOVIUAA. 1934. Issue. 32/24, 74 p. (together with O. A. Grabovsky).
• Soils of the Luga region of the Leningrad region. Proceedings of LOVIUAA. 1936, no. 41/10, 68 p. (together with E. A. Afanasyeva).
• Podzol educational process. M.-L.: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1937. 454 p.
• Soil-forming process and soil evolution. M .: Geografgiz, 1947.142 s.
• Soil moisture. M.: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1952. 456 p .; Polish translation: Woda w glebie. Warszawa. 531 p.
• Soil science: (study guide for forestry departments of forestry and forestry universities). M. — L .: Goslesbumizdat, 1955.524 s.
• Water properties of soils and soils. M.: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1955.131 s.
• Methods of studying the water regime of soils. M.: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1960.244 s.
• Water regime of soils and its regulation. M.: Publishing House of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, 1963.119 p. (Popular Science Series.)
• Fundamentals of the doctrine of soil moisture. T. 2. Methods of studying the water regime of soils. L., Gidrometeoizdat, 1969.286 p.
• The system of research methods in soil science. Novosibirsk, Nauka, 1971. 92 p.
• Soil Science: A textbook for students of forestry departments of universities. Ed. 2nd, rev. and add. M .: Higher school, 1972.480 s. (together with V.N. Smirnov).
• Issues of water regime of soils. L., Gidrometeoizdat, 1978. 213 p.

Alexei Andreevich emphasized that his last name should be pronounced with emphasis on the first syllable - “Rode”, since his ancestors were from Sweden . Employees of his laboratory liked to call the chief - "ARode", as his signature looked exactly like that.

A. A. Rode possessed encyclopedic knowledge. He loved literature and especially poetry (he knew a lot by heart), music, painting, nature, animals and birds, he himself was successfully engaged in photography.

M.E. Antselovich recalled:

• Soil Institute named after V.V. Dokuchaev
• Society of Soil Scientists named after V.V. Dokuchaev
• Bondareva, Valentina Yakovlevna

• Antselovich M. E. Do not forget ... // Memoirs of Alexei Andreevich Rod. M .: Soil Institute V.V. Dokuchaev. 1996. S. 17-29.
• Bazykina G. S. In memory of the outstanding soil scientist Alexei Andreevich Rode // Soil Science. 2006. No. 11. P.1392-1394.
• Bibliography of scientific works of prof. A. A. Rode // Selected Works of A. A. Rode. T. 4. M.: Soil Institute. V.V. Dokuchaev. S. 579-596.
• Zonn S.V. Communication, controversy. cooperation with A. A. Rode // Memoirs of Alexei Andreevich Rode. M .: Soil Institute V.V. Dokuchaev. 1996. S. 17-29.
• Karpachevsky L.O. Memoirs of A. A. Rod // Memoirs of Alexei Andreyevich Rod. M .: Soil Institute V.V. Dokuchaev. S. 39-45.
• In memory of the classic of Dokuchaev soil science. Alexey Andreevich Rode (1896-1996). Soil science. 1996. No. 5. P. 533-536.
• Rode A. A. Autobiography // Memoirs of Alexei Andreevich Rode. M .: Soil Institute V.V. Dokuchaev. 1996. S. 13-16.
• Sokolova T.A. Alexey Andreevich Rode - a man, scientist, wrestler. Tula: Grif and K., 2011.220 s.
• Sudnitsyn I. I. A few words about A. A. Rod // Memoirs about Alexei Andreyevich Rod. M .: Soil Institute V.V. Dokuchaev. S. 45-47.

• A. A. Rode in the Scientific Library of Russia Digital Library
• The scientific bibliography of A. A. Rode in the information system “History of Geology and Mining”
• Biography at the Faculty of Soil Science of Moscow State University.