Journal of the 39th International Chemistry Olympiad Moscow Russia
Issue no.2 Sunday 15 July 2007

WELCOMETO MOSCOWThis July the International Chemistry Olympiad isheld in Moscow, the capital of Russia.The Olympiad
is hosted by Moscow State University (MSU), theoldest and most famous University in Russia, and its
Chemistry Department, one of the MSU leading education and research centers. The event is supported by
Ministry of Education and Science of Russian Federation. Moscow State University has a long lasting
tradition of holding science Olympiads. These efforts
enable us to distinguish talented young students interested in research and capable of bringing science
to a new level. In this respect, we prepare motivating problems for the IChO, which help students toreveal their creativity and make them feel the beautyand variety of ideas of chemistry. It is a great honor
for us to host such an outstanding international event. We will do our best to
provide for fair competition and let all
our guests experience the atmosphereof warmness and open-heartedness, aswell as to give them an opportunity tomake many new friends and enjoy remarkable sights of Moscow.
Welcome to Moscow,
welcome to MSU
Chemistry Department!

V. Lunin

President of the 39th IChO
Dean of MSU Chemistry Department, Professor,
Member of Russian Academy of Sciences

Journal of the 39th International Chemistry Olympiad Moscow Russia
Issue no.2 Sunday 15 July 2007

Moscow
HISTORY

Moscow is the capital of Russia andthe country’s economic, financial,educational, and transportation centre. The most populous city in Europe, Moscow has a population of
12.6 million, which constitutes about
7% of the total Russian population.
The city is named after the Moskva-River. The origin of the nameis unknown, although several theories exist. This word could comefrom different languages and means“dark” and “turbid”, “cow-river” or“bear-river”.
The first Russian reference to Moscow dates from 1147 when Yuri Dolgoruki called upon the prince of the
Novgorod Republic to “come to me,brother, to Moscow.” Nine years later, in 1156, he ordered the construc-tion of a wooden wall, which had tobe rebuilt multiple times, to surroundthe emerging city.
In 1240 began Tatar control thatbrought death, war and union of Russian people. Only in 1480, Ivan III
had finally broken the Russians freefrom Tatar control and relocated theRussian capital to Moscow (previouscapitals were Kiev and Vladimir).
The city ceased to be Russia’s capital in 1712, after the founding of St.
Petersburg by Peter the Great on theBaltic coast in 1703. But all peopleof the world continued to name Moscow “the heart of Russia”. That’s
why Napoleon, who invaded Russia in 1812, wanted to get the key ofMoscow. But the Muscovites burned
the city and evacuated. Napoleon’sarmy, plagued by hunger, cold, andpoor supply lines, was forced to retreat and was almost destroyed by
Russian military forces.
In November 1941 during the Great
Patriotic War German Army Group
Centre made plan “Typhoon” whichmain goal was to occupy Moscow.
But German Army was stopped at
the outskirts of the city and thendriven off in the course of the Battleof Moscow that continued severalmonths.
The collections of the world-famous Moscow’s museums and galleries are some of the largest andmost important in the world. Oneof the most notable art museums inMoscow is the Tretyakov Gallery,
which was founded by Pavel Tretyakov, a wealthy patron of the arts whodonated a large private collection
to the city. There are the works ofpainter Ilya Repin and iconographer

Andrei Rublev. Another art museum
is the Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts.
Its halls are a cross-section of world
civilizations, with many plaster castsof ancient sculptures. However, italso hosts famous paintings from every major Western era of art; works
by Claude Monet, Paul Cezanne, andPablo Picasso are all sampled there.
Moscow is also the heart of Russian
performing arts, including ballet andfilm. Among its many theatres andballet studios are the Bolshoi Theatre
and the Malyi Theatre, Vakhtangov
Theatre and Moscow Art Theatre.
There are 1696 high schools in Moscow, as well as 91 colleges. Besides
these, there are 222 institutions offering higher education in Moscow, including 60 state universities and theLomonosov Moscow State University, which was founded in 1755. It
has over 30,000 undergraduate and
7,000 postgraduate students, whohave a choice of twenty-nine faculties and 350 departments for study.
Moscow is known as one of the mostimportant science centres in Russia.
The headquarters of the Russian Academy of Sciences are located in Moscow as well as numerous research
and applied science institutions.

Journal of the 39th International Chemistry Olympiad Moscow Russia
Issue no.2 Sunday 15 July 2007

MOSCOW STATE UNIVERSITY NAMED
BY M. V. LOMONOSOVCHEMISTRY DEPARTMENT

Moscow University is the oldest
Russian institution of higher education. It was established in 1755. On
25 January, St. Tatiana’s Day according to the Russian Orthodox Church
calendar, Empress Elizaveta Petrovna signed the degree that a university should be founded in Moscow.

The opening ceremony took place
on 26 April, when Elizaveta Petrovna’s coronation day was celebrated.
Since 1755 25 January and 26 April
are marked by special events andfestivities at Moscow University; theannual conference where students
present the results of their research
work is traditionally held in April.
In the 18th century, the university had three faculties: the Facultyof Philosophy, The Faculty of Medicine, and the Law Faculty. Now itcomprises 29 faculties and over 350
departments, 15 research institutes,
4 museums, the Science Park, the Bo-tanical Garden, The Library, the University Publishing House and printing
shop, a recreational centre and a boarding school for talented children.
The founder of Moscow University,
Mikhail Lomonosov, was one of thebest chemists in his time. In 1755 heestablished the Laboratory of Chemistry which later envolved into the Department of Chemistry. The Chemistry
Department of Moscow State University is a world-known center forChemistry education. It includes 17chairs, 83 laboratories. 1048 students
and 283 postgraduates study at theDepartment. 11 full members of Russian Academy of Sciences, 4 corresponding members and 202 professors

holding PhD and Doctoral Degreesin Chemistry are now preparing students to become high class specialists
in modern chemistry. The Department ofChemistry is a world-known center for
scientific research. Researches of the Faculty create new semiconductors and hightemperature superconductors, synthesize
new complex organic and organoelement
compounds, develop catalysts for oil
refining and nanochemistry, synthesize new medicines, new polymers
with liquid crystal properties, develop new biotechnological processes.

Issue no.1
sundayRussia
15 july
Journal of the 39th International Chemistry Olympiad
Moscow
Issue no.2 Sunday 15 July 2007

CHEMISTRY DEPARTMENT MEETS FRIENDS

Police - 02
Fire station and ambulance - 911
39th IChO office (for urgent calls only):
Alexander Gladilin +7 (916) 555 - 70 - 27
Vadim Eremin +7 (916) 611 - 88 - 90
Elena Eremina +7 (916) 133 - 00 - 55
Mentor Support:
Alexander Veresov +7 (910) 452 - 41 - 23
Student support:
Ekaterina Yakubovich +7 (916) 676 - 91 - 00
Guest support:
Alexandra (Shura) Prokhorova +7 (916) 587 - 60-26

Tomorrow program
Monday July 16th
8.00-8.30 Breakfast, Olympiets
8.40 Buses depart to the Opening Ceremony,
MSU
11.00-13.00 Opening Ceremony, MSU
13.00-15.00 Welcome Reception, MSU
15.00-18.00 Moscow City tour
18.00-19.00 Transfer to Olimpiets
19.00-21.00 Dinner, Olympiets
21.00-23.55 Disco