Feodor Levinson-Lessing

Feodor Levinson-Lessing

Franz Yulievich Levinson-Lessing (Russian: Фра́нц Юльевич Левинсо́н-Ле́ссинг), or Theodor Levinson-Lessing (March 9, 1861 – October 25, 1939 in St. Petersburg) was a Russian geologist.

Education

He graduated from the physico-mathematical faculty of the University of St. Petersburg in 1883, was placed in charge of the geological collection in 1886, and was appointed privat-docent at St. Petersburg University in 1889.

Career

In 1892 he became professor, and the next year dean, of the physico-mathematical faculty of Yuryev University (today University of Tartu). Aside from his work on petrography he published also essays in other branches of geology, the result of scientific journeys throughout Russia.

Petrologist Élisabeth Jérémine was one of his students.

Legacy

An island in the Kara Sea was named after him: Levinson-Lessing Island (Ostrov Levinsona-Lessinga) at coordinates 77°01′N 101°17′E.

Works

In various periodicals more than thirty papers have been published by him, the most important being the following:

• "Olonetzkaya Diabazovaya Formatziya" (in "Trudy St. Peterburgskavo Obschestva Yestestvovyedeniya," xix.);

• "O Fosforitnom Chernozyome" (in "Trudy Volnoekonomicheskavo Obschestva," 1890);

• "O Nyekotorykh Khimicheskikh Tipakh Izvyerzhonykh Porod" (in "Vyestnik Yestestvoznaniya," 1890);

• "Geologicheskiya Izslyedovaniya v Guberlinskhikh Gorakh" (in "Zapiski Mineralnavo Obschestva");

• "Die Variolite von Yalguba" ("Tscherm. Mineral. Mitt." vi.);

• "Die Mikroskopische Beschaffenheit des Jordanalit" (ib. ix.);

• "Etudes sur le Porphirite de Deweboyu" (in "Bulletin de Société Belge de Géologie");

• "1 et 2 Notes sur la structure des roches éruptives" (ib.);

• "Note sur les taxites et les roches élastiques volcaniques" (ib.);

• "Les Ammonée de la Zone à Sporadoceras Munsteri" (ib.);

• "Petrographisches Lexicon" (2 parts, 1893–95);

• "Tablitzy dlya Mikroskopicheskikh Opredeleni Porodoobraznykh Mineralov."

The last was published in English by Gregory.

Achievements

• Held posts at Bestuzhev Courses, Saint Petersburg State University and University of Tartu
• Educated at Imperial St. Petersburg University and Saint Petersburg State University
• Fields of research: crystallography, geology, mineralogy and pedology