The First Generations of Russian Chemists (1700-1830). Between Pharmacy, Technical Know-How and Academia

This article describes, from a social point of view, the combination of science and art, and the mixture of practical know-how and theory, which shaped chemistry practice in 18th-century Russia. As it often did in the Empire, the story started with Peter the Great’s military ambitions and, in this case, with his fascination for natural magic and alchemy. At that time, chemical knowledge was above all a matter for pharmacists and physicians, mining engineers, artillery and fireworks’ engineers, as well as a few private and State manufacturers. Theoretical knowledge remained of little significance even after 1750, when Lomonosov attempted to set up chemistry as a physical discipline within the Imperial Academy of Sciences. In the 1760s and 1770s, a tiny community of specialists emerged with the creation of Moscow University and the emergence of the Mining School, but most chemists remained of German origin. In the 1780s, a new generation headed by Johann Tobias Lowitz was able to combine chemical theory and practice, with the support of the Medical College, the Medical and Surgical Academy and the Free Economic Society. Baltic pharmacists, who had close connections with German universities, also played a significant role in the emergence of Russian chemistry as an autonomous discipline and in the creation of the first specialized periodicals. After 1805, the creation of new university chairs in Dorpat, Moscow and Kazan set up an enlarged institutional field for chemistry, but most of the positions were still given to German scholars, who took little interest in Russian affairs, since they were usually waiting for teaching positions in their homeland. Finally, it is only after 1826 -when the training of indigenous scholars became an absolute priority- that the conditions were met for the great leap forward in Russian chemistry.