Unusual hobbies of Mendeleev, of which few people know

Looking at the portrait of Dmitry Ivanovich Mendeleyev, it is difficult to imagine that he could afford any kind of entertainment. Knowing what contribution he made to the development of science, one can not help thinking that he had to devote himself to studying chemistry. However, if you get acquainted with his biography closer, it becomes clear that this is completely wrong. Moreover, Mendeleyev's hobbies were very far from his usual world, although they affected science to some extent.

A man who knows how to make suitcases

Around the famous chemist there have always been many absurd rumors and speculations. So, after hearing the question of what kind of hobby was at Mendeleyev's, most people immediately answer-suitcases. At the same time, they do not hesitate to believe that this was indeed one of his greatest passions in life. However, the truth is that this was not Mendeleev's main hobby. Simply, being in Simferopol, he was in a situation where he had nothing to do. At that time, his gymnasium was temporarily closed in connection with the outbreak of the Crimean War, and no other work was predicted in the near future.

Therefore, the great chemist decided to earn a little by gluing together cardboard cases. It is noteworthy here that his creations came to the liking of buyers. Due to this, he even received the nickname of "suitcase master". Therefore, one should not believe that this occupation was Mendeleyev's main hobby. In his spare time, he was engaged in other things, which caused him much more interest and inspiration.

Genuine craving for art

For some reason, there is an opinion that people working in the world of exact sciences are impassive towards works of art. It's pure fiction. And Mendeleev's second hobby is a vivid confirmation of this. Thus, at the age of fifty, Dmitry Ivanovich discovers for himself a striking world of art. According to him, he himself did not expect that his heart can be so vibrantly beat at the sight of the grace of the works of artists.

Therefore, from 1880 Mendeleev begins to collect the most successful, in his opinion, pictures. At the same time he valued the work of his compatriots much more than gifts brought from abroad. Such a passion led to the fact that in 1894 he was elected to the Imperial Academy of Arts. In addition, thanks to a hobby Dmitry Mendeleev gets acquainted with Repin. And this friendship leads to the fact that the gifted artist paints a portrait of an equally gifted chemist.

Under the "brand" of Mendeleev

Another fun Mendeleev's hobby was that he sewed clothes himself. Naturally, he did this not every day, but quite often. It was possible to explain this fascination by the fact that the chemist had an exceptional design taste, and also a completely logical need for quality clothing. But this is not all. It is known that Mendeleev participated in the creation of the icebreaker "Ermak". In particular, it was he and his colleagues who were engaged in developing drawings and the appearance of the vessel. Therefore, we can safely say that this pride of Russia was also designed according to the design of Dmitry Ivanovich.

The great passion of the scientist

If all previous hobbies were just hobbies, then the next passion of a chemist can be safely called the work of his whole life. From an early age, Dmitry Mendeleyev dreamed that he would someday rise to the sky. Therefore, he spent a lot of time studying aerodynamics and mechanics. And his dream came true. In 1887, he first flew in a hot air balloon. The event that occurred on the day of the solar eclipse marked a new stage in the world of balloons. In addition, the feat of the scientist was appreciated by the French Academy of Aeronautics. He was even awarded a diploma, on which the inscription "For the courage shown during the flight to observe the solar eclipse" was proudly given.