April 23, 2024 marks the 140th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding scientist, world-famous theorist of evolutionary doctrine of the 20th century - Ivan Ivanovich Shmalhausen - the second director of our Institute (at that time - the A. N. Severtsov Institute of Evolutionary Morphology (IEM)), who took over the position after the founder of the institute, academician A.N. Severtsov.
SHMALGAUZEN Ivan Ivanovich
(23.04.1884 – 07.10.1963)
Biologist. World-famous theorist of evolutionary doctrine of the 20th century. Academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences (1935), Ukrainian Academy of Sciences (1922). Honorary member of the German Academy of Naturalists "Leopoldina" (1958), the German Academy of Sciences (1960), the Academy of Zoology in Agra (India, 1962).
Born into the family of a famous botanist, professor at St. Petersburg and Kyiv universities, Ivan Fedorovich Shmalhausen (1849-1894). He graduated from the First Kyiv Men's Gymnasium in 1901. Entered the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of the University of St. Vladimir. Lectures by Professor Alexey Nikolaevich Severtsov contributed to I. I. Shmalhausen’s passion for comparative anatomy. In 1905, while a university student, he acted as an assistant to Professor Severtsov at the Higher Courses for Women. Student work devoted to the study of limb development in amphibians received a gold medal. I. I. Shmalhausen studied intermittently. At first he was expelled from the university for participating in student riots, then he was again admitted, then the beginning revolution (1905-1907) led to the temporary closure of the university. And only in 1907 he received a diploma from Kyiv University.
In 1910, on the recommendation of A.N. Severtsov, I.I. Shmalhausen was approved as a full-time laboratory assistant in the zoological laboratory. In 1912, A. N. Severtsov took the place of professor of comparative anatomy at Moscow University and invited I. I. Shmalhausen to Moscow as an assistant. From 1913 to 1918, I. I. Shmalgauzen held the position of private assistant professor at the department of Moscow University, headed by A. N. Severtsov. Since 1918 - professor at Voronezh University. Since 1921 - professor at Kyiv University. Since 1935 - Academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences. In 1930-1941 - director of the Institute of Zoology and Biology of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR.
In 1936-1948 - director of the Institute of Evolutionary Morphology of the USSR Academy of Sciences. After the election of I. I. Shmalhausen as an academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences, in the same year he was appointed director of the K. A. Timiryazev Biological Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences, as well as director of the laboratory of experimental zoology and morphology. These two scientific institutions were united in 1936, and on their basis the Institute of Evolutionary Morphology was created, which after the death of A. N. Severtsov began to be called after him.
After the death of A. N. Severtsov in 1936, I. I. Shmalgauzen became the recognized leader of Soviet evolutionary morphologists and embryologists. In 1936, he participated in the IV Congress of Zoologists, Anatomists and Histologists in Kyiv. Since 1938 - head of the Department of Darwinism at Moscow State University. In 1939-1948 he was a professor at Moscow University and headed the department of Darwinism, organized by him.
Among other “Mendelists-Weissmann-Morganists”, by Order of the Ministry of Higher Education of the USSR of August 23, 1948 No. 1208 “On the state of teaching biological disciplines at universities and on measures to strengthen biological faculties with qualified personnel of Michurin biologists”, he was released from work “as having actively carried out the fight against the Michurinists and the Michurin teachings and not ensuring the education of Soviet youth in the spirit of advanced Michurin biology.” In 1948-1955 - senior researcher at the Zoological Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences. In 1955 he signed the “Letter of the Three Hundred”. He criticized the views of T. Lysenko. In 1955-1963 - head of the embryology laboratory of the Zoological Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences.
In 1961 he became seriously ill. At the hospital he finished the manuscript of the book “Regulation of Shape Formation in Individual Development.” After leaving the hospital in 1962, he continued working, despite poor health, and during 1962-1963 he completed the monograph “The Origin of Terrestrial Vertebrates,” which he had begun even before his illness. It gives a complete and harmonious picture of the transition of vertebrates from aquatic to terrestrial life. At the same time, he began to write a book on the use of cybernetics in biology, but in the fall of 1963 the illness worsened, and Schmalhausen passed away.
We are starting a series of publications about the life and scientific activities of Academician Schmalhausen:
- Origin. Father and mother. Brother. Sister.
- Childhood. Gymnasium
- University. Higher courses for women.
- Disease. Marriage. Naples.
- Moscow period – 1912-1918.
- Kyiv period – 1921 – 1936.
- Moscow period (1937-1940)
- WWII. Borovoe.
- Session of VASKHNIL. Mozzhinka.
- Cybernetics. Awards.
- Children. Grandchildren. Lifelong friendship.
- Scientific heritage.