Kanysh Satpaev

Born Mar. 30 (Apr. 11), 1899, in an aul (village) in the former volost (small rural district) of Akkelin, now Pavlodar Oblast; died Jan. 31, 1964, in Moscow; buried in Alma-Ata. Soviet geologist. Academician of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (1946; corresponding member, 1943). Member of the CPSU from 1944. A student of M. A. Usov.

After graduating from the Tomsk Technological Institute in 1926, Satpaev began working with the Atbasar Nonferrous Metals Trust. In 1929, while chief geologist of the Karsakpai Trust, he began conducting research at the copper-ore deposits near Dzhezkazgan. From 1941 to 1964 he was director of the Institute of Geological Sciences of the Kazakhstan branch of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (from 1946, the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR). In 1942 he was named chairman of the presidium of the Kazakhstan branch of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR; in the years 1946–52 and 1955–64, he served as president of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR.

Satpaev’s principal works were devoted to the geology of the ore deposits and mineral resources of Kazakhstan, in particular, to a development of the principles for compiling prognostic maps for minerals. The mineral satpaevite, 6A1(OH)₃• 3V(O₂OH)• 2V{0(OH)₂}, was named in his honor.

Satpaev was a deputy to the second, third, fifth, and sixth convocations of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. He was awarded the Lenin Prize (1958) and the State Prize of the USSR (1942). He also received four Orders of Lenin, the Order of the Patriotic War Second Class, and various medals.