Astronomers and cosmologists

Main article: Russian astronomers

• Viktor Ambartsumian, one of the founders of theoretical astrophysics, discoverer of stellar associations, founder of Byurakan Observatory
  

  

  Alexander Fridman
• Vladimir Belinski, an author of the BKL singularity model of the Universe
• Aristarkh Belopolsky, invented a spectrograph based on the Doppler effect, among the first photographers of stellar spectra
• Fyodor Bredikhin, developed the theory of comet tails, meteors and meteor showers, a director of the Pulkovo Observatory
• Jacob Bruce, statesman, naturalist and astronomer, founder of the first observatory in Russia (in the Sukharev Tower)
• Lyudmila Chernykh, astronomer, discovered 268 asteroids
• Nikolai Chernykh, astronomer, discovered 537 asteroids and 2 comets
• Alexander Fridman, discovered the Friedmann equations (metric expansion of space solution to the general relativity field equations), an author of the FLRW metric of Universe
• George Gamow, discovered alpha decay via quantum tunneling and Gamow factor in stellar nucleosynthesis,
  

  

  George Gamow
  introduced the big bang nucleosynthesis theory, predicted cosmic microwave background
• Matvey Gusev, the first to prove the non-sphericity of the Moon, pioneer of photography in astronomy
• Nikolai Kardashev, astrophysicist, inventor of Kardashev scale for ranking the space civilizations
• Isaak Khalatnikov, an author of the BKL singularity
• Marian Kowalski, the first to measure the rotation of the Milky Way
• Anders Johan Lexell, mathematician, researcher of celestial mechanics and comet astronomy, proved that Uranus is a planet rather than a comet
• Andrei Linde, created the chaotic inflation theory of the Universe
• Evgeny Lifshitz, an author of the BKL singularity
• Mikhail Lomonosov polymath, invented the off-axis reflecting telescope, discovered the atmosphere of Venus
  

  

  Friedrich Wilhelm Struve
• Dmitri Dmitrievich Maksutov, invented the Maksutov telescope
• Viktor Safronov, author of the planetesimal hypothesis of planet formation
• Grigory Shayn, the first director of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory, co-developed a method for stellar rotation measurement
• Iosif Shklovsky, prominent radio astronomer, cosmic rays and extraterrestrial life researcher
• Friedrich Wilhelm Struve, founder and the first director of the Pulkovo Observatory, prominent researcher of double stars, initiated the construction of 2,820 km long Struve Geodetic Arc, progenitor of the Struve family of astronomers
• Otto Lyudvigovich Struve, co-developed a method for stellar rotation measurement, directed several U.S. observatories
• Otto Wilhelm von Struve, director of the Pulkovo Observatory, discovered over 500 double stars
• Rashid Sunyaev, co-predicted the Sunyaev–Zel'dovich effect of CMB distortion
  

  

  Rashid Sunyaev
• George Volkoff, predicted the existence of neutron stars
• Boris Vorontsov-Velyaminov, discovered the absorption of light by interstellar dust, author of the Morphological Catalogue of Galaxies
• Ivan Yarkovsky, discovered the YORP and Yarkovsky effect of meteoroids and asteroids
• Aleksandr Zaitsev, coined the term Messaging to Extra-Terrestrial Intelligence, conducted the first intercontinental radar astronomy experiment, transmitted the Cosmic Calls
• Yakov Zeldovich, physicist, astrophysicist and cosmologist, the first to suggest that accretion discs around massive black holes are responsible for the quasar radiation, co-predicted the Sunyaev–Zel'dovich effect

Physicists

Main article: Russian physicists

• Alexei Abrikosov, discovered how magnetic flux can penetrate a superconductor (the Abrikosov vortex),
  

  

  Zhores Alferov
  Nobel Prize winner
• Franz Aepinus, related electricity and magnetism, proved the electric nature of pyroelectricity, explained electric polarization and electrostatic induction, invented achromatic microscope
• Zhores Alferov, inventor of modern heterotransistor, Nobel Prize winner
• Lev Artsimovich, builder of the first tokamak, researcher of high temperature plasma
• Gurgen Askaryan, predicted self focusing of light, discovered Askaryan effect in the particle physics
• Nikolay Basov, physicist, co-inventor of laser and maser, Nobel Prize winner
• Nikolay Bogolyubov, co-developed the BBGKY hierarchy, formulated a microscopic theory of superconductivity, suggested a triplet quark model, introduced a new quantum degree of freedom (color charge)
• Gersh Budker, invented electron cooling, co-invented collider
  

  

  Boris Jacobi
• Sergey Chaplygin, a founder of aero- and hydrodynamics, formulated the Chaplygin's equations and Chaplygin gas concept
• Pavel Cherenkov, discoverer of Cherenkov radiation, Nobel Prize winner
• Yuri Denisyuk, inventor of 3D holography
• Nikolay Dollezhal, designer of the reactor for the first nuclear power plant, developer of VVER-type reactors
• Ludvig Faddeev, discoverer of Faddeev–Popov ghosts and Faddeev equations in quantum physics
• Georgy Flyorov, an initiator of the Soviet atomic bomb project, co-discoverer of seaborgium and bohrium, founder of the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research
• Vladimir Fock, developed the Fock space, Fock state and the Hartree–Fock method in quantum mechanics
• Ilya Frank, explained the phenomenon of Cherenkov radiation, Nobel Prize winner
  

  

  Pyotr Kapitsa
• Yakov Frenkel, introduced the notion of electron hole, discovered the Frenkel defect of a crystal lattice, described the Poole–Frenkel effect in solid-state physics
• Andre Geim, inventor of graphene, developer of gecko tape, Nobel Prize winner, and also Ig Nobel Prize winner for diamagnetic levitation of a living frog
• Vitaly Ginzburg, co-author of the Ginzburg–Landau theory of superconductivity, a developer of hydrogen bomb, Nobel Prize winner
• Vladimir Gribov, introduced pomeron, DGLAP equations and Gribov ambiguity
• Abram Ioffe, founder of the Soviet physics school, tutor of many prominent scientists
• Dmitri Ivanenko, proposed the first atomic nucleus and nuclear shell models, predicted the synchrotron radiation, author of the hypothesis of quark stars
• Boris Jacobi, formulated the Maximum power theorem in electrical engineering, invented electroplating, electrotyping, galvanoplastic sculpture and electric boat
  

  

  Igor Kurchatov
• Pyotr Kapitsa, originated the techniques for creating ultrastrong magnetic fields, co-discovered a way to measure the magnetic field of an atomic nucleus discovered superfluidity, Nobel Prize winner
• Yuly Khariton, chief designer of the Soviet atomic bomb, co-developer of the Tsar Bomb
• Orest Khvolson, the first to study the Chwolson ring effect of gravitational lensing
• Igor Kurchatov, builder of the first nuclear power plant, developer of the first marine nuclear reactors for surface ships
• Lev Landau, theoretical physicist, developed the Ginzburg–Landau theory of superconductivity, explained the Landau damping in plasma physics, pointed out the Landau pole in quantum electrodynamics, co-author of the famous Course of Theoretical Physics, Nobel Prize winner
• Grigory Landsberg, co-discoverer of Raman scattering of light
• Mikhail Lavrentyev, founder of the Siberian Division of the Soviet Academy of Sciences and Akademgorodok in Novosibirsk
• Pyotr Lebedev, the first to measure the radiation pressure on a solid body, thus privoving the Maxwell's theory of electromagnetism
  

  

  Lev Landau
• Heinrich Lenz, discovered the Lenz's law of electromagnetism
• Evgeny Lifshitz, an author of the BKL singularity model of the Universe, co-author of the Course of Theoretical Physics
• Mikhail Lomonosov, polymath scientist, artist and inventor; proposed the law of conservation of matter, disproved the phlogiston theory
• Oleg Losev, inventor of light-emitting diode and crystadine
• Alexander Makarov, inventor of orbitrap
• Boris Mamyrin, inventor of reflectron
• Leonid Mandelshtam, co-discoverer of Raman effect
• Konstantin Novoselov, inventor of graphene, developer of gecko tape, Nobel Prize winner
• Vasily Petrov, discoverer of electric arc, proposed arc lamp and arc welding
  

  

  Heinrich Lenz
• Boris Podolsky, an author of EPR Paradox in quantum physics
• Alexander Polyakov, developed the concepts of Polyakov action, 't Hooft–Polyakov monopole and BPST instanton
• Isaak Pomeranchuk, predicted synchrotron radiation
• Bruno Pontecorvo, a founder of neutrino high energy physics, whose work led to the discovery of PMNS matrix
• Alexander Popov, inventor of lightning detector, one of the inventors of radio, recorded the first experimental radiolocation at sea
• Victor Popov, co-discoverer of Faddeev–Popov ghosts in quantum field theory
• Alexander Prokhorov, co-inventor of laser and maser, Nobel Prize winner
• Georg Wilhelm Richmann, inventor of electrometer, pioneer researcher of atmospheric electricity, killed by a ball lightning in experiment
• Andrei Sakharov, co-developer of tokamak and the Tsar Bomb, inventor of explosively pumped flux compression generator, Nobel Peace Prize winner
  

  

  Vasily Petrov
• Nikolay Semyonov, physical chemist, co-discovered a way to measure the magnetic field of an atomic nucleus, Nobel Prize in Chemistry winner
• Lev Shubnikov, discoverer of Shubnikov–de Haas effect, one of the first researchers of solid hydrogen and liquid helium
• Dmitri Skobeltsyn, the first to use cloud chamber for studying cosmic rays, the first to observe positrons
• Aleksandr Stoletov, inventor of photoelectric cell, built the Stoletov curve, pioneered the research of ferromagnetism
• Igor Tamm, explained the phenomenon of Cherenkov radiation, co-developer of tokamak, Nobel Prize winner
• Nikolay Umov, discovered the Umov-Poynting vector and Umov effect, the first to propose the formula
• Petr Ufimtsev, developed the theory that led to modern stealth technology
• Sergey Vavilov, co-discoverer of Cherenkov radiation, formulated the Kasha–Vavilov rule of quantum yields
  

  

  Aleksandr Stoletov
• Vladimir Veksler, inventor of synchrophasotron, co-inventor of synchrotron
• Evgeny Velikhov, leader of the international program ITER (thermonuclear experimental tokamak)
• Alexey Yekimov, discoverer of quantum dots
• Yevgeny Zavoisky, inventor of EPR spectroscopy, co-developer of NMR spectroscopy
• Yakov Zeldovich, physicist and cosmologist, predicted the beta decay of a pi meson and the muon catalysis, co-predicted the Sunyaev–Zel'dovich effect of CMB distortion
• Nikolai Zhukovsky, a founder of aero- and hydrodynamics, the first to study airflow, author of Joukowsky transform and Kutta–Joukowski theorem, founder of TsAGI, pioneer of aviation

Chemists and material scientists

Main article: Russian chemists

• Ernest Beaux, inventor of Chanel No. 5, "the world's most legendary fragrance"
  

  

  Aleksandr Butlerov
• Nikolay Beketov, inventor of aluminothermy, a founder of physical chemistry
• Friedrich Konrad Beilstein, proposed the Beilstein test for halogen detection, compiled the Beilstein database in organic chemistry
• Boris Belousov, discoverer of Belousov–Zhabotinsky reaction, a classical example of non-equilibrium thermodynamics
• Alexander Borodin, chemist and composer, the author of the famous opera Prince Igor, discovered Borodin reaction, co-discovered Aldol reaction
• Aleksandr Butlerov, discovered hexamine, formaldehyde and formose reaction (the first synthesis of sugar), the first to incorporate double bonds into structural formulae, a founder of organic chemistry and the theory of chemical structure
• Dmitry Chernov, founder of modern metallography, discovered polymorphism in metals, built the iron-carbon phase diagram
• Aleksei Chichibabin, discovered Chichibabin pyridine synthesis, Bodroux-Chichibabin aldehyde synthesis and Chichibabin reaction
• Karl Ernst Claus, chemist and botanist, discoverer of ruthenium
  

  

  Yevgraf Fyodorov
• Aleksandr Dianin, discovered Bisphenol A and Dianin's compound
• Constantin Fahlberg, inventor of saccharin, the first artificial sweetener
• Alexey Favorsky, discoverer of Favorskii rearrangement and Favorskii reaction in organic chemistry
• Alexander Frumkin, a founder of modern electrochemistry, author of the theory of electrode reactions
• Yevgraf Fyodorov, the first to enumerate all of the 230 space groups of crystals, thus founding the modern crystallography
• Andre Geim, inventor of graphene, developer of gecko tape, Nobel Prize in Physics winner
• Vladimir Ipatieff, inventor of Ipatieff bomb, a founder of petrochemistry
• Isidore, legendary inventor of the Russian vodka
• Boris Jacobi, re-discovered and commercialized electroplating
  

  

  Sergei Lebedev
• Pyotr Kapitsa, discovered superfluidity while studying liquid helium, Nobel Prize in Physics winner
• Gottlieb Kirchhoff, discoverer of glucose
• Ivan Knunyants, inventor of poly-caprolactam, a developer of Soviet chemical weapons
• Sergei Lebedev, inventor of polybutadiene, the first commercially viable synthetic rubber
• Mikhail Lomonosov, polymath, coined the term physical chemistry, re-discovered smalt, disproved the phlogiston theory, the first to record the freezing of mercury
• Aleksandr Loran, inventor of fire fighting foam
• Konstantin Novoselov, inventor of graphene, developer of gecko tape, Nobel Prize in Physics winner
• Vladimir Markovnikov, author of the Markovnikov's rule in organic chemistry, discoverer of naphthenes
  

  

  Dmitri Mendeleyev
• Dmitri Mendeleyev, invented the Periodic table of chemical elements, the first to predict the properties of elements yet to be discovered, inventor of pyrocollodion, developer of pipelines and a prominent researcher of vodka
• Nikolai Menshutkin, discoverer of Menshutkin reaction in organic chemistry
• Ivan Plotnikov, inventor of kirza leather
• Ilya Prigogine, researcher of dissipative systems, complex systems and irreversibility, Nobel Prize winner
• Sergey Reformatsky, discovererof the Reformatsky reaction in organic chemistry
• Nikolay Semyonov, physical chemist, author of the chain reaction theory, Nobel Prize winner
• Vladimir Shukhov, polymath, inventor of chemical cracking
• Mikhail Tsvet, botanist, inventor of chromatography
• Victor Veselago, the first researcher of materials with negative permittivity and permeability
  

  

  Mikhail Tsvet
• Dmitry Vinogradov, inventor of the Russian porcelain
• Paul Walden, discovered the Walden inversion and ethylammonium nitrate, the first room temperature ionic liquid
• Alexander Zaytsev, author of the Zaitsev's rule in organic chemistry
• Nikolay Zelinsky, inventor of activated charcoal gas mask in Europe during World War I, co-discoverer of Hell-Volhard-Zelinsky halogenation, a founder of petrochemistry
• Nikolai Zinin, discovered benzidine, co-discovered aniline, the first President of the Russian Physical-Chemical Society