Vladimir Ivanovich Smirnov (1887-1974) - mathematician and enlightener. Joint meeting of the Mathematics Section of the Academic House and the Seminar on the History of Mathematics

The year 2017 marked the 130-th anniversary of the prominent Russian mathematician Vladimir Ivanovich Smirnov. He was a representative and a follower of the famous St. Petersburg mathematical school, the origin of which can be traced back to L. Euler. He was an outstanding figure of mathematical education and phenomenal organizer of science. His knowledge of physics, history, philosophy and music made him a real person of encyclopaedic learning. His organizational activities allowed to preserve and multiply the achievements of the St. Petersburg / Leningrad mathematical school. It is hard to grasp the magnitude of his achievements in their entirety. The report will give an overview of his life and educational activities.