On May 2, 1785, Anna Alexeevna Orlova was born (d. 1848), the
only daughter of the famous Count Alexey Orlov and one of the ten
richest ladies in Russia and abroad: in 1831 – 32 her property was
estimated as 40 million gold rubles (V.A. Kiprin). In particular, she
owned a manor in the Neskuchny Garden with a manege, the largest one in
Moscow. At that time aristocrats occasionally transformed their maneges
into ballrooms. This was the case in 1814, when she gave a grandiose
ball to celebrate the Russian victory over Napoleon and return of the
Russian army home. In 1832, the Countess sold her manor to Nicolas I,
the then Russian emperor. With time, she abandoned the society for
religious activities, donating huge sums of money to monasteries and
churches. Since 1934, A.E Fersman Mineralogical museum (RAS) moved from
Leningrad to Moscow has been located there.
On May 6, Marianna Borisovna Chistyakova was born, who
stays with A.E. Fersman Mineralogical museum (RAS) since the 1950’s(!).
She supervises the gem and color stone collection of the Museum.
On May 15, 1915,
John Sinkankas was born (died May 17, 2002), a famous gemologist and an
author of a fundamental book on North American gemstones, Emerald and
Other Beryls, this original encyclopedia, a magnificent course of
mineralogy for amateurs, and many other books. Mineral sinkakasite was
named in his honor.
As
http://www.palagems.com/sinkankas.htm
states: “…Pilot, author, bibliophile, bookbinder, collector, artist,
lapidary, historian, scholar – John Sinkankas was the epitome of the
Renaissance man.”
On May 17, 1936,
Lia Nikolayevna Kogarko, a academician of Russian Academy of Science and
a specialist in magmatism, ore deposition, and geochemistry, was born.
Mineral kogarkoite discovered in Colorado, USA, was named in her honor.
On May 18
Anatoly Nikolaevich Korobov was born, a pilot, designer, artist,
lapidary, collector, screenplay author for animated films, etc. For many
years he heads the Moscow friends of Mineralogy Club, being an organizer
and participant of the Wonder in Stone annual exhibition for
three decades. His scenery stone collection is a unique.
On May 20, 1936,
Nikolai Pavlovich Yushkin, a academician of Russian Academy of Science,
was born. He is a mineralogist (in particular, he deals with
biomineralogical problems) and a Director of the Geological Institute of
the Komi Scientific Center, Uralian Branch of RAS (Syktyvkar). During
the last two decades he heads studies on fundamental description of the
Uralian mineralogy. Mineral yushkinite was named in his honor.
On May 21, 1885,
Nikolay Alexeevich Smol’yaninov was born (died 1957), a Profesor of
mineralogy in the Moscow Geological Prospecting Institute since 1930 and
a head of the Mineralogical museum of the same institute during
1930–1957. He was among the top mineralogists and an author of a
Practical Guide on Mineralogy. Mineral smolyaninovite was named in his
honor.
On May 29, 1846,
Carl Fabergé was born, famous Russian jewelry.
