GREGOR VON

HELMERSEN (1803-1885)  , Russian geologist, was born at Laugut-Duckershof, near Dorpat, on the 29th of September (O.S.) 1803 . He received an engineering training and became major-general in the corps of Mining Engineers . In 1837 he was appointed professor of geology in the mining institute at St Petersburg . He was author of numerous memoirs on the geology of Russia, especially on the coal and other mineral deposits of the country; and he wrote also some explanations to accompany separate sheets of the geological map of Russia . His geological work was continued to an advanced age, one of the later publications being Studien caber die Wanderblocke and die Diluvialgebilde Russlands (1869 and 1882) . Most of his memoirs were published by the Imperial Academy of Sciences at St Petersburg . He died at St Petersburg on the 3rd of February (O.S.) 1885 .