News
July and August are two months when inhabitants of Saint Petersburg can enjoy life at a summer residence, at the sea and in nature. Activity of the HSR during these months practically comes to a stop. However there are events which HSR members can neither ignore nor fail to participate in. Such an event took place on 25th August, when HSR members together with officers and employees of the Russian Hydrographic Service gathered to congratulate one of the founders of Hydrographic Society of Russia. He is full member of the Russian Geographic Society, Honoured Scientist, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Science (RAS), Doctor, Professor, Rear-Admiral Alexandr Ivanovich Sorokin - who has turned 80 years old!

It is fascinating to see the broad range of scientific interests which determined the direction of service activities in the course of which A. I. Sorokin solved problems connected with fields of scientific knowledge related to hydrography and closely-related sciences such as geodesy, carto-graphy, oceanography and navigation. A number of works have been dedicated to answering questions in the fields including mathematics and informatics. These scientific works have in Russia become the theoretical foundation for modern hydrography and have allowed placing it closer to fundamental sciences.

His greatest work was conducted in the field of terminology. A.I. Sorokin is the author of books on English- American terminology, including an English-Russian Dictionary of navigation, hydrography and oceanography. This has offered a greatly enhanced opportunity for Russian hydrographers to familiarise themselves with world achievements in the field of hydrography. Brilliant erudition, a high intellectual, cultural and professional niveau and broad range of interests determined the scientific and pedagogic career of this Head of the Scientific Research Oceanographic Centre and Head of the Department of Hydrography at the Naval Academy. A.I. Sorokin participated in many international scientific conferences and took part in a number of sea expeditions to the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. In the late 1950s and early 1960s he was one of the first to conduct research into the drifting ice of the Arctic Ocean. His numerous disciples – hydrographers and oceanographers – are spread not only across Russia but also in the Ukraine, Byelorussia and other countries of the Baltic, Germany, Poland, China and Africa.

At present A.I. Sorokin is a consultant for RAS and the RAS Institute of Lake. HSR members warmly congratulated Alexandr Ivanovich Sorokin on his birthday and presented him with presents to mark it, flowers and wishes of good health, happiness and creative longevity.

Contact
Hydrographic Society Russia (HSR)
Att. Viktor Rybine
Kozhevennaja linija 41
Saint-Petersburg 199106
Russia
Tel/Fax: +7 812 350 5026