Vasili Samarsky-Bykhovets
Encyclopedia
Vasili Evgrafovich Samarsky–Bykhovets (November 7, 1803 – May 31, 1870) was a Russian
mining
engineer and the chief of Russian Mining Engineering Corps between 1845 and 1861. The mineral samarskite
and chemical element
samarium
are named after him. He was the first person whose name was given to a chemical element.
, located in the Asian part of Russia beyond the Ural Mountains
. He received military engineer education at the local Mining Cadet Corps, and after graduation in 1823 served in a military position at Kolyvan-Resurrection plants and the associated mines in the Urals. In 1828, he was transferred to Saint Petersburg
, where he consecutively assumed positions of an assistant at the Cabinet of His Imperial Majesty, chief clerk of the Mining Department, senior aide and the staff officer Corps of Mining Engineers. In 1834, he was promoted to the rank of captain and in 1845 to colonel. The next year he was appointed as Chief of Staff of the Corps of Mining Engineers and remained in that position until 1861. While remaining Chief of Staff, he began teaching at Saint Petersburg Mining Institute
and eventually became a member of scientific council there. He was promoted to Lieutenant General
in 1860 and in 1861 became Chairman of the Board of the Corps of Mining Engineers, as well as chairman of the Commission on the Revision of the Mining Charter. He took a three-months sabbatical leave in 1862 to attend an international scientific exhibition in London and died later in 1870. Samarsky–Bykhovets was a highly decorated officer with an impeccable career list.
. Rose in 1839 described a new mineral in those samples and named it uranotantalum believing that its composition is dominated by the chemical element tantalum
. In 1846–47, his brother and colleague-mineralogist Heinrich Rose
found that the major component of the mineral is niobium
and suggested altering the name to avoid confusion. The newly chosen name samarskite merely acknowledged the role of Samarsky–Bykhovets in granting access to the mineral samples. Later, several lanthanide
elements had been isolated from this mineral, and one of them, samarium
, was named after the mineral, once again honoring Samarsky–Bykhovets.
Russians
The Russian people are an East Slavic ethnic group native to Russia, speaking the Russian language and primarily living in Russia and neighboring countries....
mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
engineer and the chief of Russian Mining Engineering Corps between 1845 and 1861. The mineral samarskite
Samarskite
Samarskite is a radioactive rare earth mineral series which includessamarskite- with formula: 22O8and samarskite- with formula 22O8 The formula for smarskite- is also given as: O4...
and chemical element
Chemical element
A chemical element is a pure chemical substance consisting of one type of atom distinguished by its atomic number, which is the number of protons in its nucleus. Familiar examples of elements include carbon, oxygen, aluminum, iron, copper, gold, mercury, and lead.As of November 2011, 118 elements...
samarium
Samarium
Samarium is a chemical element with the symbol Sm, atomic number 62 and atomic weight 150.36. It is a moderately hard silvery metal which readily oxidizes in air. Being a typical member of the lanthanide series, samarium usually assumes the oxidation state +3...
are named after him. He was the first person whose name was given to a chemical element.
Biography
Samarsky–Bykhovets was born in a noble family in the Tomsk OblastTomsk Oblast
Tomsk Oblast is a federal subject of Russia . It lies in the southeastern West Siberian Plain, in the southwest of the Siberian Federal District. Its administrative center is the city of Tomsk. Population:...
, located in the Asian part of Russia beyond the Ural Mountains
Ural Mountains
The Ural Mountains , or simply the Urals, are a mountain range that runs approximately from north to south through western Russia, from the coast of the Arctic Ocean to the Ural River and northwestern Kazakhstan. Their eastern side is usually considered the natural boundary between Europe and Asia...
. He received military engineer education at the local Mining Cadet Corps, and after graduation in 1823 served in a military position at Kolyvan-Resurrection plants and the associated mines in the Urals. In 1828, he was transferred to 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...
, where he consecutively assumed positions of an assistant at the Cabinet of His Imperial Majesty, chief clerk of the Mining Department, senior aide and the staff officer Corps of Mining Engineers. In 1834, he was promoted to the rank of captain and in 1845 to colonel. The next year he was appointed as Chief of Staff of the Corps of Mining Engineers and remained in that position until 1861. While remaining Chief of Staff, he began teaching at Saint Petersburg Mining Institute
Saint Petersburg Mining Institute
The G. V. Plekhanov Saint Petersburg State Mining Institute and Technical University is Russia's oldest higher education institute devoted to engineering...
and eventually became a member of scientific council there. He was promoted to Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
in 1860 and in 1861 became Chairman of the Board of the Corps of Mining Engineers, as well as chairman of the Commission on the Revision of the Mining Charter. He took a three-months sabbatical leave in 1862 to attend an international scientific exhibition in London and died later in 1870. Samarsky–Bykhovets was a highly decorated officer with an impeccable career list.
Relation to samarskite
Samarsky–Bykhovets himself was not involved in the studies of samarskite and samarium. As a mining official, he merely granted access to mineral samples from the Urals to the German mineralogist Gustav RoseGustav Rose
Gustav Rose was a German mineralogist who was a native of Berlin. He was a brother of mineralogist Heinrich Rose , the son of pharmacologist Valentin Rose , and the father of noted surgeon Edmund Rose and the classicist Valentin Rose.He was a graduate of the University of Berlin, where he was a...
. Rose in 1839 described a new mineral in those samples and named it uranotantalum believing that its composition is dominated by the chemical element tantalum
Tantalum
Tantalum is a chemical element with the symbol Ta and atomic number 73. Previously known as tantalium, the name comes from Tantalus, a character in Greek mythology. Tantalum is a rare, hard, blue-gray, lustrous transition metal that is highly corrosion resistant. It is part of the refractory...
. In 1846–47, his brother and colleague-mineralogist Heinrich Rose
Heinrich Rose
Heinrich Rose was a German mineralogist and analytical chemist. He was the brother of the mineralogist Gustav Rose and a son of Valentin Rose....
found that the major component of the mineral is niobium
Niobium
Niobium or columbium , is a chemical element with the symbol Nb and atomic number 41. It's a soft, grey, ductile transition metal, which is often found in the pyrochlore mineral, the main commercial source for niobium, and columbite...
and suggested altering the name to avoid confusion. The newly chosen name samarskite merely acknowledged the role of Samarsky–Bykhovets in granting access to the mineral samples. Later, several lanthanide
Lanthanide
The lanthanide or lanthanoid series comprises the fifteen metallic chemical elements with atomic numbers 57 through 71, from lanthanum through lutetium...
elements had been isolated from this mineral, and one of them, samarium
Samarium
Samarium is a chemical element with the symbol Sm, atomic number 62 and atomic weight 150.36. It is a moderately hard silvery metal which readily oxidizes in air. Being a typical member of the lanthanide series, samarium usually assumes the oxidation state +3...
, was named after the mineral, once again honoring Samarsky–Bykhovets.