Front cover	Back cover

 

BULGARIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, INSTITUTE OF PHYSICAL CHEMISTRY

 

ACADEMICIAN ROSTISLAV KAISHEV: A LIFE DEDICATED TO SCIENCE

 

compiled by

 

Alexander Milchev and Stoyan Stoyanov

 

The book “ACADEMICIAN ROSTISLAV KAISHEV: A LIFE DEDICATED TO SCIENCE” is compiled by Prof. Alexander Milchev, D.Sc. and Prof. Stoyan Stoyanov, D.Sc. from the Institute of Physical Chemistry, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences. It consists of three parts.

 

The first part contains the reminiscences of Acad. R.Kaishev - the founder (together with the late Prof. I.N.Stranski) of the modern Physical Chemistry in Bulgaria and a creator of the now world-wide recognised Bulgarian School of nucleation and crystal growth. This part is based on the story told by Acad. R.Kaishev and recorded by Prof. A.Milchev and Prof. S.Stoyanov between October 2001 and April 2002. After processing the authentic tape recordings, the text was edited and supplemented by Acad. R.Kaishev in September 2002. This final version is offered to the reader.

 

The reminiscences of Acad. R.Kaishev reffer mainly to the period 1908 - 1960 and cover his childhood, youth, University studies, the work on his Ph.D. thesis in Germany (1930-1932), his scientific research work with Prof. I. N. Stranski on the modern theory of crystal growth, the founding of the Department of Physical Chemistry at the University of Sofia, the founding of the Institute of Physical Chemistry at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, etc. His meetings with famous foreign scientists, among them the professors F. Simon and M. Volmer (Germany), the academicians A. Frumkin and Ya. Zeldovich (Russia) and others are described, as well.

 

The second part contains brief recollections of Acad. R.Kaishev, written by 12 of his closer pupils and co-workers: Acad. G. Bliznakov, Acad. P. Bonchev, Acad. I. Gutzov, Acad. D. Exerowa, Prof. A. Milchev, Prof. B. Mutafchiev, Prof. Chr. Nanev, Prof. D. Nenov, Prof. D. Platikanov, Associate Prof. V. Platikanova, Prof. S. Stoyanov and Prof. A. Chernov. These recollections shed additional light on the remarkable personality of the outstanding scientist Rostislav Kaishev.

 

The third part contains some pieces of writing, selected by the compilers to give the readers an idea of the spirit of the Institute of Physical Chemistry beyond the sphere of the pure science. The purpose of this part is to show that people involved in scientific research are ordinary people, who, apart from their scientific work, know how to joke and entertain themselves as every ordinary person, as every Bulgarian.

 

The book is illustrated with numerous photos from the personal archives of Acad. R. Kaishev.

 

CONTENTS

 

PREFACE

 

I. R.KAISHEV ABOUT HIMSELF AND ABOUT THE OTHERS

    Autobiography

    Family descent

    Childhood and youth

    The friends and the mountain

    Undergraduate student years

    Ph.D. in Germany

    Digressions

    The family

    Assistant of Stranski and after that

    The Master

    The friends, the colleagues, the students

    On the history of the creation of the molecular-kinetic theory of crystal growth

    Around the world

    Hobby

    130 years Bulgarian Academy of Sciences

    Bibliography of the scientific publications of Rostislav Kaishev

    Prizes and insignia of honour

 

II. THE OTHERS ABOUT HIM

    Academician Rostislav Atanassov Kaishev IN MEMORIAM, Georgi Bliznakov

    One of my first teachers in chemistry, Panayot Bonchev

    Three reminiscences of Acad. Rostislav Kaishev, Ivan Gutzov

    My first and my last meeting with Acad. Rostislav Kaishev, Dotchi Exerowa

    Rostislav Kaishev - a great personality and an example to follow, Alexander Milchev

    Rostislav Kaishev - the teacher and the person, Boyan Mutafchiev

    Some reminiscences of my teacher in science, Christo Nanev

    Rostislav Kaishev and the science in Bulgaria, Dimiter Nenov

    My reminiscences of Acad. Rostislav Kaishev and his services rendered to the Department of Physical Chemistry at the University of Sofia, Dimo Platikanov

    This is how I remember Acad. Rostislav Kaishev from my first meetings with him, Veselina Platikanova

    Rostislav Kaishev in my reminiscences, Stoyan Stoyanov

    The scientific school of Kaishev, Alexander Chernov

    Salutatory speech on the occasion of the Rostislav Kaishev’s 70 anniversary

    Who created the crystal growth? Alexander Chernov

    A poem about a teacher and his students, Alexander Milchev

 

III. INSTITUTE OF PHYSICAL CHEMISRY - A JOCULAR RETROSPECTION

    10th anniversary of the Institute of Physical Chemistry, Svetoslav Toshev

    20th anniversary of the Institute of Physical Chemistry, Stoyan Stoyanov

    25th anniversary of the Institute of Physical Chemistry, Stoyan Stoyanov

    Academic uni-lingual dictionary, Alexander Milchev

 

Academic Publishing House "Marin Drinov", Acad. G.Bonchev Str., Block 5, 1113 Sofia, Bulgaria, ISBN 954-430-968-3, 2003.

 

 

ACADEMICIAN ROSTISLAV KAISHEV - A LIFE DEDICATED TO SCIENCE

Second supplemented edition

 

The bookcontains the reminiscences of Аcad. Rostislav Kaishev – the founder, together with Professor Ivan N. Stranski of the modern physical chemistry in Bulgaria and a creator of the worldwide recognised Bulgarian school of nucleation and crystal growth. It is based on the story told by Acad. R. Kaishev and recorded by Prof. A. Milchev and Prof. S. Stoyanov between October 2001 and April 2002. The second supplemented edition of this book consists of three parts.

 

The first part contains the reminiscences of Acad. R. Kaishev, which refer to the period 1908-1960 and cover his childhood, youth, university studies, the work on his PhD thesis in Germany (1930-1932), his scientific research work with Prof. I. N. Stranski on the modern theory of crystal growth, the founding of the Chair of Physical Chemistry at the University of Sofia and the Institute of Physical Chemistry at the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (BAS), etc. The contacts of Acad. R. Kaishev with famous foreign scientists, among them the professors F. Simon, M. Volmer and H. Betge (Germany), the academicians A. N. Frumkin, Ya. B. Zeldovich and P. Rebinder (Russia) and others are described, as well.

 

The second part contains brief recollections of Acad. R. Kaishev, written by his daughter Prof. Anastasia Kaisheva from the Institute of Electrochemistry and Energy Systems, BAS, and 16 of his closer students and co-workers: Acad. G. Bliznakov, Acad. P. Bonchev, Acad. I. Gutzov, Acad. D. Exerowa, Acad. A. Popov (Vice President of BAS), Prof. A. Milchev, Prof. Chr. Nanev, Prof. D. Nenov and Prof. S. Stoyanov from the Institute of Physical Chemistry “Acad. Rostislav Kaishev”, BAS, Prof. V. Platikanova from the Institute of Optical Materials and Technologies “Acad. J. Maliniovski”, BAS, Prof. D. Platikanov and prof. B. Toshev from the Physical Chemistry department at the Chemical Faculty of Sofia University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, prof. A. Gittis (USA), Prof. A. Chernov (Russia), Prof. B. Mutafchiev (France) and Prof. G. Staikov (Germany). These recollections shed additional light on the remarkable personality of the outstanding scientist Rostislav Kaishev.

 

The third part contains some pieces of writting, selected by the compilers A. Milchev and S. Stoyanov to give the readers an idea of the spirit of the Institute of Physical Chemistry beyond the sphere of pure science. The purpose of this part is to show that people involved in scientific research are ordinary people, who, apart from their scientific work, know how to joke and entertain themselves as every ordinary person, as every Bulgarian. This part is also supplemented with some jocular readings.

The book is illustrated with numerous unique photographs from the personal archives of Acad. Rostislav Kaishev. It is in Bulgarian and can be found in the bookstore of Marin Drinov Academic Publishing House, Acad. G. Bonchev Str. block 6, 1113 Sofia and in the bookstore “Academic Book” of the Headquarters of BAS, 15th November str. 1, 1040 Sofia. 

 

Alexander Milchev

Stoyan Stoyanov