One of the key events in the social and intellectual life of Sweden is Nobel Day - the annual presentation of the Nobel Prize, which takes place on December 10 in Stockholm's Studhuset (city hall).

These awards are internationally recognized as the most honorable civilian distinction. The Nobel Prizes in Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, Literature and Economics are presented to the laureates by His Majesty the King of Sweden at a ceremony held on the anniversary of the death of Alfred Nobel (December 10, 1896).

Each laureate receives a gold medal with the image of Nobel and a diploma. Currently, the Nobel Prize is worth 10 million Swedish kronor (about 1.05 million euros or $1.5 million).

Prizes in chemistry, physics and economics are awarded Royal Academies Sciences in Sweden, the Prize in Medicine is awarded by the Karolinska Institutet, and the Swedish Academy awards the Prize in Literature. The only "non-Swedish" prize - the Peace Prize - is awarded in Oslo by the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

By the way, Nobel signed the last version of the famous will almost a year before his death - on November 27, 1895 in Paris. It was announced in January 1897: “All my movable and immovable property must be converted by my executors into liquid assets, and the capital thus collected must be placed in a reliable bank. Income from investments should belong to the fund, which will distribute them annually in the form of bonuses to those who brought greatest benefit humanity... The indicated percentages must be divided into five equal parts, which are intended: one part - to the one who will do the most important discovery or invention in the field of physics; the other - to the one who makes the most important discovery or improvement in the field of chemistry; the third - to the one who makes the most important discovery in the field of physiology or medicine; the fourth - to the one who creates the most outstanding literary work of an idealistic direction; fifth - to the one who has made the most significant contribution to the unity of nations, the abolition of slavery or the reduction of the size of existing armies and the promotion of peace congresses ... It is my special desire that, in awarding prizes, the nationality of the candidates shall not be taken into account ... "

Alfred Bernhard Nobel, Swedish inventor, industrial magnate, linguist, philosopher and humanist, was born in 1833 in Stockholm into a Swedish family. In 1842, his family moved to St. Petersburg, the capital of what was then Russia. Nobel received an excellent education of international class. He read, wrote, spoke and understood equally well at 5 European languages: Swedish, Russian, English, French and German. Nobel went down in history as the inventor of dynamite, a substance that played important role in the development of world industry.

During his life, Alfred Nobel became the owner of 355 patents, which formed the basis of about 90 enterprises in 20 countries. His brothers Robert and Louis, who worked in Russia and later in Baku in the oil fields, contributed to his fortune. Alfred Nobel bequeathed $4 million (currently equivalent to $173 million) to be used as prizes in the fields of physics, chemistry, physiology and medicine. These areas were close to him, and in them he expected the greatest progress.

He did not bequeath prizes to architects, musicians and composers. Literature prizes also reflect Nobel's personal interests. In his youth he wrote poetry and poems in English and Swedish, and throughout his life he was a voracious reader in all languages ​​accessible to him.The prizes in the field of science and literature were to be awarded in Sweden, and the peace prize - in Norway. The history of the Nobel Prize, the fund of which amounted to 31 million crowns, began with this will.

A year later, on December 10, 1896, Alfred Nobel died in Italy from a stroke. Later this date will be declared Nobel Day. After opening the will, it turned out that almost all of Nobel’s fortune was inaccessible to his relatives, who were counting on this money.

Even showed dissatisfaction swedish king Oscar II, who did not want finances to leave the country, even in the form of awards for world achievements. Objective bureaucratic difficulties also arose. The practical implementation of Nobel's will turned out to be very difficult, and under certain conditions the prizes might not take place.

But soon all obstacles were overcome, and in June 1898, Nobel’s relatives signed an agreement to renounce further claims to the capital. The main provisions related to the awarding of prizes also received approval from the Swedish government. In 1900, the Charter of the Nobel Foundation and the rules regulating the activities of the Nobel structures being created were signed by the King of Sweden. The prize was first awarded in 1901.

The Nobel Prize has become the most prestigious prize in the fields of physics, chemistry, physiology, medicine, economics, literature and efforts to establish peace among nations. It is paid once a year from the funds of the fund created according to the will of Alfred Nobel. More than 600 people became Nobel Prize laureates during the 20th century.

Awarding awards does not always meet with universal approval. In 1953, Sir Winston Churchill received a literary prize, while the famous American writer Graham Greene never got it.

Each country has its own national heroes and often the award or non-award is disappointing. The famous Swedish writer Astrid Lindgren was never nominated for the prize, and the Indian Mahatma Gandhi never won the prize. But Henry Kissinger won the Peace Prize in 1973 - a year after the Vietnam War. There are known cases of refusal of a prize for reasons of principle: the Frenchman Jean Paul Sartre refused literary prize in 1964, and the Vietnamese Le Di Tho did not want to share it with Kissinger.

The Nobel Prizes are unique awards and are particularly prestigious. The question is often asked why these awards attract so much more attention than any other awards of the 20th century. One reason may be the fact that they were introduced in a timely manner and that they marked some fundamental historical changes in society. Alfred Nobel was a true internationalist, and from the very foundation of the prizes named after him, the international nature of the awards made a special impression. Strict rules selection of laureates, which began to be used since the establishment of the awards, also played a role in recognizing the importance of the awards in question. As soon as the election for the current year's laureates ends in December, preparations begin for the election of next year's laureates. Such year-round activities, in which so many intellectuals from all over the world participate, orient scientists, writers and public figures to work in the interests of social development, which precedes the awarding of prizes for “contribution to human progress.”

The first Nobel banquet took place on December 10, 1901, simultaneously with the first presentation of the prize. Currently, the banquet is held in the Blue Hall of the City Hall. 1300-1400 people are invited to the banquet. Dress code - tailcoats and evening dresses. Chefs from the Town Hall Cellar (a restaurant at the Town Hall) and culinary specialists who have ever received the title of Chef of the Year take part in the development of the menu. In September, three menu options are tasted by members of the Nobel Committee, who decide what will be served “at Nobel’s table.” The only dessert that is always known is ice cream, but until the evening of December 10, no one except a narrow circle of initiates knows what kind.

For the Nobel banquet, specially designed dinnerware and tablecloths are used. A portrait of Nobel is woven on the corner of each tablecloth and napkin. Dishes self made: along the edge of the plate there is a stripe of three colors Swedish Empire - blue, green and gold. The stem of the crystal wine glass is decorated in the same color scheme. The banquet service was commissioned for $1.6 million for the 90th anniversary of the Nobel Prizes in 1991. It consists of 6,750 glasses, 9,450 knives and forks, 9,550 plates and one tea cup. The last one is for Princess Liliana, who doesn't drink coffee. The cup is stored in a special beautiful wooden box with the princess's monogram. The saucer from the cup was stolen.

The tables in the hall are arranged with mathematical precision, and the hall is decorated with 23,000 flowers sent from San Remo. All movements of the waiters are strictly timed down to the second. For example, the ceremonial bringing in of ice cream takes exactly three minutes from the moment the first waiter appears with a tray at the door until the last of them stands at his table. Other dishes take two minutes to serve.

Exactly at 19 o'clock on December 210, the guests of honor, led by the king and queen, descend the stairs to the Blue Hall, where all the invitees are already sitting. The Swedish king is holding a Nobel laureate on his arm, and if there is not one, the wife of a Nobel laureate in physics. The first to toast is to His Majesty, the second to the memory of Alfred Nobel. After this, the secret of the menu is revealed. Menu printed small print on the maps accompanying each location, and features a gold-embossed profile of Alfred Nobel. There is music throughout the dinner - very famous musicians are invited, including Rostropovich and Magnus Lindgren in 2003.

The banquet ends with the delivery of ice cream, crowned with a chocolate monogram “N” like a crown. At 22:15 the Swedish king gives the signal for the start of dancing in the Golden Hall of the Town Hall. At 1:30 the guests leave.

Absolutely all dishes from the menu, from 1901 onwards, can be ordered at the Stockholm Town Hall restaurant. This lunch costs a little less than $200. Every year they are ordered by 20 thousand visitors, and traditionally the most popular menu is the last Nobel banquet.

The Nobel concert is one of the three components of the Nobel week, along with the presentation of prizes and the Nobel dinner. It is considered one of the main European musical events of the year and the main musical event year of the Scandinavian countries. The most prominent people take part in it classical musicians modernity. In fact, there are two Nobel concerts: one is held on December 8 of each year in Stockholm, the second in Oslo at the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony. The Nobel concert is broadcast on several international television channels on December 31 of each year.Quote from Vladimir_Grinchuv's message

Nobel Prize

Among the discoveries whose authors were awarded the Nobel Prize are X-rays, penicillin and the hadron collider. Nobel Peace Prize laureates include Nelson Mandela, the 14th Dalai Lama. Gabriel García Márquez, Selma Lagerlöf, Ernest Hemingway - just a few outstanding writers, awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature (most recently she became one of the Nobel Prize winners). The prize has been awarded since 1901 in five categories: physics, chemistry, physiology and medicine, literature, and for achievements in the field of peacekeeping. Ceremony The award ceremony takes place annually on the same day – December 10th. Laureates in the first five categories come to the capital of Sweden from all over the world in order to receive a gold medal and a cash prize.

After the ceremony, they will be treated to a magnificent banquet at the City Hall, where, in addition to the laureates and members of their families, royalty, the Prime Minister and representatives of Parliament and a number of high-ranking guests from different countries. The Nobel Peace Prize, however, is awarded not in Stockholm, but in opera house in Oslo on the same day.

Alfred Nobel's legacy

The Nobel Prize is the property of the Swedish scientist, inventor and entrepreneur Alfred Nobel (1833-1896). It was he who bequeathed his entire fortune to the creation of a fund, funds from which should be awarded to those who during the past year made a special contribution to the history of mankind. At the same time, Nobel insisted that this award be given to outstanding scientists, writers and public figures, regardless of their country of origin.

Inventor, philosopher, entrepreneur

Alfred Nobel was born in Stockholm, the son of inventor and industrialist Emmanuel Nobel, whose restless energy and entrepreneurial ambitions later brought the Nobel family to St. Petersburg. There, Nobel's father worked on the development of torpedoes, and also soon became interested in experiments in creating explosives. The son of Emmanuel Nobel, Alfred, soon became interested in these experiments. Already at the age of 17, he declared himself as a gifted chemist. By the way, Alfred Nobel did not graduate from higher education. educational institutions, however, he received an excellent education, thanks to the private teachers his father found for him. He subsequently studied chemistry in Paris and also in the United States. By the end of his life, he was the owner of 355 patents for various inventions. Nobel managed to live and work, in addition to his native Sweden, in Russia, France, Great Britain, Germany and Italy. He spoke fluently in five languages: Russian, English, German, French and Swedish. In addition, he was a great fan of literature, wrote poetry and composed plays.

Laureates 2018

Chemistry

Francis Arnold, USA
George Smith, USA
Gregory Winter, UK

"For his work on the directed evolution of chemical molecules."

Literature

The Nobel Prize for Literature was not awarded in 2018.

Physics

Arthur Ashkin, USA
Gerard Mourou, France
Donna Strickland, Canada

"For pioneering research in laser physics."

Medicine and physiology

James Ellison, USA
Tasuku Honjo, Japan

"For the discovery of a therapy for cancer by inhibiting negative immune regulation."

Nobel Peace Prize

Denis Mukwege, Congo
Nadia Murad, Iraq

"For our efforts to stop the use sexual violence as weapons in wars and conflicts.”

Economic Prize in Memory of Alfred Nobel

William Nordhaus, USA
Paul Romer, USA

"For integrating climate change and technological innovation into long-term macroeconomic analysis."

Alfred Nobel. Photo: The Nobel Foundation

The Godfather of Dynamite

His name is primarily associated with the invention of dynamite, a powerful explosive that began to be actively used in construction and the military industry during Nobel’s lifetime. This invention, behind which Alfred Nobel stood, became one of the engines of the industrial era. A certain paradox is that Nobel, having contributed to the invention of explosives and modern species weapons, at the same time he was a pacifist and recklessly believed that the creation of powerful weapons would inevitably lead to humanity’s abandonment of weapons. Many believe that Nobel bequeathed his entire fortune to the establishment of the prize, because he was burdened by his involvement in deadly inventions and wanted to rehabilitate his name after death.

Why in Norway?

In his will, Nobel insisted that the Peace Prize be awarded in Oslo, however, he left no explanation as to why there. Someone even tried to suggest that he chose Norway because he admired the talent of the Norwegian poet Bjornesterne Bjornson (who, by the way, later became a Nobel Prize laureate in literature), but there is still no serious evidence in favor of this version.

In 1905, Austrian Baroness Bertha von Suttner became the first female Nobel Peace Prize laureate, receiving the award in recognition of her services to the peace movement in Austria and Germany. In addition, Bertha was well acquainted with Nobel; they maintained a heartfelt correspondence until the end of Alfred’s life. It is known that it was she who inspired the inventor to have the Nobel Prize awarded in this category.

Later, Theodore Roosevelt (1906), Martin Luther King (1964), Mother Teresa (1979) became Nobel Peace Prize laureates, and in 1993 the prize was divided into two: Nelson Mandela and Frederik Willem de Klerk were awarded for the overthrow of the apartheid regime in South Africa. Africa.

51 women

Over the more than hundred-year history of the Nobel Prize - from 1901 to 2015 - women became laureates 52 times. Marie Curie was awarded twice - in physics in 1903, and in chemistry in 1911.

In total, in the entire history of the award we can count:

17 Women Nobel Peace Prize Laureates
14 women Nobel Prize winners in literature
12 – in medicine and physiology
5 – in chemistry
3 – in physics
1 – Economic Prize in Memory of Alfred Nobel.

In total, since 1901, about 935 individuals and organizations have become Nobel Prize laureates. To be more precise, 904 prizes were awarded to individuals, 24 to organizations (some received the Nobel Prize several times).

Refused the Nobel Prize

Among the laureates who refused the honorary award and never appeared at the Stockholm City Hall to receive the coveted prize are the writer Jean-Paul Sartre and Boris Pasternak. The first neglected the prize because, on principle, he refused any form of public recognition of his talent, and the second was forced to reject it under pressure from the Soviet government.

Winner of the 2015 Nobel Prize in Literature Svetlana Alexievich. Photo: TT

Who selects candidates and how?

Applicants for Nobel Prizes are selected and considered by several scientific institutions. Namely:

Behind Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences the right to award Nobel Prizes in physics and chemistry is secured, and the laureate of the prize in economics in memory of Alfred Nobel is also chosen there. The Academy of Sciences was established in 1739 as an independent organization designed to develop science and promote practical application discoveries. IN currently the Academy of Sciences has 450 Swedish and 175 foreign members.

Swedish Academy is a separate organization responsible for selecting candidates for the Nobel Prize in Literature. Founded in 1786, it consists of 18 members who are elected for life.

Nobel Committee at the Karolinska Institute annually awards the Nobel Prize to those who have made significant discoveries in the field of medicine and physiology. Karolinska Institutet is the most authoritative scientific medical institution in Sweden, and the scientific community abroad also takes it into account. Applications for the Nobel Prize in Medicine are studied by 50 professors at the Karolinska Institutet, and they also select the laureates.

Norwegian Nobel Committee is responsible for presenting the Peace Prize - it is awarded to those who have made a significant contribution to “strengthening brotherhood between peoples, disarmament of armies and promoting ideas of peace.” The Norwegian Committee was founded in 1897 and consists of five members appointed by the Norwegian Parliament.

The deadline for submitting information about candidates to the Nobel Committee is always the same - January 31. Every year, the list of candidates for the prize in the fields of literature, physics, chemistry, medicine or physiology, as well as economics, established by the Swedish State Bank in 1968 in memory of Alfred Nobel, contains from 250 to 300 names, which can only be made public after 50 years. years.

On February 1, the Committee and a number of other institutions will launch a complex and secretive process for selecting applications and determining laureates. In the second week of October, the names of the winners are announced in a strict order - one per day, starting with the Nobel Laureate in Medicine on Monday and ending with the Peace Prize Laureate on Friday. The winner of the Alfred Nobel Prize in Economics will be announced next Monday. The laureates themselves, as a rule, learn about the award a few minutes before the start of the official press conferences.

The Economics Prize is not a Nobel Prize

It is worth clarifying that the Economics Prize, which is often considered a Nobel Prize, is in fact not such, since Alfred Nobel himself had nothing to do with its establishment. This is a prize for achievements in the field of economics in memory of Alfred Nobel, which has been awarded since 1968 by the Swedish Central Bank, on approximately the same principles as the Nobel Prizes.

So why is there no prize in mathematics?..

The story that the Nobel Prize in mathematics is not awarded because Alfred Nobel’s wife allegedly ran away with her mathematics teacher is, in fact, nothing more than a misconception. The fact is that Nobel was never married at all. According to Nobel's will, the prize should be awarded to those who made a discovery or invention that brought obvious benefits to all humanity. Thus, mathematics was excluded initially as an abstract science.

What is the Nobel Prize for?

Each laureate is awarded Golden medal With recognizable silhouette Alfred Nobel, a diploma and a cash prize, the exact amount of which is not known, but according to existing data, it is approximately 1 million dollars or 8 million Swedish kronor. The amount may vary from year to year, and also depending on how many laureates share the award in one category.

Banquet for all banquets

The Nobel Banquet is a grandiose event that solemnly takes place every year on December 10 in the Blue Hall at Stockholm City Hall in the presence of 1,300 guests. To say that they are thoroughly preparing for this banquet means to say nothing. Hundreds of chefs working miracles in the kitchen, waiters and staff specially trained to welcome high-ranking guests from all over the world - every detail is strictly monitored here to ensure that the celebration goes smoothly. Each honoree may bring 14 guests to the banquet, in addition to spouses and partners. One of the representatives of Alfred Nobel’s family is always present at the banquet, as well as The Royal Family Sweden.

Chemist, engineer and inventor Alfred Nobel made his fortune primarily through the invention of dynamite and other explosives. At one time, Nobel became one of the richest on the planet.

In total, Nobel owned 355 inventions.

At the same time, the fame that the scientist enjoyed cannot be called good. His brother Ludwig died in 1888. However, by mistake, journalists wrote in newspapers about Alfred Nobel himself. Thus one day he read his own obituary in the press, entitled “The Merchant of Death is Dead.” This incident made the inventor think about what kind of memory will remain of him in future generations. And Alfred Nobel changed his will.

Alfred Nobel's new will greatly offended the inventor's relatives, who were left with nothing in the end.

The millionaire's new will was announced in 1897.

According to this paper, all of Nobel's movable and immovable property was to be converted into capital, which, in turn, should be placed in a reliable bank. The income from this capital should be divided annually into five equal parts and awarded in the form of scientists who have made the most significant discoveries in the field of physics, chemistry, and medicine; writers who created literary works; and also to those who have done the most significant "in the unity of nations, the abolition of slavery or the reduction of armies and the promotion of peace congresses" (Peace Prize).

First laureates

Traditionally, the first prize is awarded in the field of medicine and physiology. So the very first Nobel winner in 1901 was the German bacteriologist Emil Adolf von Behring, who was developing a vaccine against diphtheria.

The laureate in physics receives the prize next. Wilhelm Roentgen was the first to receive this award for the rays named after him.

The first Nobel Prize winner in chemistry was Jacob van't Hoff, who studied the thermodynamics of various solutions.

The first writer to be awarded this high award, became René Sully-Prude.

The Peace Prize is awarded to the latter. In 1901 it was divided between Jean Henry Dunant and Frédéric Passy. Swiss humanitarian Dunant is the founder of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). Frenchman Frederic Passy is a leader of the peace movement in Europe.

The history of the Nobel Prize began in 1889, when the brother of the famous inventor of dynamite Alfred Nobel, Ludwig, died. Then the journalists mixed up the information and published an obituary for Alfred's death, calling him a merchant of death. It was toga that the inventor decided to leave behind a softer legacy that would bring joy to those who truly deserved it.

Instructions

After the announcement of Nobel's will, an outburst erupted - the relatives were against the fact that a lot of money (in those days) went to the foundation, and did not go to them. But despite the heated condemnation of the inventor’s relatives, the foundation was still founded in 1900.

The first Nobel Prizes were awarded in 1901 in Stockholm. The laureates were scientists and researchers from various fields: physics, medicine, literature. The very first person to receive such a valuable award was Wilhelm Conrad Roentgen for the discovery new form energy and rays that received his name. Interestingly, Roentgen was not present at the award ceremony. He learned that he had become a laureate while in Munich. Moreover, laureates usually receive the prize second, but as a sign of deep respect and recognition of the importance of the discovery made by Rentegn, he was given the prize first.

The next nominee for the same award was the chemist Jacob van't Hoff for his research in the field of chemical dynamics. He proved that Avogadro's law is valid and valid for dilute solutions. In addition, Van't Hoff experimentally proved that osmotic pressure in weak solutions obeys gas laws thermodynamics. In medicine, Emil Adolf von Behring received recognition and honor for his discovery of blood serum. This study, according to the professional community, has become important step in the treatment of diphtheria. This helped save a lot human lives, which before that were simply doomed.

On Tuesday, October 2, Nobel week begins - the announcement of the prize winners for this year. The names of the nominees are kept in the strictest confidence, but the media and analysts never cease to guess who will be the next winner of the prestigious award. The list of potential applicants compiled by Clarivate Analytics includes two Russian scientists. RT found out who has a chance of winning the Nobel in 2017.

The announcement of the 2017 Nobel Prize winners will begin on Monday. On this day, the name of the winner of the award in the field of physiology and medicine will be known.

On October 3 the laureate in physics will be announced, on October 4 - in chemistry, on the 6th the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize will be announced. On October 9, the Bank of Sweden will announce who will receive the Economic Sciences Prize. The announcement date for the Nobel Prize in Literature has not yet been announced.

The 2017 laureates will receive 9 million Swedish kronor ($1.118 million) - this is $18 thousand more than a year earlier.

Chances for Nobel

The Nobel Committee selects the nominees - about three hundred people - from a list compiled based on a survey of researchers and experts in a particular field. The names of the applicants for the prize are not disclosed - the fact of its award comes as a surprise even to the laureates. Anyone who was nominated for a Nobel, but did not receive it, will only be able to find out about it 50 years later: that is how long the names of the nominees are kept secret.

It is extremely difficult to predict who will receive the award. However, analysts continue to express their assumptions. The most accurate predictions are made by Clarivate Analytics (formerly the science and intellectual property division of Thomson Reuters): over the 15 years that research has been conducted, 43 people from its list of “most cited scientists of the year” have become award winners.

Exact sciences

According to the organization, the candidate for the Nobel in physics is Russian astrophysicist, chief researcher at the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Rashid Alievich Sunyaev. Since 1995, Sunyaev has served as director of the Max Planck Institute for Astrophysics in Garching (Germany). He is also a visiting professor at the Institute for Graduate Studies in Princeton (USA).

According to Clarivate Analytics, Sunyaev could receive the prize for “fundamental contributions to our understanding of the Universe, including its origin, galaxy formation processes, disk accretion onto black holes, and many other cosmological phenomena.”

Also on the list possible laureates- Mitchell Feigenbaum from Rockefeller University (for discoveries in the field of nonlinear and chaotic physical systems and the definition of Feigenbaum's constant) and a group of three scientists (Phaedon Avuris from the Thomas Watson Research Center in the USA, Cornelis Dekker from Delft technical university in the Netherlands and Paul McEwen from Cornell University in the USA), who made a major contribution to the development of carbon electronics.

Another Russian, leading researcher at the Institute of Chemical Physics (ICP) named after. N. N. Semenov RAS Georgy Borisovich Shulpin, noted among the contenders for the “Nobel” in chemistry.

Shulpin, together with UC Berkeley collaborators Robert Bergman and John Berkow, did tremendous work in the field of carbon-hydrogen functionalization.

Henry Snaith (Oxford University), Nam-Kyu Park (Songkyunkwan University in Seoul) and Tsutomu Miyasaki (Toin University in Yokohama, Japan) have a chance to receive the Nobel Prize in Chemistry for the discovery and application of perovskite materials for efficient energy conversion. Jens Norskov of Stanford University may be honored for his advances in heterogeneous catalysis of solid surfaces.

Possible winners for the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine include three American scientists and one British. Professor of Oncobiology from the Cancer Center. The Sandra and Edward Meyer Prize in New York may be awarded for discovering the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K) signaling pathway and elucidating its role in tumor growth. One of the world's most influential neuroscientists and a fellow at University College London, Karl Friston, for "fundamental contributions to the analysis of brain imaging data, in particular through statistical parametric mapping and voxel-based morphometry." Yuan Chang and Patrick S. Moore of the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine for their discovery of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus, or human herpesvirus.

The organization provides a list of likely candidates for the Bank of Sweden Prize in Economic Sciences (unofficially - the Nobel Prize in Economics). In 2017, among them were exclusively employees of American universities.

Peace fighters

The Nobel Peace Prize, as well as the Literature Prize, is bypassed by Clarivate Analytics. But the directors of the Norwegian Peace Research Institute PRIO publish their list of “guesses”.

The “shortlist” of the current head of PRIO, Henrik Urdal, published recently, consists of five points.

In first place in shortlist The heads of PRIO are the Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif and the head of EU diplomacy Federica Mogherini - the organizers of negotiations to resolve the situation around the Iranian nuclear program.

“They are working hard to correct the consequences of war in conflict zones such as Syria, Afghanistan and South Sudan

Next comes the Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet and its editor-in-chief Can Dündar. According to Urdahl, awarding the Nobel to Dündar and the publication he heads would be an incentive to strengthen freedom of the press and civil society in a country where such things are “becoming rare.”

The PRIO director believes that the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) may also receive the prize for its efforts to ensure stability and maintain peace in the region. The White Helmets organization and its leader Raed Saleh close the list of possible laureates.

In addition, PRIO has published a list of more than forty people and organizations that, according to the Norwegian Institute, may also be nominated for the award. Among them are Russian President Vladimir Putin, American and Kazakh leaders Donald Trump and Nursultan Nazarbayev, as well as other famous politicians.

Every year, for many years, the Nobel Prize is awarded in Stockholm (Sweden) and Oslo (Norway).

The award is very prestigious and is awarded only to the most worthy representatives who have achieved significant achievements that play an important role in the development of all humanity. In the article we grouped Nobel Prize laureates from Russia and the USSR by field of science.

History of the Nobel Prize

The prize was invented by Alfred Nobel, after whose last name it is called. He was also the first laureate to receive the award for the invention of dynamite in 1867. In 1890, the Nobel Foundation was founded to pay prizes to awarded laureates. His initial capital was the savings of Alfred Nobel, accumulated throughout his life.

The size of the Nobel Prize is quite high, for example in 2010 it was about one and a half billion dollars. Prizes are awarded in the following fields: medicine and physiology, physics, chemistry and literature.

Additionally, the Peace Prize is awarded for active actions in establishing peace throughout the world. Our compatriots have been nominated more than once for the prestigious Nobel Prize in all respects and often become laureates.

Nobel Prize Laureates in Physics

1958 - Igor Tamm, Ilya Frank and Pavel Cherenkov became the first Nobel Prize laureates. The award was presented for collective research in the field of gamma radiation and its effects on various liquids.

During the experiments, a blue glow was discovered, later called the "Cherenkov effect". The discovery made it possible to use new techniques in measuring and detecting the velocities of nuclear, high-energy particles. This was a huge breakthrough for experimental nuclear physics.

In 1962 - Lev Landau. Legendary personality in the history of the development of physics. He has conducted many studies in the most different areas physics and mechanics. He made a huge contribution to the development of many branches of science.

He received his prize for creating and detailed description theory of quantum liquid, as well as for experimental studies of various condensed matter. The main experiments were carried out with liquid helium.

In 1964 - Alexander Prokhorov and Nikolai Basov. The award was received for joint developments in the field of radiophysics and quantum electronics. These studies made it possible to invent molecular generators - masers, as well as special amplifiers that concentrate radiation into one powerful beam.

1978 - In 1978, using the example of helium, he discovered the phenomenon of superfluidity - the ability of a substance that is in the state of a quantum liquid and in temperature conditions close to absolute zero, penetrate without any friction through the smallest holes.

2000 - Zhores Alferov- awarded for the development of fundamentally new semiconductors that can withstand enormous energy flows and are used in the creation of ultra-fast computers. In DVD drives, which are equipped with all modern computers, laser recording to disk uses precisely these technologies.

2003 - trio: Vitaly Ginzburg, American Anthony Leggett and Alexey Abrikosov- for a theory explaining two phenomena of quantum physics - superfluidity and superconductivity of various materials.

IN modern science they are used to create superconductors used in ultra-precise diagnostic medical equipment, in scientific equipment involved in research related to particle acceleration and many other physical phenomena.

2010 - Andrey Geim and Konstantin Novoselov (former citizens Russia, now subjects of the Kingdom of Great Britain) received a prize for the discovery of graphene and the study of its properties. It captures and converts light into electrical energy 20 times more than all previously discovered materials and increases the speed of Internet connections.

Nobel Prize Laureates in Chemistry

1956 - Nikolay Semenov author of many scientific achievements. However, his most famous work, for which he received this prestigious award, began research into various chain reactions occurring at high temperatures. This discovery made it possible to gain control over all ongoing processes and predict the final outcome of each process.

1977 - Ilya Prigozhi n (a native of Russia, lives in Belgium) received the prize for the theory of dispassive structures and for research on nonequilibrium thermodynamics, which made it possible to eliminate many gaps between biological, chemical and social research fields.

Nobel Prize Laureates in Medicine and Physiology

1904 - Ivan Pavlov, first Russian academician- Physiologist who received the Nobel Prize. He studied the physiology of digestion and the nervous regulation of the processes occurring during this process. Awarded by the Nobel Committee for his research into the main digestive glands and their functions.

It was he who divided all reflexes of the digestive tract into conditioned and unconditioned. Thanks to these data, a clearer understanding of the vital aspects of what is happening in the human body has been obtained.

1908 - Ilya Mechnikov- accomplished a lot outstanding discoveries which made it possible to continue the development of experimental medicine and biology in the 20th century. I. Mechnikov received the Nobel Prize together with the German biologist P. Ehrlich for developing the theory of immunity.

Research in this area and the creation of the theory took the academician 25 years. But it was precisely thanks to these studies that the phenomena by which human body becomes immune to many diseases.

Nobel Prize Laureates in Economics

1975 - Leonid Kantorovich- the only Soviet economist and mathematician who deserved the highest praise for his economic activity. It was he who put mathematics at the service of production and thereby simplified the organization and planning of all production processes. Received an award for his major contribution to the theory of optimal resource allocation.

Nobel Prize Laureates in Literature

1933 - Ivan Bunin- received the title of laureate for two books: “The Life of Arsenyev” and “The Gentleman from San Francisco.” And, of course, for his contribution to the development of traditional Russian culture. The author's artistic talent, artistry and truthfulness made it possible to recreate a typically Russian multifaceted character in lyrical prose.

1958 - Boris Pasternak- many times claimed to be a Nobel Prize laureate, even before the release of his world-famous novel Doctor Zhivago, which became the decisive argument in choosing the winner.

The award was presented with the wording: “for greatest achievements in poetry and for maintaining the traditions of the great, mighty Russian novel."

However, Pasternak, being recognized in his homeland as an “anti-Soviet” element, and under heavy pressure from the Soviet authorities, was forced to refuse. The son of the great writer received the medal and diploma 30 years later.

1965 - Mikhail Sholokhov- unlike Pasternak and Solzhenitsyn, he was actively supported by the government of his native country, his stories describing the life and way of life of the settlers small homeland writer - writer Don Cossacks, have been repeatedly published in all popular publications.

M. Sholokhov's books were popular among Soviet readers. In addition to the “Cossack” theme, the author repeatedly wrote about the great Patriotic War, the echoes of which were still alive in the memory of all Soviet people. However, he received recognition from his foreign colleagues by writing the novel “The Quiet Don,” which tells about the Don Cossacks during a difficult period of life, full of revolutions and wars. For this novel he was awarded the Nobel Prize.

1970 - Alexander Solzhenitsyn, before the collapse Soviet power was a banned author. He served time in prison for criticizing the leadership of the USSR. His works were considered openly anti-Soviet and were not published in the countries of the USSR. The most famous works, such as “In the First Circle”, “Gulag Archipelago” and “ Cancer building", were published in the West and enjoyed very high popularity there.

For his contribution to the development of the traditions of Russian literature and the highly moral strength of his works, Solzhenitsyn was awarded the Nobel Prize. However, he was not released for presentation, forbidden to leave the territory of the USSR. Representatives of the committee who tried to present the award to the laureate in their home country were also denied entry.

After 4 years, Solzhenitsyn was expelled from the country and only then, with great delay, could he be awarded a well-deserved prize. The writer was able to return to Russia after the collapse of Soviet power.

1987 - Joseph Brodsky, who was an outcast in the USSR and deprived of citizenship under pressure from the authorities, received the Nobel Prize as a US citizen. With the wording: “for clarity of thought, for intense poetic and literary creativity" After receiving the prize, the poet’s works were no longer boycotted in his homeland. For the first time, in the USSR, they were published in the popular publication “New World”.

Nobel Peace Prize Laureates

1975 - Andrei Sakharov Russian physicist, fighter for human rights. Being one of the creators of the first Soviet hydrogen bomb, actively fought for the signing of a moratorium on the ban on nuclear weapons testing, which provokes an arms race. In addition to his other numerous merits, Sakharov is the author of the draft constitution of the USSR.

Being the leader of the human rights movement defending human rights and freedoms, he was recognized as a dissident and, for his active work, was deprived of all awards and prizes awarded previously.

For the same activity he received the title of laureate in the Peace Prize category.

1990 - Mikhail Gorbachev is the first and only president of the USSR. During the period of his activity, the following large-scale events took place that influenced the whole world:

• The so-called “Perestroika” is an attempt to reform the Soviet system, to introduce the leading signs of democracy into the USSR: freedom of speech and press, openness, the possibility of free democratic elections, reforming the socialist economy towards a market economic model.
• End of the Cold War.
• Withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan.
• Refusal of all communist ideologies and further persecution of all dissidents.
• The collapse of the USSR as a result of its transition to democracy.

For all these merits, Mikhail Gorbachev was awarded the Nobel Prize with the wording: “for his leading role in peace processes that form an important part of the life of the entire international society.” Today the personality of Mikhail Gorbachev is perceived Russian society very controversial and his activities during the collapse of the USSR cause a lot of heated debate. Whereas in the West his authority was and continues to be undeniable. He received recognition as a Nobel Peace Prize laureate in Western society, but not in Russia.