Pallady P. Pavinsky
(11.08.1908 - 02.12.1993)

Pallady Palladievich Pavinsky was born on August, 11, 1908 in Vladivostok, where his father taught Russian language and Russian literature at a gymnasia. He moved there from St. Petersburg after graduation from the Institute of History and Philology, now the Philological Department of the University. In 1925 the family returned to Petrograd, where P.P. Pavinsky studied for some time at the Conservatory. He was a talented musician, but finally he abandoned music and entered the Physics Department of Leningrad State University (1928). Together with M.G. Veselov they became first graduate students of world-famous theoretical physicist V.A. Fock.

In 1937 Pallady Palladievich got his Ph.D. degree for the theoretical investigation of proton-proton collisions taking into account long-range Coulomb repulsion as well as short-range nuclear forces. Since then he had successfully applied Coulomb wave functions in various nuclear and atomic calculations. The area of scientific activity of P.P. Pavinsky was very extensive. Among the most interesting and important problems investigated by him were light diffusion in crystals and especially its interaction with excitons; photoeffect in MOS-structured semi-conductors; generalization of relativistic Klein-Fock-Gordon equations for higher spin numbers, which afterwards formed a substance of his thesis for the degree of Doctor of Science; influence of electromagnetic field upon human hearing, and many others. Some special place is occupied by articles dedicated to history of our University and to famous scientists, as well as to discussion of correct interpretation of Quantum Mechanics.

For many years Professor P.P. Pavinsky lectured at the Physics Department of the University. He taught courses on Theoretical Mechanics, Thermodynamics and Statistical Physics, Quantum Mechanics and Electrodynamics. He was also a scientific adviser of many undergraduate and graduate students. He is the author of two textbooks - one on Solid State Theory and another on Statistical Physics. Both books are written in best classical traditions, extremely clear and intelligible.

High professional and personal qualities of Pallady Palladievich Pavinsky - great erudition, width of mind, purposefulness end enthusiasm, honesty and modesty - have put him among the most respected persons of the Physics Department and of Quantum Mechanics Division.