Those who knew Sergey Alekseevich Chaplygin well noted in him not only the talent of the scientist, but also human qualities: kindness and justice. Even at an advanced age, he appeared in due time in a research laboratory, showing young colleagues an example of service to science.
From the biography of Sergei Chaplygin
Sergei Alekseevich Chaplygin was born on April 5, 1869 in the city of Ranenburg, in the Ryazan province. His father was a shop assistant. Mom kept the household. The family lived very friendly, but happiness did not last long: when the boy was two years old, his father died during the cholera epidemic.
Mother's parents insisted that she get married again. After that, Anna Petrovna and her son Sergei moved to Voronezh, where his mother’s new husband lived.
Sergey grew out of years a serious boy. He early learned counting and writing, and helped his mother a lot with the housework. The stepfather was well disposed towards his adopted son. It was he who invited the familiar student of the seminary to the house, who undertook to prepare the boy for admission to the gymnasium. Sergey passed the exams brilliantly: excellent memory and learning abilities helped.
However, the stepfather turned out to be a useless family man and, as a result, left Sergey’s mother with one of five children. All household chores fell on the eldest son. After completing the school day, Seryozha helped his mother in household chores, and then he went to give lessons. The boy studied excellently, so many invited him to work out with lagging children. So at 13, Chaplygin became the breadwinner of the family.
The adult life of Sergei Chaplygin
In 1886, Chaplygin graduated from high school with a medal and became a student at the Physics and Mathematics Department of Moscow University. He attended all lectures, and in his spare time continued to give private lessons. Sergei sent most of his earnings to Voronezh for his mother.
Chaplygin lived half-starving. But the young man did not complain about fate. He persistently mastered the knowledge of the specialty. He was best given physics, mathematics, mechanics, and astronomy. He studied with the best teachers: A.G. lectured at the faculty. Stoletov, N.E. Zhukovsky, F.A. Bredikhin.
After the lectures by Zhukovsky, Chaplygin was seriously interested in mechanics. On the advice of a professor, Sergey began work on a scientific work on hydrodynamics. This study formed the basis of the thesis and earned a gold medal.
Remaining at the university, Chaplygin worked on his dissertation and conducted teaching activities. Since 1894, Sergey Alekseevich - Privat-docent of Moscow University. In the fall of the same year, he married his landlady Catherine Arno. In 1897, a daughter was born to the couple, who was named Olga.
