Siberian Federal University

Josef Gitelson, Professor of SibFU Department of Biophysics, Scientific Advisor of Russian Academy of Sciences was made an Honorary Freeman of the City of Krasnoyarsk. Petr Pimashkov, Mayor of Krasnoyarsk bestowed this honour in recognition of Josef Gitelson’s remarkable tribute to the life and name of the City of Krasnoyarsk.

Mr. Gitelson has organized and trained three groups of researchers: construction and investigation of closed ecosystems, investigation of marine bioluminescence, investigation of biophysics of blood. More than 40 of his pupils have defended Ph.D. on biology, physics and medicine.

He delivers popular lectures, TV presentation and publishes articles in the mass media on the problems of ecology, biospherics and human life-support without polluting the environment on Earth and in space missions.

Josef Gitelson has made an outstanding contribution to the international scientific society. He has initiated a number of scientific-social projects: "Ecology of Great Rivers of the World" (supported by the Hydrological Society of UNESCO), "The Pristine Yenisey River " (supported by the Russian Academy of Sciences and Krasnoyarsk Territorial administration), "Chlorophyll in Biosphere".

He wrote and supervised more than 250 publications in home and foreign journals, including monograph: JI Gitelson, GM Lisovsky, R MacElroy. Manmade Closed Ecological Systems. 2003, Taylor & Francis, 400 p.

For reference: The tradition to bestow “Freedom of the City” was caught on in the middle of XIXth century in Krasnoyarsk. Krasnoyarsk patrons, benefactors and politicians awarded with the honour: Pavel N. Zamyatin, Nikolai K. Perepletchikov, Alexander N. Shepetovskiy, etc. Since 1865, The Honorary Freeman of Krasnoyarsk award was given to 57 people.