Academician Gheorghe Lazurievski

Academician Gheorghe Lazurievski graduated the Faculty of Chemistry (1930) and received his doctorate from the State University of Central Asia (1931-1932), and then hired as an assistant at the Department of Organic Chemistry of the same university. He is a disciple of Prof. Sergei Naumov. During 1939-1953 he held the position of vice-rector (1939) and rector (1941) of the Uzbek State University of Samarkand, the position of Dean of the Faculty of Chemistry (1944), then Vice-Rector of the Tashkent State University (1945-1953). In the autumn of 1953 he was named Head of the Department of Organic Chemistry of the State University of Chisinau, being at the same time the Dean of the Faculty of Chemistry (1954 -1956). Academician Lazurievski actively participated in the process of formation of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova (1961) and since 1956 he has been the head of the Department of Organic Chemistry and vice-president of the Moldovan Branch of A.S. of URSS (until 1961). Academician Lazurievski also contributed to the organization of the Institute of Chemistry (1959), and was apointed its director during 1961-1963. Over the years he also held the positions of scientific secretary general of the Presidium of A.S.M. (1963-1970), vice president of A.S.M. (1970-1972) and at the same time, coordinating academician of the Department of Biological and Chemical Sciences (1970-1973). 

Academician Gheorghe Lazurievski created the scientific school of organic and bioorganic chemistry in the Republic of Moldova and is the founder of the Laboratory of Chemistry of Natural Compounds (1959) of the Institute of Chemistry of ASM, which he led until in 1976. The main field of research concerns natural compounds, isolated from wild and cultivated plants, and from vegetable waste accumulated in the processing of vegetable raw materials. Back in Uzbekistan he undertook systematic research to highlight the content of alkaloids, essential oils, tannins, saponins etc. in these plants. The study of these compounds continued in Moldova, focusing on the local flora. Thus, the new alkaloids brevicolline and brevicarine were isolated from the Parma sedge species, determining their structure and stereochemistry, performing their mutual correlation, establishing their biosynthetic pathway and biological activity. This research laid the foundations for the development of the synthetic chemistry of indole and, in particular, β-carboline derivatives. Another field of study focused on diterpenoids isolated from sage - sclareol and related compounds. Over 50 new polyfunctional diterpenoids with complex clerodanic and cauranic structures have been isolated from local plant species of the Labiate, Umbelliferae and Compositae families. He also researched triterpene glycosides, approx. 30 of such compounds have been isolated and identified from crops (cucumbers, beets, beans, sunflowers, etc.) and from a series of spontaneous plants, and their structure has been established. Subsequently, the steroidal glycosides of the furostanolic and spirostanolic series were investigated, and a total of over 50 new compounds were described. His concerns also related to the isolation and identification of the active ingredients in hashish - the cannabinoids. Pentoses, lignins and cellulose extracted from a series of plants have been studied.

Academician Lazurievski authored of over 250 scientific papers, including 10 patents and 6 monographs:

• Alkaloid-bearing plants of Moldova (1960); 
• Practical Guide on the Chemistry of Natural Compounds (1961, 1966, et al.);
• Bicyclic diterpenoids (1968, et al.); 
• The Cannabinoids (1972, et al.);
• Alkaloids and plants (1975, et al.); 
• Steroid glycosides of the spirostane series (1979, et al.); 
• Metabolites of custard pepper (1983, et al.); 
• Structure and biological activity of steroid glycosides of spirostane and furostane series (1987, et al.). 

Under the leadership of academician Lazurievski were successfully prepared and defended 10 doctor habilitate theses and 38 doctoral theses in chemical sciences; among the academician's disciples are: Academician Pavel Vlad, Academician of the Academy of Sciences of Uzbekistan Nail Abubakirov, Dr. Hab. Pavel Chintea, Dr. Ida Terentieva and many, many others.

For special merits in the development of science, academician Gheorghe Lazurievski was awarded the honorary titles of "Emeritus of Science" and winner of the State Prize of the Republic of Moldova in science, he was decorated with the order "Badge of Honor" and two "Red Labor Flag" orders .

In memoriam
In 2009, a commemorative plaque "Academician Gheorghe Lazurievski" was inaugurated at the Institute of Chemistry of the Academy of Sciences of Moldova.

References
Г. B. Лaзypевскuй (1906-1987). Жuзнь моя - химия pacmeнuй. Cmpaнuцы жизни u mвopчecmвa. Cocт. И. B. Tepeнтьевa, Кишинев, 1995. 
D. Batîr. Căpitan de verde plai. Buletinul A.Ş.M. Ştiinţe Biologice şi Chimice, 2001, nr. 1.
Membrii Academiei de Științe a Moldovei: Dicționar (1961-2006). Chișinău: Știința, 2006.
D. Batîr, Neliniștea memoriei. Evoluția chimiei în Moldova și avatarurile vieții. Chișinău, 2007.
D. Batîr. Viața mea este chimia plantelor. Gheorghe LAZURIEVSKI la 100 de ani de la naştere. Intellectus, 2006, 3, p.65-67.
https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gheorghe_Lazurievski 
https://ro.wikipedia.org/wiki/Categorie:Academicieni_moldoveni 
http://enciclopedia.asm.md/?p=4647