A. Ya. Pehrna (Memoirs of a friend)

Abstract

Alexander (Elmar) Yakovlevich Perna was born on December 6, 1878 in the family of a people's teacher in the Estonian province. He studied at the Petrograd 7th gymnasium and already from his gymnasium years showed a special interest in natural science. After graduating from the gymnasium in 1898, Alexander Yakovlevich entered the Department of Natural Sciences of the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of Petrograd University and was initially particularly interested in organic chemistry.After graduating from the University in 1902, he entered the Mining Institute. On December 3, 1916, he died of heart disease in one of the Finnish boarding houses. In the person of Alexander Yakovlevich, our homeland has lost not only a talented young scientist who undoubtedly showed great promise, but also a person exceptional in his high moral merits and a kind of deep thinker-philosopher.