125 years of the first soil science textbook by Professor M. M. Sibirtsev

Mykola Mykhailovych Sibirtsev (February 13, 1860-April 2, 1900) – outstanding scientist-soil scientist, geologist, student of Professor V. V. Dokuchaev. In 1882, he graduated from St. Petersburg University. During 1894-1899, he headed the world's first department of soil science and soil cartography at the Novo-Alexandria Institute of Agriculture and Forestry (now V.V. Dokuchaev KhNAU). On his initiative, the first natural history museum was created.

M. M. Sibirtsev is also known as a research scientist who made a significant contribution to the formation and development of genetic soil science, soil classification and cartography. He created the first soil map of European Russia. Undoubtedly, the most valuable treasure from the heritage of M. M. Sibirtsev is the manuscript of the lectures on soil science "Pochvovedenie", dated 1897, published in a lithographic way in the city of Lublin (Poland) by O. Skvortsov, a student of the course, and kept in the "Fund of publications issued by in the XIX century on agricultural subjects of the National Agricultural Research Service of the National Academy of Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The textbook consists of six sections and chapters: Soil formation, The study of soil as a mass, Soil as a geophysical formation, Descriptive soil science, Geography and soil cartography, Soil grading. Sibirtsev worked constantly on compiling a course of lectures. Three days before his death, the author submitted his manuscript to the printing house, and the textbook was published after the death of Mykola Mykhailovych in 1900. The book was reprinted in 1909, 1914, 1951 and became a reference book for subsequent generations of agronomists and soil scientists. This year marks the 125th anniversary of the first soil science textbook.

The materials of the exhibition can be viewed in the reading room No. 2 of the National Library of the National Academy of Sciences of the National Academy of Sciences.