Next Main index Boris Vladimirovich Gnedenko was born in Simbirsk but his family, who were of Ukrainian origin, moved to Kazan when he was only three years old and it was in Kazan that he received his school education. He was a brilliant school pupil. In 1927, when he was only fifteen years old, Gnedenko tried to enter the University of Saratov. However, he was too young to meet the official entry requirements and only after he kept arguing his case did Lunacharskii, the Soviet Minister of Education, personally recommend that he be allowed to enter university. Gnedenko himself wrote of his reasons for studying mathematics at university.
Most mathematicians study the subject because they develop such a deep love of the topic.
He therefore selected mathematics as his life study. It is worth noting at this stage that Gnedenko's choice of mathematics did not save him from having the most severe problems with the Soviet authorities later in his life, as we describe below. It is also worth commenting that, even if he did not choose mathematics through a love of the subject when he was young, he certainly showed throughout his career that he deeply loved the topic. He graduated in 1930 after only three years of university study. This was because the normal five year course was shortened to three years on account of a decision by the government.