Viktor Hamazasp Hambardzumyan (Վիկտոր Համբարձումյան) was a world-renowned Armenian scientist, astronomer, and astrophysicist, recognized as one of the founders of theoretical astrophysics. His groundbreaking contributions established Armenia as a center of astronomical research in the 20th century.
Early Life and Education
Viktor Hambardzumyan was born on September 18, 1908, in Tbilisi into an Armenian family. His father, Hamazasp Asaturovich Hambardzumyan, was a philologist, writer, and the translator of Homer’s Iliad into Armenian. This intellectual background shaped Viktor’s early interests in science and literature.
Hambardzumyan studied at the Leningrad State University in the Department of Physics and Mathematics. In 1926, while still a student, he published his first scientific article on solar jets. From 1928 to 1931, he continued postgraduate studies at the Pulkovo Observatory, laying the foundations for his lifelong career in astrophysics.
Academic and Scientific Career
In 1935, Hambardzumyan founded and headed the first astrophysics chair at Leningrad University. From 1935 to 1941, he served as director of the Leningrad University Observatory.
In 1944, Hambardzumyan moved with his family to Yerevan, where he established the Faculty of Astrophysics at Yerevan State University. Two years later, in 1946, he founded the world-famous Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory, which he directed for decades. Under his leadership, the observatory became a global center of astrophysical research, producing significant discoveries in stellar evolution and extragalactic astronomy.
Recognition and Awards
Hambardzumyan’s contributions earned him worldwide recognition:
- Two Stalin Prizes and the State Prize of the Russian Federation
- M.V. Lomonosov Gold Medal (1971), USSR Academy of Sciences
- Janssen Medal of the French Astronomical Society (1956)
- Gold Medal of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific (1959)
- Gold Medal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Great Britain (1960)
- Gold Medal of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (1970)
- Helmholtz Medal of the German Academy of Sciences in Berlin (1971)
- Numerous additional honors from academies and scientific institutions worldwide
He was elected an international member of many academies of science, including those of Belgium, Austria, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, the United States, and the United Kingdom (Royal Society of London).
Positions and Leadership
- Academician of the Armenian Academy of Sciences (1943)
- President of the Armenian Academy of Sciences (1947–1993)
- Academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences (1953)
- Twice named Hero of Socialist Labor (1968, 1978)
- Declared a National Hero of Armenia
- Vice-President (1948–1955) and later President (1961–1964) of the International Astronomical Union (IAU)
Later Life and Legacy
Viktor Hambardzumyan passed away on August 12, 1996, in Byurakan, and is buried near the Grand Telescope Tower of the observatory he founded.
Today, a statue of Hambardzumyan stands in front of the Yerevan State University Observatory, and since 1996, the Viktor Hambardzumyan Gold Medal has been awarded by the Armenian Academy of Sciences to outstanding scholars in his honor.
Hambardzumyan’s vision and scientific brilliance left an enduring mark not only on Armenian science but also on global astrophysics. He remains a symbol of Armenia’s intellectual and cultural contribution to the world.
source: www.armenian-history.com