SERGEI S. NEUSTRUEV. HIS LIFE, ACTIVITY AND CONTRIBUTION TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF GENETIC SOIL SCIENCE: TO THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY FROM HIS BIRTHDAY

The article tells about the life and scientific achievements of this scientist. The major stages of S.S. Neustruev’s work are given: a theorist of soil science from Dokuchaev’s school, a famous geologist and one of the most talented physical geographers. His unique capacities for synthesis, a special ceaseless role of soil-geographical, cadastral and geological researches conducted by him are shown. S.S. Neustruev’s scientific views about the joint development of geomorphology and soil, their interconnections have developed approaches to develop regional Russian and global soil classifications and to study ecological and biosphere soil functions. New facts of his life and scientific activity are presented. He was a Russian soil scientist, geographer, naturalist, graduate from Moscow University, researcher of Central Asia, the South- East of the Russian Plain, and the Volga region. Being professor of the Geographical Institute in Petrograd (1918), he headed the first department of soil geography in Russia. He was the first to introduce the term “serozem” and establish the serozem type of soil formation in deserts and semi-deserts, and developed a classification of soils for a number of regions of Central Asia. He was Head of the Commission on Soil Genesis of the First All-Union Congress of Soil Scientists; Participant of the 1st International Congress of Soil Scientists in the USA (1927); Corresponding member of the Agricultural Academy (Czech Republic).