Tour audio Dmitri Mendeleev: trip to Leiden – links across time

In 1984, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) named Dmitri Mendeleev the greatest scientist of all time.

Dmitri Mendeleev was not only an outstanding scientist, but also a man of wide interests, of broad vision and piercing intellect. When it was necessary to select a delegate to attend special events, Dmitri Mendeleev was often nominated by the St Petersburg Imperial University Council and appointed a special representative of the University. Not only were Mendeleev’s scientific achievements much appreciated by the Council, but also his remarkable ability to deliver congratulatory speeches and eloquent addresses on solemn occasions.

In 1875, when Leiden University celebrated its 300th anniversary, Professors Dmitri Mendeleev and Ivan Pomyalovsky were delegated to attend the celebration.

‘Dmitri Mendeleev: trip to Leiden – links across time’ is a virtual exhibition. Its central theme is Dmitri Mendeleev’s visit to Leiden to attend the celebration of the 300th anniversary of Leiden University. The exhibition spotlights Mendeleev’s role as a spokesman of Russian science and scholarship in the international scientific community, focusing on his trip to the Netherlands. It also traces the history and development of scientific and cultural ties between Russia and the Netherlands.