Oleg Volynets 1937-1998
Oleg Volynets, an outstanding Russian
volcanologist and geochemist, died on
October 24, 1998 in Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.
He worked in the
Kurile-Kamchatka - Far West Aleutian
region for 39 years studying Late
Miocene-Quaternary volcanic rocks and
authored more than 220 research
papers on various aspects of their petrology
and geochemistry.
Oleg Volynets was born on February 25,
1937, in Irkutsk, Siberia. After
graduating from Moscow University in
1959, he went to Kamchatka. A devoted
field researcher, he collected and analyzed
samples from virtually all the
subaerial and submarine volcanoes of
the Kurile-Kamchatka island arc. His
considerable efforts made it possible
to understand the spatial
distribution of rock types and their
geodynamic significance. For young
researchers, he was a kind of a magician,
a person who knew everything
about the rocks. "You had better ask
Oleg", was the most frequent advice to
anyone planning a new project or puzzled
by an enigmatic rock. It is hard
to realize that we can't ask for his
help any more.
He was our conscience, a true "chevalier
sans peur et sans reproche".
During hard times his fortitude, kindness
and good sense of humour helped
his colleagues to surmount the difficulties.
He worked until his very last
day.
Selected works
Last updated 3/17/1999