What I invented Nobel. Swedish chemist Nobel Alfred: biography, invention of dynamite, founder of the Nobel Prize

Alfred Nobel, Swedish experimental chemist and businessman, the inventor of dynamite and other explosives, who wished to establish a charity foundation for awarding the award of his name, who brought him posthumous fame, was distinguished by incredible contradictory and paradoxicality of behavior. Contemporaries believed that he did not correspond to the image of the successful capitalist of the era of the stormy industrial development of the 2nd halves XIX. in. Nobel is to solitude, peace, could not tolerate urban turmoil, although he had a major part of his life, he had been able to live in urban conditions, and he also traveled quite often. Unlike many modern, Nobel's business world was called by the "Spartan" rather, since he never smoked, did not use alcohol, avoided maps and other gambling.

Despite the Swedish origin, he rather was a cosmopolitan of a European sense, well-spoken in French, German, Russian and englishAs if they were native to him. Nobel's commercial and industrial activities could not prevent the creation of his largest library, where it was possible to familiarize themselves with the works of such authors as Herbert Spencer, an English philosopher, a supporter of the introduction of the Darwin theory of evolution in the laws of human being, Voltaire, Shakespeare and other outstanding authors. Among the Writers of the XIX century. Nobel has allocated the most French writers, he admired the novelist and poet Viktor Hugo, the master of the short story of Gi de Maupassant, an outstanding novelist on the Nenore de Balzac, from whom the human comedy could not hire, and the poet Alphonse Lamartin.

Mother Alfred - Andrietta

He also loved the work of the exquisite Russian novelist Ivan Turgenev and the Norwegian playwright and the poet Heinrich Ibsen. The naturalistic motives of the French novelist Emil Zola nevertheless did not displeasure his imagination. Moreover. He impressed the poetry of Percy Bishi Shelly, whose works even awakened in him the intention to devote themselves to literary creativity. By this time, he wrote a significant number of plays, novels and poems, of which, however, only one work was published. But then he coiled to literature classes and fixed all his thoughts to the career of the chemist.

Nobyl did not cost anything to puzzle his younger companions to the actions that had discouraged him the reputation of an ardent supporter of liberal public views. It even existed that he is a socialist. That in fact it was completely different, since he was a conservative in economics and politics, with all their might resisted the provision of election law to women and expressed serious doubts about the benefits of democracy. Nevertheless, few people believed in the political wisdom of the masses, few people despalted despotism. As the tenant of hundreds of workers, he showed literally to take care of their health and well-being, not wanting to establish personal contacts with anyone. He came to the conclusion inherent insight with him with higher moral qualities more productive than a roughly exploited mass, it may have gained a socialist reputation.

Nobel was completely unassuming in life and even something ascetic. He trusted little and never conducted diaries. Even at the dinner table and in the circle of friends, he was only an attentive listener, equally polite and delicate with everyone. Lunches, which he sat down at home, in one of the fashionable areas of Paris, were festive and at the same time elegant: he was a hospitable owner and an interesting interlocutor, able to cause any guest to an exciting conversation. When they demanded circumstances, it was worth it to take advantage of his sharply to peppercutivity, about what, for example, testifies one of his fleeting remark: "All the French are in the lucky confidence that mental abilities are exclusively French heritage."

Father Alfred - Emmanuel

He was a slim man of medium height, dark-haired, with dark blue eyes and a beard. In the fashion of that time, he wore a pensna on a black shoe.

Without possessing strong health, Nobel is sometimes capricious, retired and visited the depressed mood. He could work very hard, but then with difficulty reached healing peace. He often traveled, trying to take advantage healing power Different Resorts S. mineral sourcesThat was at the time popular and generally accepted part of the health care regime. One of his favorite places was a source in Ishle, in Austria, where he even held a small yacht. He really liked to be in Baden-Bai-wines, not far from Vienna, where Sophie Hess met. In 1876 she was a charming miniature 20-year-old girl - he was 43 at that time. There was nothing surprising that Nobel fell in love with Sofishhen, the saleswoman of a flower store, took with him to Paris and provided an apartment at her disposal. A young woman called himself Madame Nobel, but years later chose that if something connected them was financial assistance from his part. Their connection finally stopped around 1891, a few years before the death of Nobel.

Contrary to the weakness of their health Nobel was capable of leaving his head to hard work. He possessed a magnificent warehouse of the researcher's mind and loved classes in his chemical laboratory. Nobel managed its industrial empire scattered around the world with the help of a whole "team" of directors of numerous independent companies, in which Nobel possessed 20 ... 30 percent share of capital. Despite the rather modest financial interest, Nobel personally looked through numerous details of the main decision making companies using his name in their name. According to one of his biographers, "In addition to scientific and commercial activities, Nobel spent a lot of time on conducting extensive correspondence, and every detail from the business correspondence he copied only himself, starting with account statements and ending with accounting calculations."

In early 1876, wanting to hire a housekeeper and personal secretary part-time, he gave an announcement to one of the Austrian newspapers: "Wealthy and highly educated elderly gentleman living in Paris, seizes the desire to hire a person of mature age with language preparation to work as Secretary and housekeepers. " One of the answers to the announcement was 33-year-old Berta Kinski, who worked at the time in Vienna Gvernance. Deciding, she headed to Paris for an interview and impressed Nobel with his appearance and translation speed. But only a week later, the longing of the Motherland called her back to Vienna, where she married Baron Arthur background of Zuntover, the son of her own mistress. However, she was destined to meet with Nobel, and the last 10 years of his life they corresponded, discussing the projects of strengthening peace on Earth. Berta von Zutner became the leading figure in the struggle for peace on the European continent, which a considerable degree contributed to the financial support for the Nobel movement. She was honored Nobel Prize World of 1905

For the past five years of life, Nobel worked with a personal assistant, Ragnar Solman, a young Swedish chemist, distinguished by extreme tacty and patience. Solman simultaneously served as secretary and laboratory technicians. The young man managed to like the Nobyl and conquer his trust so much that he called him not otherwise as the "chief performer of his desires." "It was not always easy to serve as his assistant," Solman recalled, "he was demanding in his requests, frank and always seemed impatient. Anyone had the case with him followed how to shake up to sleep behind the jumps of his thoughts and be prepared for the most Amazing his whims, when he suddenly appeared and just disappeared quickly. "

During his life, Nobel often showed extraordinary generosity towards Solman and other employees. When his assistant was going to marry, Nobel immediately doubled his salary, and earlier, when his French-franger was married, he gave her 40 thousand francs to her, a huge amount for those times. However, Nobel's charity often went beyond his personal and professional contacts. So, not believing a zealous parishioner, he often sacrificed money on the activities of the Paris branch of the Swedish Church in France, whose pastor in the early 90s. The last century was Nathan Sederblum, then became the archbishop of the Lutheran Church in Sweden and awarded the Nobel Peace Prize of 1930

Alfred Bernhard Nobel was born on October 21, 1833 in Stockholm and became the fourth child in the family. He was born very weak, and all his childhood was noted by numerous diseases. In the youthful years, Alfred has a close and warm relationship with the mother, who remained such in the later years: he often visited the mother and supported a lively correspondence with her.

After unsuccessful trying Heavy times came to organize their work on the production of elastic fabric for Emmanuel, and in 1837, leaving a family in Sweden, he left first to Finland, and from there - to St. Petersburg, where it was quite actively engaged in the production of mines charged by powder explosives, turning Machines and machine accessories. In October 1842, when Alfred was 9 years old, the whole family came to the Father in Russia, where the increased welfare made it possible to hire a private tutor for a boy. He showed himself a hardworking student capable of and manifesting a craving for knowledge, especially fond of chemistry.
In 1850, when Alfred reached the age of 17, he went to a long journey through Europe, during which he visited Germany, France, and then the United States of America. In Paris, he continued to study chemistry, and in the USA met with John Eriksson, the Swedish inventor of the steam car, which later developed a project of the armored warship (the so-called "monitor").

Returning to St. Petersburg in three years, Alfred Nobel began to work in the company Fantry "Fonders E Atetel Mekanik Nobel E Fiy" ("Founderize End Machines Shops of Nobel & Sanz"), located on a lift that specialized in the production of ammunition during the Crimean Wars (1853 ... 1856). At the end of the war, the company was reproached to the production of machines and parts for steamboats facing for swimming in the Caspian Sea basin and the Volga River. Nevertheless, orders for the products of peacetime were not enough to cover the harvest in orders of the military department, and by 1858 the company began to worry about the financial crisis. Alfred with his parents returned to Stockholm, while Robert and Ludwig remained in Russia to eliminate the case and salvation of at least part of the investment. Returning to Sweden, Alfred devoted all his time to mechanical and chemical experiments, having obtained three patents for inventions. This work supported his subsequent interest in the experiments carried out in a small laboratory, which his father was equipped in his estate in the suburb of the capital.

At this time, the only explosive for min (regardless of their destination - in military or peaceful purposes) was a black powder. Nevertheless, it was already known that nitroglycerin in solid form is an extremely powerful explosive, the use of which is associated with an exceptional risk due to its evaporation. Nobody at that time could not determine how to manage it detonation. After several short experiments with Nitroglycerin Emmanuel Nobel sent Alfred to Paris to search for a source of research financing (1861); His mission was successful, since he managed to get a loan in the amount of 100 thousand francs. Despite his father's perspective, Alfred refused to participate in this project. But in 1863 he managed to invent a practical detonator, which provided for the use of powder for the bang of nitroglycerin. This invention has become one of the cornerstone of its reputation and well-being.

Emil Osterman.
Portrait of Alfred Nobel

One of Nobel's biographers, Eric Bergengen, describes this device in the following way:
"In the original form ... [The detonator] was designed in such a way that the initiation of the explosion of liquid nitroglycerin, which was kept in the metal tank itself or was filled into the core channel, was carried out by an explosion of a smaller charge inserted under the main charge, and a smaller charge He consisted of a powder concluded in a wooden penalty with a cork, which was placed igniter. "

To strengthen the effect, the inventor has repeatedly changed the individual details of the structure, and as a final improvement in 1865, he replaced the wooden penalty with a metal caps, stained by the detonating mercury. The invention of this so-called explosion capsule into the explosion technology was laid the principle of initial ignition. This phenomenon has become fundamental for all subsequent work in this area. The specified principle turned into reality effective use Nitroglycerin, and subsequently - and other evaporating explosives as independent explosives. In addition, this principle allowed to begin to study the properties of explosive materials.

In the process of improving the invention, the laboratory of Emmanuel Nobel suffered from the explosion, the 21-year-old Son of Emmanuel, Emil, was among the dead. After a short time, the father broke palsy, and the remaining eight years of life to death in 1872 he spent in bed, in a stationary state.

Despite the hostility in society in relation to the production and use of Nitroglycerin, Nobel in October 1864 convinced the Board of the Swedish State Railway to adopt the explosive for laying the tunnels. To produce this substance, he achieved financial support from Swedish merchants: the company "Nitroglycerin, Ltd." was established. And the plant has erected. During the first years of the company's existence, Nobel was the administrative director, a technologist, head of the advertising bureau, head of the Office and Treasurer. He also arranged frequent on-site demonstrations of its products. Among buyers, the Central Pacific Railway (in the American West), which used Nobel Nitroglycerin was produced by Nobel Nitroglycerin to lay the railway canvase through the Sierra Nevada Mountains. After receiving a patent for the invention in other countries, Nobel founded the first of its foreign companies "Alfred Nobel End to °" (Hamburg, 1865).

Photo in San Remo

Although the Nobyl was able to resolve all the main security problems of production, its buyers sometimes showed carelessness in handling explosives. This led to accidental explosions and deaths of people, to some prohibitions of imports of dangerous products. Despite this, Nobel continued to expand his business. In 1866, he received a patent in the United States and spent three months there, extracting funds for the Hamburg enterprise and demonstrating its "exploding oil." Nobel decided to establish an American company, which after some organizational events began to be called "Atlantic Jait Rouder to °" (after the death of Nobel, it was acquired by the company "E.I. Dupon de Nemur and to °"). The inventor felt the cold reception from the American businessman who passionately wanted to divide the profit from the activities of companies producing liquid explosives. Later he recorded: "For mature reflection, life in America seemed to me with something unpleasant. The exaggerated desire to squeeze profits is a pedanthism, which is able to overshadow the joy of communication with people and disrupt the feeling of respect for them through the idea of \u200b\u200bthe true motives of their activities" .

Although nitroglycerin explosives when proper use It was an effective material for explosive work, it was so often a mounted in accidents (including the fact that the factory of the plant in Hamburg and the land alone) that Nobel was constantly looking for ways to stabilize Nitroglycerin. He suddenly came across the idea to mix liquid nitroglycerin with a chemically inert porous substance. Its first practical steps in the selected direction was the use of Kizeligur (diatomitis), absorbent material. Mixed with nitroglycerin, such materials could be molded in the form of sticks and insert into the drilled holes. Patented in 1867. The new explosable material was called "Dynamite, or a safe explosive nobel powder."

A new explosive made it possible to carry out such exciting projects as the laying of an alpine tunnel in the Saint-Gotard railway, removal of underwater cliffs in Helle Gate, located in East River (New York), clearing the Danube beds in the area of \u200b\u200bthe Iron Gate or the gasket of the Corinthian Channel in Greece. Dynamite has also become a means of conducting drilling work on the Baku oil fields, and the last enterprise is famous for the fact that the two brothers Nobel, known for their activity and businesslikeness, became so rich that they were not called them anything like "Russian Rockefellers." Alfred was the largest individual investor in companies organized by his brothers.

Nobel posthumous mask
(Carlskoga, Sweden)

Although Alfred had patent rights to dynamite and other materials (obtained as a result of its improvement) registered in the main countries in the 70s. XIX century, he constantly did not give rest to the competitors who crawled his technological secrets. During these years, he refused to hire the secretary or legal adviser engaged in the full-time service, and therefore was forced to spend a lot of time on litigation on violation of his patent rights.

In the 70s and 80s. XIX century Nobel has expanded the network of its enterprises in the main European countries at the expense of a victory over competitors and through the formation of cartels with competitors in the interests of checking prices and markets. Thus, he founded the global chain of enterprises within the framework of national corporations for the purpose of production and trade in explosives, adding a new explosive to improved dynamite. Military use of these substances began with the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 ... 1871, but in continuation of the life of Nobel, the study of explosive materials for military purposes was an unprofitable enterprise. He received a tangible benefit from its risky projects just due to the use of dynamite when building tunnels, channels, railways and motorways.

Describing the consequences of the fact of the invention of dynamite for Nobel himself, Bergengren writes: "It did not pass the day so that he should have faced face to face with vital problems: financing and formation of companies; attracting conscientious partners and assistants to managerial posts, and suitable masters and qualified workers - For direct production, which is extremely sensitive to the observance of technology and pays a lot of dangers; the construction of new buildings on remote construction sites in compliance with confusing norms and safety rules in accordance with the peculiarities of the legislation of each individual country. Inventor with all the fervor of the soul participated in planning and The introduction of new projects, but rarely applied for help to his staff to work out the details of various companies. "

Bust at the entrance to the villa in which Alfred Nobel lived in San Remo

The biographer characterizes a ten-year-old Nobel life cycle that followed the invention of dynamite as "restless and overwhelming all nerves." After his move from Hamburg to Paris in 1873, he could sometimes retake in his personal laboratory, which occupied part of his house. To assist in this work, he attracted George D. Ferrenbach, a young French chemist who worked with him for 18 years.

If there was a choice, Nobel, most likely, the commercial activity would prefer their laboratory classes, but his company demanded priority attention, since to meet the increasing demand for the production of explosives, new enterprises had to be built. In 1896, the year of Nobel's death, there were 93 enterprises producing about 66.5 thousand tons of explosives, including all its varieties, such as mechanical charges of shells and smokeless powder, which Nobel patented between 1887 and 1891. A new explosive could be a substitute for black powder and was relatively inexpensive in production.

When organizing the sales market of smokeless powder (ballistics), Nobel sold his patent Italian government authorities, which led to a conflict with the French government. He was accused of the stealing of an explosive, deprivation of the French government monopoly on him; In his laboratory was searched, and it was closed; Its enterprise was also forbidden to produce ballistic. Under these conditions, in 1891, Nobel decided to leave France, founding his new residence in San Remo, located in the Italian Riviera. Even without taking into account the scandal around the ballistic, it was hardly possible to name the Paris years of Nobel cloudless: his mother died in 1889, a year after the death of his older brother Ludwig. Moreover, the commercial activity of the Parisian stage of Nobel's life was overshadowed by the participation of its Paris Association in dubious speculation related to the unsuccessful attempt to lay the Panama Canal.

At his villa in San Remo, towering over the Mediterranean Sea, drowning in orange trees, Nobel built a small chemical laboratory, where he worked as soon as possible. Among other things, he experimented in the region of obtaining synthetic rubber and artificial silk. Nobel loved San Remo for his amazing climate, but also kept warm memories of the land of the ancestors. In 1894, he acquired a ferrous factory in Vermland, where at the same time built the estate and got a new laboratory. He spent the last two summer seasons in Vermland. In the summer of 1896, his brother Robert died. At the same time, Nobel began to torment pain in the heart.

At consultation with specialists in Paris, he was warned about the development of chest toads associated with the insufficient supply of the heart muscle with oxygen. He was recommended to go on vacation. Nobel moved again to San Remo. He tried to complete the unfinished affairs and left his own recording of the death wishes. After midnight, on December 10, 1896, he died from hemorrhage to the brain. In addition to servants, the Italians who did not understand him, with Nobel did not turn out of anyone close at the time of leaving life, and his last words remained unknown.

The origins of Nobel's testament with the formulation of the provision on awarding awards for achievements in various fields of human activity leave a lot of ambiguities. The document in the final form represents one of the editions of its previous borrowings. His posthumous gift for awarding premiums in the field of literature and the field of science and technology logically follows from the interests of Nobel himself, in contact with the indicated parties of human activity: physics, physiology, chemistry, literature. There is also reason to assume that the establishment of premiums for peacekeeping activities is related to the desire of the inventor to celebrate people who, like him, resistant to violence. In 1886, he, for example, told his English friend, which has "more and more serious intention to see the peaceful shoots of red rose in this splitting world."

As an inventor who had a rich imagination, and a businessman who operated in the industrial and commercial interests of Alfred Nobel's ideas was a typical representative of his time. The paradox lies in the fact that he was a hermit, seeking solitude, and the World Glory would prevent peace of mind in life, to which he so passionately sought.

Reconservation of Alfred Nobel laboratory. The scientist is sitting in the right corner.

Alfred Bernhard Nobel (Swede Alfred Bernhard Nobel). Born on October 21, 1833 in Stockholm, Swedish-Norwegian Sania - died on December 10, 1896 in San Remo, the Kingdom of Italy. Swedish chemist, engineer, dynamite inventor. Western a huge fortune for the establishment of premiums awarded for the most important achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and contribute to the strengthening of the world. In his honor, the synthesized chemical element of nobels is named. In honor of Nobel, Nobel Physico-Chemical Institute in Stockholm and University in Dnepropetrovsk are named.

Alfred Nobel was born in Stockholm on October 21, 1833 in the Emmanuel family (Immanuel) (1801-1872) and Andrietta Nobel. He was the Third Son, there were eight children in the family, but survived, in addition to Alfred, only Robert, Ludwig and Emil.

An early autumn of 1842, Nobel's family moved to St. Petersburg, where Emmanuel began work to develop a torpedo.

In 1849, after seven years of stay of the Nobel family in St. Petersburg, the Father on the recommendation of the Russian Chemist Nikolai Nikolayevich Zinin sent the Son to study in Europe and America. Spring next year Sixteen-year-old Alfred Nobel left St. Petersburg. He visited Denmark, Germany, Italy, France and then America. The passage trip took about two years.

Returning to Russia, Nobel was engaged in conducting family factories who performed military orders for the Russian army. The Further prosperity of Nobel contributed to the Crimean War began in 1853.

In 1859, this began to engage in the second son of Emmanuel Nobel - Ludwig Emmanuel Nobel (1831-1888). Alfred, forced to return to Sweden with his father after the bankruptcy of the family case, devoted himself to the study of explosives, especially safe production and use of Nitroglycerin, opened in 1846 Askanio Sobero.

In 1868, Nobel received a patent for dynamite - a mixture of nitroglycerin with capable of absorbing its substances. Advertising his discovery, he conducted public demonstrations of a new explosive and read lectures on how it works. As a result, the invention of Nobel began to be interested in more and more people.

At the plant owned by the Nobel family, there were several explosions, in one of which in 1864 he died younger brother Nobel Emil and a few more workers. From the production of dynamite, other explosives and from the development of oil fields Baku ("Branobel"), in which he and his brothers Ludwig and Robert played a significant role, Alfred Nobel has accumulated a significant state.

Alfred Nobel's activity as a playwright is one of the little-known facts of his biography. His only play, "Nemesis", the 4-acting tragedy in prose about Beatrice Chengchi, was written when he was at death. The whole circulation published in Paris in 1896, apart from three copies, was destroyed immediately after his death, since the play was considered the church of scandalous and blasphemy. The first surviving edition (bilingual, Swedish and Esperanto) was published in Sweden in 2003, and in 2005, in Stockholm on the day of the death of a scientist, the premiere of the play took place.

Dynamite opening

In 1888, by mistake, reporters in the newspaper published a message about the death of Nobel. It had a serious impact on Alfred. When they began to write a millionaire on blood, the "explosive trader", the "dynamic king", he decided to do so as not to remain in the memory of mankind of the "global raising".

In 1889, he attended the World Congress of the world.

On December 10, 1896, Alfred Nobel died at her villa in San Remo, Italy, from hemorrhage to the brain. He was 63 years old. He was buried at the cemetery of Norra Begsheningsplates in Stockholm.

In 1970, the International Astronomical Union assigned the name of Alfred Nobel Kratera on the back of the moon.

On October 21, 1991, at the initiative of the Swedish Nobel Foundation, the Bronze Monument of Alfred Nobyl was opened at the International Fund of History of Science in the Petrograd Embankment near Nakhimovsky School.

In honor of A. Nobel, asteroid (6032) Nobel, open by astronomer Lyudmila Karachina in the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory on August 4, 1983.

Nobel inventions:

Dynamite. Nobel discovered that nitroglycerin in the inert substance, such as diatomaceous land (Kizelgur), becomes safer and more convenient for use, and this mixture in 1867 he patented dynamite.

Hardening jelly. Nobel joined nitroglycerin with another explosive, collodiment, and received a transparent jelly-like substance, higher explosives than dynamite. The rattling jelly, as he was named, was patented in 1876. The experiments followed experiments on the preparation of such combinations with potassium nitrate, wood ground, etc.

Ballistitis and Corgit. In a few years, Nobel invented ballistic, one of the first nitroglycerin smokeless powders, consisting in one of the last options from equal parts of powder and nitroglycerin. This powder will be the predecessor of Cordita, and Nobel's statement is that his patent also includes the subject of fierce legal proceedings between him and the British government in 1894 and 1895.

Corgets also consists of nitroglycerin and powder, and the researchers wanted to use the most nitrized variety of powder, insoluble in mixtures of ether and alcohol, while the Nobel proposed the use of less nitrized forms soluble in these mixtures.

The question became complicated by the fact that in practice it is almost impossible to prepare one of the forms in its pure form, without impurities. Ultimately, the court issued a decision not in favor of Nobel.

Throughout his life, Nobel professed pacifist ideas. Like some other inventors (in particular, the Creator of the first machine gun Richard Gatling), he believed that if the opponents had a weapon, with the help of which they could instantly destroy each other, they would understand that they would not benefit anything from the war and would cease to conflict.

Nobel Prize:

In 1888, the reporters of one French newspaper mistakenly published a message about the death of Alfred Nobel (news makers confused the inventor with his elder brother Ludwig, who died in St. Petersburg.). He was called the "Millionaire on Blood", "Death Trader", "Dynamite King". This produced a strong impression on a businessman, he did not want to stay in the memory of mankind "a wicked world scale".

On November 27, 1895, Nobel signed his testament in the Swedish-Norwegian club in Paris, according to which most of his condition - about 31 million Swedish brands - had to go to the establishment of awards for achievements in physics, chemistry, medicine, literature and for strengthening activities World. Testament read: "I, the following, Alfred Bernhard Nobel, respecting and deciding, the present I declare my testament about the property, is nizhnaya ... Capital My hearthriks must translate into securitiesBy creating a fund, interest from which will be issued in the form of award to those who during the previous year brought the greatest benefit to humanity.

These interest should be divided into five equal parts, which are intended: The first part of the one who made the most important discovery or invention in physics, the second - in the field of chemistry, the third - in the field of physiology or medicine, the fourth - the most significant literary workReflecting human ideals, the fifth - to the one who will make a significant contribution to the cohesion of peoples, the destruction of slavery, a decrease in the number of existing armies and promoting a peaceful agreement.

... My special desire is that the awards did not affect the nationality of the candidate, so that the award was the most worthy, regardless of whether they are scandinavine or not ".

Since 1969, at the initiative of the Swedish bank, the memory premiums A. Nobel on economics are also awarded, unofficially called "Nobel Prizes in Economics".

In St. Petersburg, on the Petrogradskaya embankment, you can see an unusual monument, which is a bizarre tree from bronze. In its branches hides big birdand roots go to the granite pedestal. On one of the faces, the inscription "Alfred Nobel" is knocked out. The photo of the monument is in our article.

Nobels in Russia

The place for the monument is not chosen by chance. The embankment of the Bolshoi Nevka at the Vyborg side has the most direct attitude towards the life of an outstanding scientist, engineer and entrepreneur. Until 1999, the engineering plant was stood up until 1999. It was founded in 1862 by Ludwig Nobel and wore his name. In 1917, the enterprise was nationalized and renamed Russian Diesel. However, the hero of our article is not Ludwig, and his younger brother is Alfred Nobel.

Nobel family for a long time He lived in Russia. Father and sons were engaged in industrial production of engines, component parts for machines and mechanisms. Nobels worked in the oil industry. They settled the preparation, processing and transportation of black Baku gold. Their merit lies in the equipment of the Russian army and the fleet by mines, bombs and shells.

Not only commerce was the lot of the family. They have been given a lot of strength and funds - established scholarships, financed scientific research, Medical institutions and cultural institutions.

Origin of the surname

Nobel's biography was removed only from the 17th century. His grandfather's father's grandfather was a barbier by the name Nobelius. In those times this profession In addition to haircuts and shaving, the bristles included also surgical operations - bloodletting and pulling into teeth. In 1775, the ancestor reduced his surname.

Childhood

Alfred Nobel was born in Stockholm on October 21, 1833. Father, Emmanuel Nobel, left Sweden together with his family in 1842. By the time of arrival in our country from eight children survived only four - Alfred, Emil, Robert and Ludwig. In the homeland, the family really dismissed. Father interrupted by random earnings. He was a talented man - dismantled in architecture, construction, possessed the talent of the inventor. His last attempt to ensure in his homeland a decent life to his wife and children was the organization of an enterprise for the production of elastic tissues, but it didn't go to Russia in Sweden, and he went to Russia, first to the north, in Finland, which was then part of the empire, and then St. Petersburg.

Life in Russia

Our country was on the rise - the era of the development of large industrial industries. On this time, the older brothers and Alfred Nobel himself were always remembered with the warmth. The brief biography of all three is almost every encyclopedic dictionary.

Emmanuel Nobel quickly mastered in a new place. The head of the family engaged in the production of lathes and equipment for them, as well as the manufacture of metal buildings for the mines invented by them. Soon he converted here and the family. Emmanuel Nobel and his wife Andrietta settled in the big and comfortable house, hired children of good private teachers, acquired assistants in the economy.

All sons were remarkably talented and hardworking people. Parents gave them a good education and taught to work. Not an exception and Alfred Nobel. Biography testifies that in addition to his native language, he perfectly owned Russian, German, French and English. At 17, Alfred went for three years to France, Germany and the United States, where he continued to education.

Returning to Russia, Nobel Alfred settled in the Father's company, producing ammunition for the Crimean Military Campaign. In 1856, the war ended, and Manufactory, Emmanuel Nobel, in order not to go bankrupt, demanded a speedy reorganization. This was engaged in Ludwig and Robert, and Alfred with her parents and younger brother Emil returned to Sweden.

Return to Sweden

In Stockholm Alfred began to exercise long-time ideas from the field of mechanics and chemistry. It worked very successfully and even patented three inventions.

Alfred's parents settled in the suburb of Stockholm. In his estate, Emmanuel arranged an experimental laboratory in which he conducted experiments on detonation.

The only explosive used at the time in the military was black powder. About the explosive properties of nitroglycerin then already knew. Italian chemist Askalo Sobero for the first time synthesized him in 1847, but "tame" dangerous chemical compound So far, no one could. The danger was a rapid transition of a substance from any state in easily exploding gas.

After several encouraging experiments, Emmanuel connected his son to his work. Alfred Nobel ( short biography Contains such information) engaged in searching for sponsors. By 1861, such was found in France. He gave a loan for a hundred thousand francs. Working with explosives was not interested in the future "Father of Dynamite", as Alfred Nobel later began to be called. However, to refuse to help the parent, he did not want and joined his experiments.

Two years later, Nobel Alfred came up with a device in which nitroglycerin was placed in a separate, hermetically closed reservoir, and the detonator was in the next, so-called capsule. This element began to cast from metal. Thus, the probability of a random explosion is practically excluded. With further improvement of the invention, the black powder was replaced by mercury.

During one of the experiments, a powerful explosion occurred in the laboratory, an eight-person life. Among them was Emil. The father hardly survived the death of the younger son, and soon the blow had happened to the bed, chained him to bed for almost seven years, until the death that happened in 1872, when he was 71 years old.

Alfred Nobel is known as the founder of the Nobel Prize. But few people know that he invented Nobel and why the premium of his name is considered such a prestigious and important reward in the scientist of the world.

Nobel's main invention

Alfred Nobel was a chemist. He was born in 1833 in Stockholm. His father was engaged in the development of military equipment. At that time it was a fairly popular business, and the Nobel family was wealthy. However, even cooperation with the Russian army during the Crimean War (1853) did not save a family case from bankruptcy.

Then Alfred dedicated himself to studying explosives. Nobel has established that nitroglycerin when mixed with substances that are capable of absorbing it is more convenient and safe. This convenience made it possible to use a fire-wire cord and detonator. Nobel called his invention to dynamite and patented it in 1867. Continuing experiments with nitroglycerin, Nobel invented other explosive mixtures: ballistic and cortit (a mixture with gunpowder).

Peaceful goals

However, explosives are not the only inventions of the Swedish chemist. In total, the scientist owns 355 patents on such things as measuring devices atmospheric pressure and pressure of liquids and gas, water meter, barometer, refrigeration, gas burner. In addition, the nobel was developed a model of a bicycle with rubber tires and the steam boilers were improved.

Nobel wanted its main invention to be dynamite - used only for peaceful purposes, for example, in a mining. The scientist visited his state state for a premium, which scientists who have made openings are awarded annually natural sciences, as well as those who devoted themselves to the struggle for peace.

Born in the family of the inventor, Alfred Nobel devoted all his life to the only love - work on a substance that would warn all wars in the world. Fanatical commitment to explosive substances played with him a dick joke, but it was his rock mistake that became motivation - establish a prize for the greatest achievements in science and art.

Family and childhood

Alfred Nobel was born in the family of a gifted inventor and the mechanic Emmanuel, and was the third child of eight born. Unfortunately, of all children in the family were able to survive only four - in addition to Alfred's three of his brothers.

That year, when the future famous chemist was born, his parents' house burned down. Over time, this symbolism will see this - because the fire and explosions will become part of the life of Nobel.

After the fire, the family had to move to a much smaller house on the outskirts of Stockholm. And his father began to look for a job to at least somehow feed his big family. But he managed to hardly. Therefore, in 1837, he fled from the country to escape from creditors. At first he went to the Finnish city of Turku, then moved to St. Petersburg. At that time he worked on his new project - explosive mines.

While the Father searched for happiness abroad, three children were waiting for her at home with her mother, barely taking ends with ends. But after five years, Emmanuel called his family to Russia - the government estimated his invention and offered to work on the project on. Emmanuel Transferred to his wife with children to St. Petersburg - from the terrible need the family is overnight in the highest sectors of society. And the children of Emmanuel appears a chance to get a good education. At 17, Alfred could boast of the knowledge of five languages: Russian, Swedish, German, English and French.

Despite good knowledge in the field of technology and engineering, Alfred was also very interested in literature. But the father was not very happy when the Son declared his desire to devote life to the writing craft. Therefore, the father goes to the cunning: gives the opportunity to go to the expedition to the world, but in return, he always forgets about literature. The young man was able to resist the seduction of travel and went to Europe, and then to America. But, even by giving a promise to Father, Alfred was never able to take literature forever: in secret, he continues to write poems. Although courage to publish them, he is still lacking. Over time, he will burn everything written, showing readers only its only work - the "Nemesis" play, which he wrote almost at death.

In the meantime, the affairs of the Father Alfred is going to be better - during the Crimean War of his invention were very useful to the Russian government. Therefore, he was finally able to get rid of long-term debts in Sweden. His experiments with explosives then refined Alfred, making his career in this area.

Alfred and explosives

Traveling in Italy, Alfred met Chemist Ascanio Sobero. Nitroglycerin has become the main development of his life - an explosive substance. Although the researcher himself did not fully understand where it could be applied, Alfred estimated the novelty immediately - in 1860 he writes in his diary, which "works on a new project and has already achieved very large success in nitroglycerin experiments."

After the end of the Crimean War, the need for explosive substances in Russian Empire Reduced, and Emmanuil affairs again went no. He returned to Sweden together with his family, soon came to Alfred, who continued his experiments on the new invention - dynamite.

In 1864, an explosion occurred at the factory of the Nobel - 140 kg of nitroglycerin was remedied. As a result of an accident, five workers were killed, among them was the younger brother of Alfred Emil.

Stockholm's authorities banned Alfred to continue to experiment in the city, so he had to postpone the workshop as shore of Lake Malamen. There he worked on the old barge, trying to understand: how to make nitroglycerin exploded when necessary. After some time, he achieved the result: Nitroglycerin was now absorbed into a different substance, while the mixture became hard and no longer exploded. So Alfred Nobel invented dynamite, and he also developed a detonator.

In 1867, he officially patented his development, becoming the only copyright holder for the production of dynamite.

In 1871, Nobel moved to Paris, he also wrote his only play "Nemesis". But almost the entire circulation was destroyed - the church decided that the drama was blasphemy. Only three copies survived, on the basis of which in 1896 put a play.

For the first time after that, the play was published only after 100 years - in 2003 in Sweden, and in two years they made the premiere in one of the theaters of Stockholm.

"King of Dynamite"

In 1889, another brother Alfred - Ludwik died. But the reporters were mistaken and decided that the researcher himself died, so "he was buried alive", by far the necrologist, in which Nobel was called "a millionaire who had established a condition on blood" and "Torgashing Death". These articles were unpleasantly struck by a scientist, because in fact he had a completely different motivation when he was invented dynamite. He was an idealist and wanted to create a weapon, only the destructive strength of which would not give people even thoughts about the conquests of other countries.

Since he was already very famous and rich, it began to sacrifice a lot to charity, especially sponsored those organizations that were engaged in the propaganda of the world.

But after those articles, Nobel became more closed and easily left the house or their laboratories.

In 1893, he was given the title of Honor Dr. at the Swedish University of Uppsala.

Living in France, he continued his experiments: Developed the so-called "Nobel lighters", which would help remotely approach detonators. But the authorities of France were not interested in developing. Unlike Italy. As a result of the scandal, Alfred was accused of state treason and France he had to leave - he moved to Italy and settled in the town of San Remo.

On December 10, 1896, Nobel died at his villa from hemorrhage in the brain. Buried him in native Stockholm in the cemetery Norra Bezhengningplates

Nobel Prize

In his testament, the "dynamic king" indicated that all his property should go to charity. Its 93 plants produced about 66.3 thousand tons of explosives per year. Huge amounts he invested in various projects while life. In total, it was about 31 million Swedish brands.

All its own property Nobel ordered to turn into capital and securities - to form a fund from them, the profit from which each year should be divided between the most outstanding scientists of the outgoing year.

Money should have given scientists in three categories of science: chemistry, physics, medicine and physiology - as well as in the field of literature (Nobel has focused that it must be necessarily idealistic literature), and the activities for the benefit of the world. Five years after the death of a scientist stretched the courts - after all general state Ratched in almost 1 billion dollars.

For the first time, the award ceremony of the Nobel Prize was held in 1901.

• Alfred Nobel in his will did not indicate the need to issue a premium for achievements in the field of economic sciences. The Nobel Prize in Economics established Swedish Bank only in 1969.
• There is an opinion that Alfred Nobel did not include mathematics to the list of disciplines of his award due to the fact that his wife changed him with mathematician. In fact, Nobel was never married. Real reason Ignoring mathematics with Nobel unknown, but there are several assumptions. For example, at that time, there was already a premium in mathematics from the Swedish king. Other - mathematics do not make important inventions for humanity, since this science has a purely theoretical character.
• The name of Nobel is called the synthesized chemical element of nobels with atomic number 102;
• In honor of A. Nobel, asteroid (6032) Nobel, open by astronomer Lyudmila Karachina in the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory on August 4, 1983.