Leonid Kulik
Encyclopedia
Leonid Alekseyevich Kulik (Russian
: Леонид Алексеевич Кулик, August 19, 1883, Tartu
– April 24, 1942) was a Russia
n mineralogist who is noted for his research into meteorite
s.
He was educated at the Saint Petersburg
Forestry Institute and the Kazan University. He served in the Russian military during the Russo-Japanese War
, then spent some time in jail for revolutionary political activities. He then served with the Russian military during World War I
.
Following the war he became an instructor, teaching mineralogy in Tomsk
. In 1920 he was offered a job at the Mineralogical Museum in the city of St. Petersburg.
In 1927, he led the first Soviet research expedition to investigate the Tunguska event
, the largest impact event
in recorded history, which had occurred on June 30, 1908. He made a reconnaissance trip to the region, and interviewed local witnesses. He circled the region where the trees had been felled and became convinced that they were all turned with their roots to the center. However he did not find any meteorite fragments from the impact.
During World War II
he again fought for his country, this time in a paramilitary militia. He was captured by the German army
and died in a prisoner of war
camp of typhus
.
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
: Леонид Алексеевич Кулик, August 19, 1883, Tartu
Tartu
Tartu is the second largest city of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural hub, especially since it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university. Situated 186 km southeast of Tallinn, the...
– April 24, 1942) was a Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
n mineralogist who is noted for his research into meteorite
Meteorite
A meteorite is a natural object originating in outer space that survives impact with the Earth's surface. Meteorites can be big or small. Most meteorites derive from small astronomical objects called meteoroids, but they are also sometimes produced by impacts of asteroids...
s.
He was educated at the Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg
Saint Petersburg is a city and a federal subject of Russia located on the Neva River at the head of the Gulf of Finland on the Baltic Sea...
Forestry Institute and the Kazan University. He served in the Russian military during the Russo-Japanese War
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War was "the first great war of the 20th century." It grew out of rival imperial ambitions of the Russian Empire and Japanese Empire over Manchuria and Korea...
, then spent some time in jail for revolutionary political activities. He then served with the Russian military during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
Following the war he became an instructor, teaching mineralogy in Tomsk
Tomsk
Tomsk is a city and the administrative center of Tomsk Oblast, Russia, located on the Tom River. One of the oldest towns in Siberia, Tomsk celebrated its 400th anniversary in 2004...
. In 1920 he was offered a job at the Mineralogical Museum in the city of St. Petersburg.
In 1927, he led the first Soviet research expedition to investigate the Tunguska event
Tunguska event
The Tunguska event, or Tunguska blast or Tunguska explosion, was an enormously powerful explosion that occurred near the Podkamennaya Tunguska River in what is now Krasnoyarsk Krai, Russia, at about 7:14 a.m...
, the largest impact event
Impact event
An impact event is the collision of a large meteorite, asteroid, comet, or other celestial object with the Earth or another planet. Throughout recorded history, hundreds of minor impact events have been reported, with some occurrences causing deaths, injuries, property damage or other significant...
in recorded history, which had occurred on June 30, 1908. He made a reconnaissance trip to the region, and interviewed local witnesses. He circled the region where the trees had been felled and became convinced that they were all turned with their roots to the center. However he did not find any meteorite fragments from the impact.
During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he again fought for his country, this time in a paramilitary militia. He was captured by the German army
Wehrmacht
The Wehrmacht – from , to defend and , the might/power) were the unified armed forces of Nazi Germany from 1935 to 1945. It consisted of the Heer , the Kriegsmarine and the Luftwaffe .-Origin and use of the term:...
and died in a prisoner of war
Prisoner of war
A prisoner of war or enemy prisoner of war is a person, whether civilian or combatant, who is held in custody by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict...
camp of typhus
Typhus
Epidemic typhus is a form of typhus so named because the disease often causes epidemics following wars and natural disasters...
.
Honors
- AsteroidAsteroidAsteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
2794 Kulik2794 Kulik2794 Kulik is a main-belt asteroid discovered on August 8, 1978 by N. Chernykh at Nauchnyj.- External links :*...
is named for him. - The crater KulikKulik (crater)Kulik is a lunar impact crater that lies on the northern hemisphere of the Moon's far side. The outer rim of this crater has been heavily impacted, particularly along the northern side which is almost entirely overlain by a pair of smaller craters...
on the MoonMoonThe Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
is named after him.
External links
- Virtual Exploration Society: Leonid Kulik at www.unmuseum.org
- Шышанаў В. У пошуках «беларускага дзіва» // Культура. 2002. №14. 13-19 красавіка. С.14.http://vash2008.mylivepage.ru/wiki/1306/509_Шишанов_В._В_ПОИСКАХ_«БЕЛОРУССКОГО_ДИВА»