Alexander Bogdanovich Kistiakowsky (Александр Богданович Кистяковский; 13 August 1904 - 22 June 1983) was a Ukrainian ornithologist and a specialist on bird lice. He was a brother of George Kistiakowsky. His contributions to ornithology included ideas on navigation by migrating birds, the mechanics of bird flight, and the publication of several regional avifaunas.
Alexander was born in Hatki, Poltava. Alexander's father Bogdan was a lawyer, philosopher, sociologist, and a professor at the University of Kiev. Bogdan's father, Alexander, was also a renowned professor of Criminal Law at the University of Kiev. A leftist revolutionary, Bogdan died in 1920. Alexander had three siblings, one died in Poland, while two others became scientists. George fled to Germany and influenced by his uncle Vladimir Kistiakowsky, a pioneer in electrochemistry, studied physics and chemistry. He moved to the US in 1926 and joined Harvard University, heading a department in the Los Alamos National Laboratory from 1944 to 1945. At the age of fifteen, he became interested in birds and insects and worked as an assistant at the Zoological Museum of the Kiev Academy of Sciences. In the 1920s he travelled on several natural history expeditions and lived in the richly furnished apartment of his parents. He worked at the museum and studied the Mallophaga. He then worked on biological pest control.
In 1941, he was drafted into the 2nd Ukrainian Front. He was posted in a unit to defend a bridge but this was destroyed by the Germans. He received several military awards and later learned that this bridge in the south was deliberately made a target for the Germans while a bridge in the north was used by the Soviets to liberate Kiev.
He returned from the war to continue research at the University of Kiev in 1946. Discovering that his wife had, during the war, sold off his parents' apartment including antique paintings to Germans, along with loss of his manuscripts, he divorced her. He later married an assistant at the university and they lived in a small apartment. He became a lecturer, was promoted to professor in 1961 and shortly after became head of the zoology department in the Shevchenko University, Kiev.
A Ukrainian patriot, he was not in support of the communist government of the time and therefore did not find favour within the higher ranks of the university or government. In the 1960s the USSR under Nikita Khrushchev was in diplomatic talks with the United States of America and a delegation of American scholars including George Kistiakowsky were due to visit. George wished to meet his brother at his home in Kiev. The officials did not like the idea of his being seen in a small apartment clogged with books and Alexander was surprised to receive a letter allocating a large three-room apartment. After more than 40 years the brothers met. George then invited Alexander to the United States but the travel documents took long to obtain. After boarding a ship at Odessa, he was told that his documents were not in order and the KGB stopped him from travel, and believed that he was going to defect. Alexander subsequently swore never to travel abroad. In 1981, under Leonid Brezhnev, the travel restrictions were removed and Alexander visited his brother in the United States for three weeks during which time he was also able to meet the ornithologist Ernst Mayr.[1]
His wish was that after his death, his ashes be scattered into the river Dnieper. His friends found this a difficult proposal and fulfilled his wishes by sprinkling ashes from the urn onto a big wreath and then placing the wreath in the river while the empty urn was buried in his grave.[1][2]
ReferencesEdit
^ abNowak, Eugeniusz (2001). "Erinnerungen an Ornithologen, die ich kannte (Teil 6) Professor Alexander Bogdanowitsch Kistiakowskij (1904-1983)" [=Reflections on Ornithologists whom I used to know (Part 6). Professor Alexandr Bogdanovich Kistyakovsky (1904-1983)] (PDF). Berkut (in German). 10 (2): 234–242.
^Melnitschuk, W. A. (1994). "Aleksandr Bogdanowitsch Kistiakowskij (1904-1983). K 90-letiju so dnjaroschdenja". Berkut. 3: 71–72.
External linksEdit
Biography (in Polish)
October 21, 2023
alexander, kistiakowsky, alexander, bogdanovich, kistiakowsky, Александр, Богданович, Кистяковский, august, 1904, june, 1983, ukrainian, ornithologist, specialist, bird, lice, brother, george, kistiakowsky, contributions, ornithology, included, ideas, navigati. Alexander Bogdanovich Kistiakowsky Aleksandr Bogdanovich Kistyakovskij 13 August 1904 22 June 1983 was a Ukrainian ornithologist and a specialist on bird lice He was a brother of George Kistiakowsky His contributions to ornithology included ideas on navigation by migrating birds the mechanics of bird flight and the publication of several regional avifaunas Alexander was born in Hatki Poltava Alexander s father Bogdan was a lawyer philosopher sociologist and a professor at the University of Kiev Bogdan s father Alexander was also a renowned professor of Criminal Law at the University of Kiev A leftist revolutionary Bogdan died in 1920 Alexander had three siblings one died in Poland while two others became scientists George fled to Germany and influenced by his uncle Vladimir Kistiakowsky a pioneer in electrochemistry studied physics and chemistry He moved to the US in 1926 and joined Harvard University heading a department in the Los Alamos National Laboratory from 1944 to 1945 At the age of fifteen he became interested in birds and insects and worked as an assistant at the Zoological Museum of the Kiev Academy of Sciences In the 1920s he travelled on several natural history expeditions and lived in the richly furnished apartment of his parents He worked at the museum and studied the Mallophaga He then worked on biological pest control In 1941 he was drafted into the 2nd Ukrainian Front He was posted in a unit to defend a bridge but this was destroyed by the Germans He received several military awards and later learned that this bridge in the south was deliberately made a target for the Germans while a bridge in the north was used by the Soviets to liberate Kiev He returned from the war to continue research at the University of Kiev in 1946 Discovering that his wife had during the war sold off his parents apartment including antique paintings to Germans along with loss of his manuscripts he divorced her He later married an assistant at the university and they lived in a small apartment He became a lecturer was promoted to professor in 1961 and shortly after became head of the zoology department in the Shevchenko University Kiev A Ukrainian patriot he was not in support of the communist government of the time and therefore did not find favour within the higher ranks of the university or government In the 1960s the USSR under Nikita Khrushchev was in diplomatic talks with the United States of America and a delegation of American scholars including George Kistiakowsky were due to visit George wished to meet his brother at his home in Kiev The officials did not like the idea of his being seen in a small apartment clogged with books and Alexander was surprised to receive a letter allocating a large three room apartment After more than 40 years the brothers met George then invited Alexander to the United States but the travel documents took long to obtain After boarding a ship at Odessa he was told that his documents were not in order and the KGB stopped him from travel and believed that he was going to defect Alexander subsequently swore never to travel abroad In 1981 under Leonid Brezhnev the travel restrictions were removed and Alexander visited his brother in the United States for three weeks during which time he was also able to meet the ornithologist Ernst Mayr 1 His wish was that after his death his ashes be scattered into the river Dnieper His friends found this a difficult proposal and fulfilled his wishes by sprinkling ashes from the urn onto a big wreath and then placing the wreath in the river while the empty urn was buried in his grave 1 2 References Edit a b Nowak Eugeniusz 2001 Erinnerungen an Ornithologen die ich kannte Teil 6 Professor Alexander Bogdanowitsch Kistiakowskij 1904 1983 Reflections on Ornithologists whom I used to know Part 6 Professor Alexandr Bogdanovich Kistyakovsky 1904 1983 PDF Berkut in German 10 2 234 242 Melnitschuk W A 1994 Aleksandr Bogdanowitsch Kistiakowskij 1904 1983 K 90 letiju so dnjaroschdenja Berkut 3 71 72 External links EditBiography in Polish Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Alexander Kistiakowsky amp oldid 1167462526, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
