Vladimir Evgenievich Fortov. Condolences
News, 01 December 2020
An outstanding scientist and science organizer Vladimir Evgenievich Fortov passed away at the age of 75. He was President of the Russian Academy of Sciences in 2013 – 2017, Director and then the Scientific Leader of the Joint Institute for High Temperatures RAS. V. E. Fortov was a laureate of state awards, a full cavalier of the order “For Merits to the Fatherland”.
Vladimir Evgenievich Fortov
23.01.1946 – 29.11.2020
On behalf of the Directorate and the international staff of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR), I express sincere condolences on the untimely death of Academician Vladimir Evgenievich Fortov.
An outstanding Russian scientist, Doctor of Physics and Mathematics, Professor, RAS Academician, the creator and the head of a new scientific field called dynamic physics of non-ideal plasma, the author of more than 30 monographs and more than 900 original and review scientific articles. He made a great contribution to the development of national and world science in the fields of thermal physics, plasma physics, thermodynamics, and chemical physics. More than 10 doctoral and 39 candidate dissertations were defended under his supervision.
In addition to significant scientific and science organizational achievements, Vladimir Evgenievich was engaged in active public and state activities, he was a prominent and enterprising leader: in different years, he held the positions of the Head of the Department, Director and Scientific Leader of the Joint Institute for High Temperatures RAS, Chairman of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, Deputy Chairman of the RF Government, Chairman of the RF State Committee for Science, Scientific and Technical Policy and Technology, Minister of Science and Technologies of Russia, Vice-President and then President of RAS, a foreign member of several academies of sciences, a laureate of numerous state and scientific awards and prizes, a cavalier of state and international orders and medals, a JINR Honorary Doctor. From 1996 to 1998, Vladimir Evgenievich was also Plenipotentiary Representative of the Government of the Russian Federation in our Institute and made a significant contribution to the operation of the Committee of Plenipotentiaries of the JINR Member States, a supreme governing body of our international intergovernmental organization.
I express deep and sincere condolences, words of sympathy and support to family, friends, and colleagues of V. E. Fortov.
We will keep a good memory of this bright man and a wonderful scientist.
JINR Director,
RAS Academician V. A. Matveev
Numerous publications dedicated to the memory of a great scientist and citizen V. E. Fortov were collected by the portal “Scientific Russia”. They included condolences of leading JINR scientists.
In recent years, Vladimir Evgenievich paid much attention to the topical issues of the development of energetics and studies on non-ideal plasma, the effects of ultrashort powerful laser pulses on matter. His research was ahead of time,” JINR First Vice-Director, RAS Academician G. V. Trubnikov told “Scientific Russia”.
“First of all, it is a huge loss for Russian science and the Russian Academy of Sciences. Vladimir Evgenievich was a prominent, extremely versatile person in all respects, he had a larger-than-life personality endowed with talents. No challenges could stop him. He was always confident and inspired others with his strength. He was a true missionary in science, a pillar of Russian science.
His scientific work in Chernogolovka and experiments, which he headed until the last day of his life, were ahead of our time. Vladimir Evgenievich always remained available for both students and a minister. He could always find time for everyone who interacted with him. He managed to devote time to everyone, he shared a part of his soul.”
Vladimir Fortov was a mentor for numerous young scientists. He supported them in every possible way, paid attention to everyone who asked him for help or advice, as RAS Academician Yu. Ts. Oganessian shared his memories of the colleague.
“Vladimir Fortov was a close person for me. We often discussed not only scientific issues interesting for us but also the events of our lives, we discussed the past and the future. The scientific community has lost a brilliant scientist, a very talented and capable man. He always considered problems, including scientific ones, from an unusual angle. And this was his peculiarity, a kind of the inner voice that distinguished him from other people.
He did a lot for the Academy and Russian science. He supported young scientists and considered them equally. It was a pleasure to watch him when he was talking to them and answering their questions. One could always meet a young man in his office who was speaking very enthusiastically about something. It is a truly irreparable loss.”