Audio tour Hall

In the hall near the entrance to the library there is a showcase telling about the children of D.I. Mendeleev. Dmitry Ivanovich was married twice and had six children from two marriages: Vladimir (1865-1898), Ivan (1883-1936), Vasily (1886-1922); Olga (1868-1950), Lyubov (1882-1939), Maria (1886-1952). For Dmitry Ivanovich, the question of children was a matter of the heart. The scientist told his friend and student V.E. Tishchenko: “I have experienced a lot in my life, but I don’t know anything better than children.”

The hall also presents a section of the exposition telling about the work of D.I. Mendeleev in the field of gas physics. Since 1872, Mendeleev began to implement an extensive program of gas research, mainly at extremely low pressures. The scientist’s experiments were aimed at searching for the world (light) ether, which, as it was then thought, transmits light waves, is responsible for magnetism, gravity and is able to pass through all objects. Mendeleev considered ether the basis of periodicity. The work on finding the world ether was not successful, but the topic of ether went through the whole scientist’s scientific career.

For experiments D.I. Mendeleev ordered unique high-precision instruments, some of which are presented in this section of the exposition. Mendeleev’s differential barometer (altimeter) is a scientist designed instrument for determining altitude.

In November 1892, D.I. Mendeleev accepted the proposal of the Minister of Finance Witte to lead, that is, become the keeper, "Depot of exemplary measures and weights" in St. Petersburg. Already in 1893 at the initiative of D.I. Mendeleev’s institution was transformed into the “Main Chamber of Weights and Measures” with extensive tasks, including the creation of the Russian system of standards, the organization of the metrological service in the country and the conduct of scientific research in the field of metrology, and D.I. Mendeleev becomes its manager. The results of scientific and technical research were covered in the periodical “Temporary of the Main Chamber of Weights and Measures”. For the period of work in the Chamber D.I. Mendeleev created an entire school of Russian metrologists.

D.I. Mendeleev voted for the transition from ancient Russian measures to the metric system. With a proposal to introduce a metric system of measures, he spoke in 1868 at the First Congress of Russian Naturalists. In 1899, Russian standards were legalized and a state calibration service was organized.

For this, at the initiative of D.I. Mendeleev, in several cities and industrial centers of Russia, calibration institutions were created, whose duties included the verification and branding of weights (and other measures) used in technology and trade. The first accurate electric clock in Russia appeared thanks to D.I. Mendeleev, they were installed in St. Petersburg on the arch of the General Staff.

The area of Mendeleev's interests was extremely wide. In 1901-1902, D.I. Mendeleev developed a project for an expeditionary high-latitude icebreaker. He outlined a high-latitude “industrial” sea route, passing near the North Pole.