PROFESSOR ROMAN ROMANOVYCH VYRZHYKIVSKY. To the 130th anniversary of the birthday

Abstract

Among geologists of the 20—30 years of the twentieth century. the leading place in Ukraine was occupied by the repressed in 1937, professor Roman Romanovych Vyrzhykivsky (1891—1937). At the Kiev University of St. Vladimir, he was a very capable student of N.I. Andrusov and the famous petrographer and mineralogist, professor, later academician V.I. Luchitsky. In the history of geological science, R.R. Vyrzhykivsky entered as a researcher of the Black Sea region, and the south-west of the European part of the USSR (Ukraine, Moldova), as well as a talented organizer of geological work, a brilliant surveyor geologist, tectonist and an outstanding hydrogeologist. The scientist was the head of geological survey work in Transnistria and prepared for printing the first geological map of 10 versts scale — «Transnistria» (Dniester region). Later, this map became the basis for prospecting and exploration of mineral deposits in Transnistria. In the studied region, he first discovered numerous deposits of phosphorites, cement raw materials, kaolin, flint, building sands, sandstones, tripoli, lithographic stone and underground drinking water. At the same time, the young scientist described for the first time a unique ridge of reef limestones of Middle Sarmatian age, which he traced in the meridional direction from the lower reaches of the river Kamenka along its left bank to the north, in Podillia. In the Shargorod region of Transnistria (Dniester region), the scientist found Paleogene marine deposits, and he identified the Podolsk stage in the Miocene layers of Podolia. In a number of scientific works of Roman Romanovich, data are presented in the field of fault-block tectonics and neotectonic movements of Transnistria and the Black Sea region. R.R. Vyrzhykivsky also considered the issue of modern transgressions of the Black Sea in the most complete way. This work of the scientist was one of the first evidence of the manifestation of the latest tectonic movements in the region of the Northern Black Sea region and the Black Sea. R.R. Vyrzhykivsky rightfully belongs to the galaxy of the greatest scientists—hydrogeologists of Ukraine and Moldova. In particular, he laid the foundations for the hydrogeological zoning of the territory of Moldova for the first time. Within Moldova, he identified the Middle Sarmatian, Cretaceous and Silurian water-saturated horizons. Merits of R.R. Vyrzhykivsky in the field of hydrogeological problems of Ukraine can hardly be overestimated. He made a huge practical contribution to the water supply of large industrial cities and agglomerations of the country. In 1932 R.R. Vyrzhykivsky published the monograph «Hydrogeology» in Ukrainian, which played a huge role in the training of national hydrogeologists. In it, he for the first time presented the results of the hydrogeological zoning of the territory of Ukraine. It is important that the hydrogeological zoning scheme, with minor changes, is still being used by the hydrogeologists of our country.