Gubkin Ivan Mikhailovich (1871-1939) was the first to systematize knowledge of geology in Russia, and founded the domestic petroleum geology and scientific school. His fundamental work was The Doctrine of Oil, in which the basic principles of the theory of the origin of oil deposits and the conditions for their formation were developed. Ivan Mikhailovich Gubkin proposed a rationale for the possibility of developing new oil fields, and also supervised the study of anomalies in Kursk.
The brilliant achievement of a scientist
The scientist’s work related to the creation of an oil base in the Volga and Ural regions is endowed with an important theoretical and practical sense. At the beginning of the 1920s, Ivan Mikhailovich made a proposal for a mandatory detailed study of the geology of this region. His theories about the importance of this region were based on a scientific synthesis of materials relating to the geological structure of this territory. Later, the academician headed the exploration for oil. Along with this, Ivan Mikhailovich was personally engaged in some fields and their research. The fundamental work of the scientist under the name "Ural-Volga oil-bearing region" was created on the basis of research activities. He graphically illustrated the enormous opportunities and potential that could have been uncovered during oil production in the places indicated by him.
Before him, in the context of oil production, this region was practically not interested, and the work carried out later turned out to be extremely important for the Soviet Union in wartime.
Gubkin Ivan Mikhailovich: biography briefly
Ivan Mikhailovich was born in the village of Pozdnyakovo, in the territory of Vladimir province. His father was a poor peasant who often went on long voyages to the Caspian Sea.
After diligent study and graduation from the Kirzhach teacher’s seminary, Ivan Mikhailovich Gubkin was appointed a teacher in a rural school. During the training period, the young man received a scholarship, so he had to work for five years as a public teacher. The fate of the future academician was determined by an accidental find. As a friend of a local priest, Ivan found in his attic literature on geology. She was forgotten by a relative of the priest, who went to Siberia. According to Gubkin, what he read in the books literally “swallowed” him, forcing him to long for even more information in this area.
Difficulties with entering the institute
Not wanting to stop halfway, Ivan sought to continue his studies at the mining institute. But bitter disappointment awaited him, since with his basic education the path to the institute was closed. Only the teacher institute in Petersburg was accessible, where he began to study.
At that time, it was difficult for any young man to stay away from the hectic public life, and so Ivan became a member of the movement that defended the rights of the working class.
After graduating from another educational institution, the young man managed to get a teacher at the St. Petersburg City College. Having worked here quite a bit, Ivan Mikhailovich Gubkin went further: again tried to enter the Petersburg Mining Institute and again failed. This time, an obstacle was the lack of a certificate of maturity, which was issued to graduates of gymnasiums and real schools. Ivan did not have it, since he did not belong to a noble or middle estate. Not wanting to give up, Gubkin, who by that time was 32 years old, went to Tsarskoye Selo and, together with the young graduates of that year, successfully passed the required exams and received the coveted document.
Fulfillment of a dream: Mining Institute
Ivan had to study at the Mining Institute not five years (as it should have been), but two years longer. The delay was due to the revolution in 1905: the institution’s doors were temporarily closed. After completing his long studies, Ivan Mikhailovich Gubkin, with a diploma of a mining engineer, joined the Geological Committee as a researcher. His career quickly went uphill when the scientist began working in places of oil production in the Caucasus fields. In those days, the oil produced there accounted for almost 90% of the total volume produced on Russian territory. This was the finest hour of Ivan Gubkin, as his talents, perseverance and methodicality were fully manifested, giving the young engineer the status of the founder of petroleum geology.
Revolutionary times
At the time of the revolution, Ivan was in the United States on a business trip to explore American oil deposits. The scientist returned from his trip after the revolutionary events and immediately began to participate in the formation of new services under the existing regime: mining and geological. V.I. Lenin instructed Gubkin to become a member of the committee of the committee dealing with oil production issues. After this determination, the geologist Ivan Mikhailovich Gubkin, until his last days, was in charge of several important institutions involved in the oil industry, as well as the geological service in the USSR.
In addition to scientific activity, this outstanding figure had time to carry out editorial duties. For many years, Ivan held this position in the journal "Oil Management" organized by him.
Sensational discovery
Staying in southern Russia, in the Kuban Territory, Gubkin began to explore oil fields. As it turned out, the grain-growing region hid oil in its bowels. However, there was an almost insoluble riddle that the oil workers who worked there unsuccessfully tried to solve: the nearby wells behaved in completely different ways. Some allowed to produce a huge amount of oil, others were completely dead.
Ivan Gubkin identified the reason for this behavior of oil deposits and introduced a new concept in the terminology of oil science. The scientist found that in this case, industrialists were dealing with a new type of oil deposits. They were not located in a reservoir, like those that were previously discovered, but were local, that is, they were very small sections. Gubkin called them "lace deposits."
The scientist wrote about his discovery several articles that were instantly published in Russia and then translated into English.
Educational activities of Ivan Gubkin
The scientist was extremely concerned about the issue of educating a new generation of qualified personnel. He believed that the country is extremely short of geologists, as well as specialists in rocks and oil. Since 1922, Gubkin for eight years headed the Moscow Mining Academy. He developed and introduced several radically new departments, focused on the study of various sections of oil science. The Moscow Petroleum Institute, created in 1930, was based precisely on these new departments. Students attending newly formed educational institutions studied specialized courses and subjects that were introduced into the program with the submission of Ivan Gubkin.
Interesting facts from the biography of the figure: elementary school
His grandmother took care of the primary education of the future academician, insisting that the boy go to a local village school. The father was not going to send his son to school, he was even categorically against it. This is not surprising, because Gubkin Ivan Mikhailovich was one of five children, and of the brothers - the eldest. Help was expected from him in the household. It is interesting that little Vanya did not aspire to education, the school even frightened him.
The issue was resolved by the intervention of Grandmother Fedosya, who found office forms for making notebooks, and also sewed a bag for Ivan to go to school. Gubkin's success in mastering the school curriculum became noticeable from the first months. Speaking in our usual language, he was an excellent pupil. For this reason, he had very few friends, and his classmates teased him, calling them “schoolboy” and “excellency”.
Difficulties harden
Academician Gubkin Ivan Mikhailovich was far from forced to defend and conquer his desire for higher education more than once. In his teens, when the village school was completed, Ivan's father insisted that he assume the post of clerk or shopkeeper. Not going to stop and wanting to reach the academic heights, Gubkin nevertheless entered the seminary.
In the process of learning, being in his third year, the young man wrote and distributed a rather sharp epigram about one of his classmates. Thus, Ivan repaid him for shedding. However, the trick almost cost Gubkin an exception from the teacher's seminary. The situation was saved by the help provided by Ivan's good friends.
Family of Ivan Gubkin
The wife of a young teacher Ivan was a medical student Nina. They met in the Kuban and got married pretty soon. The girl was very smart and educated: medical education was already her second. However, she did not happen to receive it, since her son, Sergei, demanded all her attention.
The young family had a rather tight time, as the three of them did not have a simple salary for the teacher, and a few years later Galina was born.
The situation changed only after the appointment of Gubkin to the Geological Committee, which brought the scientist many promising business trips and was the beginning of a career take-off. The official literature often describes the rich work that Ivan Mikhailovich Gubkin conducted: biography, memory, awards. However, professional achievements and fame became an obstacle to a happy family life. Long business trips, sometimes for several months, and enormous distances between spouses did not contribute to strengthening relations.
The fate of the children of the academician
The scientist always wished his dearly beloved children only good, not forgetting them in his long journeys. He was interested in their successes, interests and achievements, and also often sent money.
In one of the many letters written by Ivan to his wife, he says that he wants his children an interesting and eventful life. Following his destiny, he did not want Sergei and Galina to step over their desires and suffer, doing unloved business.
The scientist's children fully heeded the advice of his father. Sergei also wanted to engage in geology, but then reprofiled as a metallurgist and also became an academician.
Galina chose the profession of a balloonist, and later - a test pilot.
Today, in the homeland of the famous geologist, almost every resident knows who Ivan Mikhailovich Gubkin is. The awards honored by the academician for his most important contribution to science and industry are the Order of Lenin and the Order of the Red Banner of Labor.
Institutions, libraries, streets and the city bear his name. In the place where Ivan Gubkin’s home stood, a square with a memorial bust is now broken. The compatriots are extremely proud that they are close to such a famous and worthy person, they organize excursions to significant places and compose verses dedicated to him. Ivan Mikhailovich Gubkin is undoubtedly a wonderful person whose success story is able to inspire and motivate a lot of people to the bold actions.