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, Prof. 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

  1. Autobiography
  2. Family descent
  3. Childhood and youth
  4. The friends and the mountain
  5. Undergraduate student years
  6. Ph.D. in Germany
  7. Digressions
  8. The family
  9. Assistant of Stranski and after that
  10. The Master
  11. The friends, the colleagues, the students
  12. On the history of the creation of the molecular-kinetic theory of crystal growth
  13. Around the world
  14. Hobby
  15. 130 years Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
  16. Bibliography of the scientific publications of Rostislav Kaishev
  17. Prizes and insignia of honour

II. THE OTHERS ABOUT HIM

  1. Academician Rostislav Atanassov Kaishev IN MEMORIAM, Georgi Bliznakov
  2. One of my first teachers in chemistry, Panayot Bonchev
  3. Three reminiscences of Acad. Rostislav Kaishev, Ivan Gutzov
  4. My first and my last meeting with Acad. Rostislav Kaishev, Dotchi Exerowa
  5. Rostislav Kaishev - a great personality and an example to follow, Alexander Milchev
  6. Rostislav Kaishev - the teacher and the person, Boyan Mutafchiev
  7. Some reminiscences of my teacher in science, Christo Nanev
  8. Rostislav Kaishev and the science in Bulgaria, Dimiter Nenov
  9. My reminiscences of Acad. Rostislav Kaishev and his services rendered to the Department of Physical Chemistry at the University of Sofia, Dimo Platikanov
  10. This is how I remember Acad. Rostislav Kaishev from my first meetings with him, Veselina Platikanova
  11. Rostislav Kaishev in my reminiscences, Stoyan Stoyanov
  12. The scientific school of Kaishev, Alexander Chernov
  13. Salutatory speech on the occasion of the Rostislav Kaishev’s 70 anniversary
  14. Who created the crystal growth? Alexander Chernov
  15. A poem about a teacher and his students, Alexander Milchev

III. INSTITUTE OF PHYSICAL CHEMISRY - A JOCULAR RETROSPECTION

  1. 10th anniversary of the Institute of Physical Chemistry, Svetoslav Toshev
  2. 20th anniversary of the Institute of Physical Chemistry, Stoyan Stoyanov
  3. 25th anniversary of the Institute of Physical Chemistry, Stoyan Stoyanov
  4. 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.