User:Nikolas Sharp/Ervier, Raul - Yuri Georgievich

Ervier, Raul - Yuri Georgievich (16 April 1909 (Tiflis)- 9 august 1991 (Moscow)) – the soviet geologist, director of Main Tyumen production geological department (“Glavtyumengeologiya”), an eminent organizer and head of wide-ranging geological explorations caused discovering of the largest oil and gas fields in Western Siberia.

Biography
Born 16 April 1909 in Tiflis, to a French emigrant’s family. Finished school in his native town. In 1923 he began his labor activity; worked as a student - assistant of a foreman of a soap plant in Tbilisi.

In 1929 he joined Melitopol gas expedition. Since that moment he was linked with geology till the end of his life. In 1933 he finished with distinction High Engineer Courses in Kiev. After those courses Yuri Ervier worked with various geological groups in Ukraine till 1941.

He has taken part in Great Patriotic War since august 1941. Served in sapper units, was the commander of individual detachment of deep drilling of sapper battalion. Took part in defense and liberation of Ukraine and Northern Caucasus. Was demobilized in December 1944 at the rank of major – engineer.

Since 1945 till 1952 Ervier worked as the head of South – Moldavian oil exploration of trust “Moldavneftegeologiya”.

In august 1952 by the main committee of Geological ministry of USSR he was assigned to Tyumen oil and gas exploring expedition. Since 1955 he was the main engineer of Tyumen gas and oil exploring trust. Since 1956 he was the director of the trust, later the department of “Tyumenneftegeologiya”. The head of main committee “Glavtyumengeologiya” in 1966-1977.

29 April 1963 Yuri Georgievich Ervier was awarded the star of the Hero of Socialist Labour and the order of Lenin and a gold medal “sickle and hammer” for outstanding achievements in discovering and exploration of mineral deposits.

In April 1964 among the group of specialists and scientists Raul - Yuri Ervier was awarded the Lenin prize for “grounding of aspects of foulness and oil – bearing capacity of Western Siberia plain”.

“It has been foreordained to him to create and to head the group of like-minded persons, who discovered the largest deposits of hydrocarbons, which allowed Russia to get the rank of one of leading gas and oil powers of the world… Many people of those, who finished his school, came up to head Tyumen geological exploring… “Epoch of Ervier”

Such people, as F.K. Salmanov, A.M. Brehuntsov, V.T. Podshibyakin, V.D. Tokarev, L.I. Rovnin, I.Y. Girya, A.G. Yudin, V.A. Abazarov, have honourably continued the course, started by Y.G. Ervier.

All in all, during his management more than 250 fields of oil and gas were discovered, some of them are unique: Mamontovskoe, Pravdinskoe, Samotlorskoe, Fedorovskoe, Holmogorskoe (of oil) and Zapolyarnoe, Medveshye, Urengoyskoe, Yamburgskoe (of gas). Explored supplies of oil are estimated at 10 billions tons, condensate - at 0,5 billions tons, gas – at 20 trillions m^3.

Ervier paid a lot of his attention to social problems of geologists and their families. He promoted appearance of modern sport and cultural buildings, such as sport complex “Geologist” and Palace of Culture “Geologist”, recreation centers, medical institutions etc.

In 1977 he was appointed deputy minister of geology of the USSR. He abandoned this position in 1981 when he retired on a pension.

16 April 1984 for his contribution to development of a national economy of Tyumen, its formation as the center of an oil and gas extraction complex of Western Siberia Yuri Ervier got the rank of the honourable citizen of Tyumen.

Yuri Georgievich Ervier died on 9 august 1991 in Moscow. He was buried, as per will, in Thervishevskoe graveyard in Tyumen.

Awards
The Hero of Socialist Labour. Was awarded by the orders of Lenin (1963, 1976), October Revolution (1971), Red Banner of Labour (1959, 1968), Patriotic War of second degree (1985), Red Star (1943); medals “for the defense of Odessa”, “for the defense of Caucasus”, “for the victory over Germany in Great Patriotic War 1941-1945”.

Memory
His name was given to a street in Tyumen and a charity fund of Russian geologists.

14 April 2006 in Tyumen a monument to Ervier who had worked in “Glavtyumengeologiya” for many years was opened in Respublika street. The text on the monument says: “To Ervier Yuri Georgievich – from grateful Tyumen”.