Innokenti Gerasimov

Innokenti Petrovich Gerasimov ( 9 December 1905, Kostroma - 30 March 1985, Moscow) was a Soviet geographer
and pedologist, professor, academician of the Soviet Academy of Sciences (1953).

Biography
He graduated from Leningrad State University (1926).
Gerasimov participated in expeditions to Kazakhstan, Middle Asia, Western Siberia, on Ural, Far East and other.
He traveled to Western Europe, India, China, Japan, Ceylon, Senegal, Algeria, Tunisia, Morocco, Guinea, Brazil, Chile, Uruguay, United States, Mexico, New Zealand, Australia.

Gerasimov also was known for his work in geomorphology, the study of the earth's surface relief.

As the director of the Institute of Geography since 1951, he directed research used in planning regional development projects and the building of towns and railroads.

A rare glimpse of the man can be found in a one and a half minute behind the scenes documentary featured as part of the 'Coming From The Movies Set' series of Soviet film promos. In this piece Gerasimov can be seen in Norilsk on the set of his film "Town Planners". It's a story of two young architects struggling to build a new town in the Polar Regions. The film stars Ivan Negonov as the director of an Iron & Steel Works, Anatoly Solonitsyn as architect Kolmykov, Lyubov Virolainen as architect Arkhipova; and can be found as an extra on the 2003 DVD release of Andrei Tarkovsky's 1974 film The Mirror.

In 1964 he was elected a Member of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.

He was honored with an Order of Lenin and the State Prize of the USSR in 1973.

Research 
Innokenti Gerasimov was known as the specialist of conservation and changing the natural environment. 

On the need of environmental protection, Innokentiy Gerasimov had spoken at a meeting of the Department of Earth Sciences, Soviet Academy of Sciences, on February 16, 1965. He has discussed the anthropogenic influence of paper industries on an ecosystem of the Lake Baikal. In his report, there was an alarming warning about the increase of industrial and domestic wastewaters from 11 to 60 km3 per year for 20 years. Taking into account the need for dilution and subsequent self-cleaning of 5–10 times the amount of clean water meant a threat of an acute water crisis in especially important industrial regions of the country .
 
Innokentiy Gerasimov was supporters of the idea of Soviet ecologist Stanislav Shwarts, that the industrial needs of the Soviet Union made impossible the total preservation of its natural environment. The Natural Environment should be modified by humans to provide all people's needs and the nature reserves (zapovedniki) should keep untouched environment .

Books 
 Структурные черты рельефа земной поверхности на территории СССР и их происхождение, М., 1959;
 Преобразование природы и развитие географической науки в СССР, М., 1967.

Literature 
 Sobisevich A. V., Snytko V. A. Some aspects of nature protection in the scientific heritage of academician Innokentiy Gerasimov // Acta Geographica Silesiana. 2018. Vol. 29. # 1. P. 55–60.

External links 
  Innokenti Gerasimov - Great Soviet Encyclopedia
 Innokenti Gerasimov
 books by Innokenti Petrovich Gerasimov - bookfinder.com

References

Category:1905 births
Category:1985 deaths
Category:Place of birth missing
Category:Russian geographers
Category:Soviet geographers
Category:Full Members of the USSR Academy of Sciences
Category:Recipients of the Order of Lenin
Category:Recipients of the USSR State Prize
Category:Members of the German Academy of Sciences Leopoldina
Category:Members of the German Academy of Sciences at Berlin