Academician Pavel V. Simonov devoted his whole life to the study of psychophysiology and biophysics. He was a specialist in the field of experimental neurophysiology of emotions, and also studied the nervous activity and possible problems associated with it. What was his path to world-wide recognition of the scientific community, what he dedicated his life to, what works he left to his descendants, and where did he work throughout his scientific career? About this and not only further.
Biography of Simonov Pavel Vasilyevich
Pavel Vasilievich was born on April 20, 1926 in Leningrad in the family of the repressed (as "enemy of the people") officer Stanislav Stankevich. His mother, Maria Karlovna Stankevich, and the boy’s sister Galina were expelled from Leningrad. Such a “shadow” cast upon the family for many years did not allow Pavel Simonov to exist quietly. Fortunately, the famous sculptor Simonov Vasily Lvovich became a neighbor of Pavel Vasilievich and his family at the new place of residence. He gave great support to little Pavel, adopted him, gave the boy not only his last name, but also made sure that the capable student received a good education. Simonova's sister - Galina Stanislavovna Stankevich - moved to Sweden, where she still lives with her family to this day.
Study
In 1944, just a year before the war ended, Pavel Vasilievich Simonov got the opportunity to study at a flight school, but because of poor health he could not continue his studies for more than a year. He transferred to the Military Medical Academy. In 1951, he finished it with excellent results.
Personal life
Pavel Vasilievich Simonov has two children: a daughter - the famous actress Evgenia Simonova, a son - Yuri Simonov-Vyazemsky - went in the footsteps of his father and became a professor. The wife of Simonov Sr. - Olga Sergeyevna Vyazemskaya - worked as a teacher of a foreign language. The four Simonovs have four adult granddaughters: Anastasia, Zoya, Ksenia and Maria.
Professional activity
Immediately after graduating from the Military Medical Academy, Pavel Vasilyevich began to work in the laboratory of the Main Military Hospital named after N. N. Burdenko. As a researcher and head of the laboratory, he spent 9 years. Then he worked for one year as a senior researcher at the Physiological Laboratory of the USSR Academy of Sciences. In 1962, Simonov became the head of the laboratory at the Institute of Higher Nervous Activity and Neurophysiology of the Russian Academy of Sciences. E. A. Asratyan became the leader at the new place of work.
Career quickly went uphill and soon Pavel Vasilievich Simonov became deputy director, and then director at this institute. Since 1991, Simonov is an Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He has the title of Doctor of Medical Sciences. In 1996, he began working at the Faculty of Biology of Moscow State University. In 1999 he was awarded the title "Honored Professor of Moscow University". Simonov was a professor at the Department of Higher Nervous Activity. He also worked in the physiology department of the USSR Academy of Sciences.
In addition to writing a large number of books, he shared his knowledge in the Journal of Higher Nervous Activity named after I. P. Pavlova ”, where he held an editorial position. He was in the editorial board of the journal "Science and Life", which is very fond of people who are close to science and simply interested in it. He also edited the publication "Classics of Sciences" from the Russian Academy of Sciences. For his scientific developments, he was a member of the International Academy of Astronautics, the New York Academy of Sciences, the American Association of Aviation and Space Medicine and became an honorary member of the Pavlovsk Scientific Society of the United States.
Scientific activity of Pavel Vasilievich Simonov
Research work has always attracted Pavel Vasilievich. He began to engage in it enthusiastically from the very beginning of his medical practice. The academician paid much attention to the features of brain behavior. In 1964, he developed the information-demand theory of emotions, in which he explained that emotion is a reflection of the actual needs of the brain. He was able to substantiate some of the basic terms of psychology, for example, "will", "emotions", "consciousness" and others.
Many scholars have noted works describing the classification of human needs created by Simonov. Pavel Simonov’s work is also interesting in creating the formula for all the factors that influence the creation of emotions. Such a truly mathematical approach to the natural human process made the entire Russian scientific community talk about Simonov. For his work in developing the diagnosis and condition of the human brain, he received the USSR State Prize. He was also awarded a gold medal named after I.M. Sechenov, received the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, the Badge of Honor, and For Merit to the Fatherland, 4 degrees and others.
Books
During his life, Pavel Vasilievich wrote many books, study guides, published many scientific works. For his work, not only students are grateful to him, but also teachers, as well as many scientists around the world. Pavel Vasilievich Simonov’s books are downloaded dozens of times every day and do not lose popularity in specialized departments of bookstores. One of the most famous books written by Simonov is a collection of lectures on the work of the brain. In it, he considered consciousness as knowledge, divided the subconscious and superconscious as two varieties of the psychic unconscious. This work has become a scientific revelation. Prior to Pavel Vasilyevich, no one so thoroughly and thoroughly delved into the study of this topic.
Simonov showed great interest in the study of human emotions. One of the books he wrote on this subject was the publication "The method of K. S. Stanislavsky and the physiology of emotions." In it, he revealed the principles of the influence of the cerebral cortex on the manifestation of human emotionality, he also wrote about the findings of the study of the relationship between speech and the movements of the human body. Then Simonov joined the department of libraries about general psychology with his publications on the brain. He published several collections of articles devoted to his scientific studies of the brain, as well as the difference in the brain function of creative people, scientists and the average worker.
The works of Pavel Vasilievich Simonov in the field of studying the character of personality are also known. Many say that the book “Illness of ignorance, ” also sponsored by Simonov, was very useful in their studies.
