Plotkin, Semen Yakovlevich

He was born in the city of Melitopol, Tavricheskaya province (now Zaporozhye region of Ukraine in 1906. He also graduated from the labor school (1918) - primary education, and then the chemical-technological vocational school (1923) - secondary vocational education. From the age of 14 I. Plotkin combines his studies in a vocational school with work. His publicistic abilities were discovered early on, he had what is called a “light pen”, and his first publications appeared as early as 1920. In the Melitopol period of life (until the end of 1925) he was a reporter for local county g . Z Later after moving to Moscow (late 1925), his close relationship with the press has expanded, and journalism remained throughout his life one of the main (and often the primary) direction of its activity in the pre-war period Plotkin SY. - literary officer of many periodicals, including national newspapers and magazines. ^[1]

In 1927, S. Ya. Plotkin entered the chemical and pharmaceutical faculty of the 2nd Moscow State University and in 1931 he graduated from the United Moscow Institute of Chemical Technology . After graduation, he was left at the institute for teaching and research work as an assistant and head. Department of rare metals in the department, led by prof. I. Ya. Bashilov .

In January 1932 , S.Ya.Plotkin was appointed director of the Moscow Institute of Chemical Technology (Order No. 44 for the Unified Moscow Institute of Chemical Technology on January 22, 1932) and thus became the youngest head of the university in the history of the USSR. ^[one]

During the period of work on this post, his multilateral abilities were defined as an organizer of education and science, a scientist, a journalist. On his initiative, the institute expanded research, strengthened ties with enterprises, new specialties appeared, well-known scientists were invited to permanent research and teaching work: A.N. Nesmeyanov , G.G. Urazov , Ya.K. Syrkin , N.A. Preobrazhensky , N. I. Gelperin , K. A. Bolshakov , B. A. Dogadkin . At the same time, the color of the faculty of the Higher Women's Courses and the 2nd Moscow State University was preserved: A. N. Reformatsky , A. M. Berkenheim , I. Ya. Bashilov , O. N. Zuberbiller, S. S. Nametkin , M.I. Prozin, N.I. Krasnopevtsev . During these years, a unique scientific and pedagogical school of MITHT was formed , the traditions of which were maintained until recently. In 1935, for the successful implementation of research work, the institute was awarded an order of the Heavy Industry of the USSR People's Commissariat , signed by G.K. Ordzhonikidze , and the rector of the institute was awarded the Diploma of the Committee of the All-Union Competition of Higher Schools. ^[one]

In 1932 S.Ya. Plotkin was accepted into the party (then VKPb ), a member of which he considered himself until the end of his life.

The young energetic leader drew attention to himself with initiative, wideness of his views, organizational skills. At the end of 1937 S.Ya. Plotkin joined the All-Union Committee for Higher School Affairs at the Council of People's Commissars of the USSR as the head of the department of industrial universities, and then after being transformed into the USSR Ministry of Higher Education (1946), he was appointed a member of the Minvuz College, deputy minister. ^[one]

In this system, S. Ya. Plotkin worked for 15 years ( 1932 - 1947 ), which fell on the alarming and difficult 30th, most difficult years of war and difficult post-war years. Throughout all these years, he continued to appear in print ( Pravda , Izvestia , Socialist Industry , Komsomolskaya Pravda , Science and Life , Nature ) with materials on high school, science, and education.

During the war, S. Ya. Plotkin was authorized to evacuate universities and research institutes from the frontline areas to the East - the Urals , Siberia , Kazakhstan , Central Asia , to organize their work and accommodate employees and family members, and then as the occupied territories were liberated - their re-evacuation. For the successful fulfillment of this task, he was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor ( 1944 ). Outside of all official duties, he always responded to the requests of people who were in a difficult situation of evacuees, helping to solve everyday and professional problems. His archive contains letters of thanks for their attention and help. ^[one]

In 1947 (the year when the struggle against “cosmopolitanism” began ) S.Ya. Plotkin was removed from his leadership positions, and although, fortunately, he was not “in the first circle,” for several years he was deprived of the opportunity to work in Moscow . During this period, he was able to finish work on his thesis and worked first as a shop manager at the Ust-Kamenogorsk lead-zinc plant ( East Kazakhstan region ), and then taught at the Tula Mechanical Institute . After returning to Moscow (1954), S. Ya. Plotkin returned to scientific and pedagogical work at the All-Russian Research Institute of Hard Alloys and the Moscow Institute of Nonferrous Metals and Gold , as well as his favorite work, journalism and historical-scientific work. He acted as an author, co-author and editor, was one of the initiators of the publication of the journal "Chemical Science and Industry" (1955) and its scientific editor (1955-1959), participated in many Mendeleev congresses . ^[one]

Since the late 1950s, S. Ya. Plotkin worked for more than 30 years at the Institute of the History of Natural Science and Technology of the USSR Academy of Sciences , being for 15 years (1965-1979) the editor-in-chief of the collection “Questions of Natural Science and Technology”, and headed the Commission on history of powder metallurgy. He was among the organizers and participants of all the International Congresses of Historians of Science. For his contribution to the development of powder metallurgy (metal ceramics) and its historiography, S. Ya. Plotkin was elected a full member and then an honorary member of the International Institute of Sintering Science (1981). ^[one]

A wide range of interests and extensive erudition in many areas of knowledge have identified a wide range of journalistic activities of S.Ya. Plotkin. He wrote 5 books and more than 300 articles, essays, essays and reviews in domestic and foreign publications on various issues of science, education, scientific historiography. For many years of journalistic and editorial work, he was admitted to the Union of Journalists of the USSR (1971), and in 1978 he was awarded the title of Honored Worker of Culture of the RSFSR .

Semen Yakovlevich Plotkin was a well-educated, intelligent, friendly and responsive man, a good friend. He always with great warmth remembered his teachers and colleagues, MITHT - his Alma Mater , to whom he devoted the best years of his life. He died on March 6, 2000 , not having lived 2 days before his 94th birthday. He was buried at the Donskoy Cemetery in Moscow .

Diploma of the All-Union Competition of Higher Schools Committee (1935)

Order of the Red Banner of Labor (1944)

Member of the USSR Union of Journalists (1971)

Honored Worker of Culture of the RSFSR (1978)

Honorary Member of the International Institute for Sintering Science (1981)

1. Plotkin S. (Kin). Chemistry of a young collective farmer. - M., L .: Young Guard, 1930. - 111 p.
2. Samsonov G.V., Plotkin S.Ya. Production of iron powder. - M .: State Scientific and Technical Publishing House, 1957. - 348 p.
3. Plotkin S.Ya. Petr G. Sobolevsky . - M .: Science, 1966. - 127 p.
4. Ed. Plotkina S.Ya. Powder metallurgy in the USSR. - M .: Science, 1986. - 295 p.

• Plotkin S. S., Dorokhov A. V. Plotkin Semen Yakovlevich (on the 110th anniversary of his birth) // Thin Chemical Technologies. - 2016. - Vol. 11 , No. 2 . - p . 86-91 .