NIKOLAI VANIN – CLASSMATE, FELLOW STUDENT, FRIEND

Pavel B. Firsov
Far Eastern Regional Hydrometeorological Research Institute (FERHRI)
Vladivostok

Editor’s note. Just before the publication of the Journal, the editors received sad news about the death of the author of the article, Pavel B. Firsov. Thus, the author’s contribution to the memory of his friend became a kind of monument to himself. And the article itself is a sign of respect to two worthy people and outstanding professionals.

Abstract: Dear reader! Today we offer you an article about interesting person – Nikolai Sergeevich Vanin, which was prepared by one of his co-workers, who knew him very well. Nikolai S. Vanin was a well-known scientist, specialist in oceanology and geography. For almost 50 years he took part in the work of marine research centers in the Russian Far East, became a Ph.D (geography) and a senior researcher in TINRO1. Fishing Oceanography Laboratory with fundamental knowledge in the fields of physical oceanology, thermodynamics of the Japan Sea, was well skilled in programming and modern methods of computer processing of oceanological databases. He died in 2017, but the memory about him is alive in the hearts of his friends.

Keywords: Nikolai Vanin, World Ocean, oceanology, FESU2,

students, hydrology

PAGES OF MEMORY

School

I met Nikolai in June 1965, when we were both in the 9th grade of a secondary school in the village of Kavalerovo, Primorsky Region. Teachers immediately noted Nikolai Vanin’s abilities in mathematics, physics and chemistry.

As far as I remember, among the classmates in the school, and later, among oceanology students at the Far Eastern State University, he was always the first in academic achievements. Nikolai’s talent was immediately discovered in various fields, for example, in sports and amateur activities.We performed often, and always with success.

What I liked about Kolya3, since the school…Shyness and modesty, at the same time exceptional perseverance and efficiency. Smart brains – he quickly solved difficult problems, both at school, in FESU or on the ships of FERHRI, mastered the methods of processing and analyzing observation materials.

I was also impressed by his exceptional honesty, lack of desire for conflict (ability to get along with everyone). Kolya had no enemies. After school a young man is usually choosing a university for higher education. For us it was both difficult and accidental. “Avangard” newspaper, published in our regional district, told about the admission of high school graduates to the Geophysical Faculty (departments of Oceanology, Meteorology, Land Hydrology and Geography) of FESU. And our chemistry teacher recommended that

we go there. So we chose a profession and a destiny.
The World Ocean attracted everybody, who had read the books of famous Thor Heyerdahl, Auguste Piccard, Jacques-Yves Cousteau4. We got excellent marks in the school graduate exams and began to train for admission exams to the FESU Geophysical Faculty. Kolya was the first to go to Vladivostok. He got a room in the dormitory and informed us about the exams schedule. Then we, young applicants, also came to Vladivostok to begin students’ life. In the youth we thought to live forever. Now it is clear that life passes very quickly.

FESU

Three of us passed the entrance exams with “good” and “excellent.” And Kolya passed all the exams with “excellent”. Head of the Department of Oceanology congratulated all applicants on admission to FESU. As for our “four”, he noted us in particular.

The first years of study at the university passed quickly. Every summer Nikolai flew to Sakhalin with the geographical staff of the Department of Geography of FESU to study the geomorphology and structure of waters in the Busse lagoon. And even at that time his talent as real researcher and ocean scientist began to express itself. After the 4th year of study Nikolai with me and several other fellow students got a permission for abroad navigation. In the “Department of Marine Expeditions” of FERHRI we were offered to take part in a two-month

scientific voyage to study water and heat transfer in the Kurile Straits on the scientific-research vessel “A.I.Voeikov” with a 5-day call in Yokohama (Japan).

I believe that we, young trainees, were very lucky: Head of the expedition was A.I. Duvanin, a Soviet oceanologist and an expert on tides, Ph.D (geographical sciences), professor at Lomonosov Moscow State University. The captain of the vessel of “A.I. Voeikov” was V.G. Alper – a well known skipper in the Far East marine basin.

The first scientific voyage (July – August 1971)

Together with Nikolai and me, Boris Chernyshov, the head of the student group, and several other junior oceanology students went on the sea. We were all assigned to hydrological watches as assistants – to deploy and to remove Niskin bottle (a kind of bathometer – hydrological equipment) ), to measure the water temperature, to take part in the deploying of buoys with current-meters, to handle the information about currents’ indications. After four years of theory education, practical training was new to us, and we gained a lot of useful skills.

Our ship worked hard for a month in the Kurile Straits after which Japan finally gave permission to enter port of Yokohama for crew rest and bunkering with fuel, water and fresh food.

The Japanese welcomed us very hospitably. While staying in Japan we have visited Tokyo with its “Tokyo Tower” and Emperor’s Palace, and in addition of this Mount Fujiyama.

We got a lot of impressions from all this places. Pic.2 shows the author of this article, Nikolai Vanin and Boris Chernyshov during a tour of the Emperor’s Palace.

(End of introductory fragment)