The history of geographic science as a relay race of scientific generations.

Abstract

The main development trend of Russian geography in XXth century is based on the works and ideas of natural geographers of pre-revolutionary period. The formation of succeeding geographers' generations was closely connected with the formation stages of geography itself and was broadly determined by the major crucial moments of social history. The analysis of geographic generation changes and human resources structure of Russian geography gas been carried out by the author on the ground of personal sample of 170 geographers whose works fall outside the limits of narrow specialization, have a certain integration value and serve for geographical synthesis. The first postrevolutionary generation had succeeded in 1920s; it was represented by the direct followers of «elder» pre-revolutionary generation, perceiving and developing its progressive ideas; among them were the coming outstanding scientists I. P. Gerasimov, S. V. Kalesnik, K. K. Markov, V. B. Sochava. The following, pre-War generation, that made a statement to the end of 1930s, in many ways pursued the traditions of its precursors, among its representatives were L. L. Armand, M. A. Glazovskaya, E. N. Lukashova, N. A. Solntsev et al. In 1950s the young geographers of post-War generation, who were born after the Revolution, rose to the fore. The strong fellowship of geographers belonging to four generations had been formed to finally set the status of complex physical geography as a core of the geographical sciences system. However, the great gap remained between two geographies, physical and economic. Towards the end of 1960s the new generation began to take its shape, having the uprising geographical challenges ahead. Destruction of the Soviet Union and following crisis adversely affected on the state of Russian geography, and the perspectives of further successive change of generations appear to be quite vague.