Obituary of Albert Nikiforovich Tavkhelidze

With deep sorrow, the Russian Pugwash Committee must inform the International Pugwash community on the death of Academician Albert Tavkhelidze.

On 27 February 2010, Academician Albert Nikiforovich Tavkhelidze passed away in his 80th year. Albert Nikiforovich Tavkhelidze was an outstanding physicist and science organizer, the Georgian Plenipotentiary to Joint Institute for Nuclear Research (JINR, Dubna, Moscow Region), a member of the JINR Scientific Council, one of the establishers and a scientific supervisor of the RAS Institute for Nuclear Research, the laureate of the Lenin Prize and the State Prizes.

Albert Tavkhelidze also was President of the Georgian Academy of Sciences (1986-2006) and a member of the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR for many years. Until his last day he was a Scientific Head of the Institute of Nuclear Research of Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow.

Albert Nikiforovich Tavkhelidze had utter devotion to science; he was always notable for his rare sense of purpose and working capacity, and for his ability to unite people to implement ambitious goals. He was demanding of himself and to his colleagues, and at the same time, he was a kind and sympathetic person. His decease is an irretrievable loss to science and a great sorrow to his numerous pupils and followers.

In 1976-1997 Academician Tavkhelidze was an active participant of the Pugwash Movement. From 1992 to 2006 he was Chairman of the Georgian National Pugwash Committee. He was a great Russian and Georgian scientist, public figure and peace activist.

We express our deep and sincere condolences to the family members and collegues of Acad. Albert Tavkhelidze. The bright image of that remarkable scientist and person will stay forever in the memories of those who knew him.