Remembrances about Rudolf Vladimirovich Kamelin, the Great Botanist

Abstract

This article is dedicated to the memory of an outstanding botanist and plant researcher of the Soviet Union and Russia, a prominent expert in the field of plant taxonomy and geography, comparative floristry and florogenetics, and the history of flora of Eurasia, Rudolf V. Kamelin. The article presents previously unpublished autobiographical memories about the acquaintance and joint work of R. V. Kamelin and the Head of Research Laboratory for Nature Protection of the Committee of Environmental Protection under the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan Neimatullo Safarov. The period of time covered by the article is from the 70s of the 20th Century to 2016. Along with the remembrances of the joint activities, this article specially notes the contribution of R. V. Kamelin to the establishment and development of Tajik botany science as well, particularly to developing classification principles for vegetation and methods of florogenetic analysis and botanical-geographical zoning. It is noted that despite the fact that the basis of florogenetics in Central Asia belonged to M.G. Popov, the practical and theoretical rationale and logical finalization of the concept of florogenetics based on the analysis of flora of this region were completed by R. V. Kamelin, that is reflected in his book “Florogenetic Analysis of Natural Flora of Mountainous Central Asia”. In general, the composition of the article and the combination of descriptions of scientific achievements and individual episodes of collaboration give a characterization of R. V. Kamelin as not only a great scientist, who made a significant contribution to the development of Tajik, Russian and global science, but also as an extraordinary man