On July 23, 2024, Stanislav Prokofiev, Rector of the Financial University, took part in the opening ceremony of the exposition “Mendeleev. Synthesis of Russia”, dedicated to the 190th anniversary of D.I. Mendeleev, in the State Duma. The exhibition, organized on the initiative of the FinU and SIBUR with the support of the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy, reflects the new facets of practical activity of the famous chemist as a top-class economist.
Opening the exhibition, First Deputy Chairman of the State Duma Alexander Zhukov emphasized the contribution of Dmitry Mendeleev, a talented scientist and statesman, to Russia's prosperity and economic independence.
Maxim Topilin, Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Economic Policy, noted that "Mendeleev's scientific legacy is huge, and in addition to his works on chemistry, physics, metrology, meteorology, economic works, which primarily concern the problem of industrial development, occupy an important place in it".
Addressing the guests of the exhibition, Stanislav Prokofiev, Rector of the FinU, noted the relevance and effectiveness of the ideas and concepts of economic development formulated by scientists: "Dmitry Mendeleev, under the slogan "Synthesis of Russia", prepared a multidisciplinary work on the country's development strategy for many decades to come, outlining its main directions. In his writings, Dmitry Mendeleev clearly outlined the priorities of social policy and indicators for achieving the key goals of the state, including population growth, increased life expectancy and improved well-being of the population".
Summing up, the Rector of the FinU once again noted that the exposition provides an opportunity to learn about Mendeleev as a talented economist, geopolitician and statesman, and stressed the importance of the implementation of this project for the academic community in order to educate a new generation of scientists and researchers, "The formation of patriotism and state thinking should be largely based on the works of our great compatriot," Stanislav Prokofiev concluded his speech.
Marina Medvedeva, member of the Board of Directors and General Director of SIBUR, emphasized the importance of Mendeleev's legacy for modern industry. "Mendeleev is a popularizer of science and industry, a visionary and innovator whose horizons of thought were in many ways ahead of their time. Today we see that Mendeleev's dreams and plans to build all kinds of factories in Siberia have come true. SIBUR is turning into reality what the great scientist predicted and laid the groundwork for more than 150 years ago," the company's head said.
The exhibition presents the research and ideas of D.I. Mendeleev on the accelerated industrialization of the Russian Empire, the development of the coal industry in the Donetsk coal basin, metallurgy in the Urals, oil, transport, and the development of the regional economy. The multimedia part presents interesting facts from the life of the scientist, maps of the places he visited and a summary of the most significant discoveries of the XIX - early XX centuries.
The tour of the exhibition for guests - deputies of the State Duma, representatives of the FinU administration, academic and expert community - was conducted by its compilers, authors of the Encyclopedia of Economic Works of D. I. Mendeleev. Mendeleev, Marina Sakharova and Vladimir Tarankov, alumni of the FinU.
