History of Science and Engineering Annotation << Back Sergei Ivanovich Vavilov – brief biography B.M. Bolotovsky, J.N. Vavilov, A.P. Shmeleva Present article gives the main facts of Vavilov biography. Vavilov’s decision was to have in the institute the most broad spectrum of investigation including nuclear physics. He considered investigation on nuclear physics very important and organized special group. His foresight was wholly justified when researchers from Physical Institute took part in «atomic project» after 1945. In physics the name of S.I. Vavilov will be always remembered as a person, who helped to discover and analyze “Vavilov-Cherevkov effect”. According to the testimonial of all his contemporaries Vavilov made a great deal for the development of physics and all science in the after-war period. Key words: physics, photoluminescence, «Vavilov-Cherenkov effect». e-mail: bolot@lpi.ru