Rudolf Samoylovich

Rudolf Samoylovich

Rudolf Samoylovich on a 2000 Russian stamp

Rudolf (Ruvim) Lazarevich Samoylovich(Russian:Рудольф Лазаревич Самойлович;13 September (O.S.1 September), 1881 – 4 March 1939) was aSovietpolar explorer, professor, and doctor of geographic sciences.

Biography

Samoylovich was born into the family of a Jewish merchant inAzov.After graduating from theMariupolGymnasium(ru), he studiedphysicsandmathematicsatImperial Novorossiya Universitywhere he became involved in revolutionary activities and came under police surveillance. Under pressure from his concerned mother, he relocated to Germany and studied at theMining Academy in Freiberg.While in Germany he remained politically active, including by shipping to Azov copies of the underground newspaperIskra.After graduating in 1904, he returned to Azov and worked on the underground printing of revolutionary literature.

In 1906, he moved toRostov-on-Don.Samoylovich participated in rallies and campaigns to organize railroad workers,Cossacks,and soldiers. During this time he was once again under police surveillance and was arrested in July 1906. He lived inSaint Petersburgfor two years as an accountant under thepseudonymSorokin. During this time he was involved with theRussian Social Democratic Labour Party.He was arrested and exiled toPinega.In 1910, he was allowed to relocate to the nearby city ofArkhangelskwhere he became involved in Arctic studies and metVladimir Rusanov.

In 1912, he participated in Rusanov'sgeological expeditiontoSpitsbergen.Samoylovich was one of the initiators and the first director of theNorthern Research and Trade Expedition.In 1925, this research center was reorganized into theInstitute of Northern Studies,which was headed by Samoylovich until 1930. The institute was reorganized as theAll-Union Arctic Institutein which Samoylovich served as deputy director from 1932 to 1938. Samoylovich founded the Department of Polar Countries atLeningrad State Universityand served as its chairman from 1934 to 1937.

During this period, Samoylovich also took part in numerous Arctic expeditions. In 1928 he commanded the icebreakerKrassinin a mission to rescue survivors of the airshipItaliawhich had crashed during an expedition to theNorth Pole.He led the scientific team on the 1931 Arctic expedition of the airshipGraf Zeppelin,which studiedmagnetismand mappedFranz Josef Land.He then led Arctic expeditions on several icebreakers:Vladimir Rusanovin 1932,Georgiy Sedovin 1934, andSadkoin 1936 and 1937–1938.

Samoylovich was arrested in May 1938 and was shot on March 4, 1939, inLeningrad.He was posthumouslyrehabilitatedin 1957.

Legacy

A strait and a glacier top onFranz Josef Land,a bay onNovaya Zemlya,an island inSevernaya Zemlya,a peninsula and anunatakinAntarcticabear Rudolf Samoylovich's name as does aliquified natural gas carrierbuilt in 2018. He was awarded theOrder of LeninandOrder of the Red Banner of Labour.

InThe Red Tent,a 1969 Soviet-Italian film about theItaliaexpedition, Samoylovich is played by Grigory Gai (ru).

Since 1981, the house where Samoylovich lived in Azov has been operated as a museum.

References

This article includes content derived from theGreat Soviet Encyclopedia,1969–1978, which is partially in thepublic domain.

• Самойлович Рудольф Лазаревичin theGreat Soviet Encyclopedia,1969–1978 (in Russian)
• Жертвы политического террора в СССР.lists.memo.ru

External links

Newspaper clippings about Rudolf Samoylovichin the20th Century Press Archivesof theZBW