On eof the brightest representatives of Turkmen zoology, talented scientist, famous public figure and teacher, academic Anver Rustamov could be 100 years on December 17.
Meetings of the representatives of Moscow Society of Naturalists, Kazakhstan Birds Protection Association and Menzibar Ornithology Society uniting the ornithologists of Northern Eurasia as well as science and education specialists were timed to this event in Russian capital and Almaty.
Professor N.N.Drozdov took part in the event held in M.V.Lomonosov Moscow State University.Special issues of Menzibar Ornithology Society (volume 3), Ornithology Highlights of Kazakhstan and Central Asia (issue 4) and fundamental work of Academic A.
K.Rustamov “Fauna of Turkmenistan and its Protection” have been published on occasion of this remarkable date.The information about the scientist were also published in specialized Russian and other countries publications.
Traditional Rustamov’s readings took place in Ashgabat.
In 1946, young doctoral candidate Anver Rustamov started to study uncovered mysteries of the nature of home land, the fauna of Karakum Desert, which was not studied good enough at that time.
Many year of work ended up in successful Ph.D.thesis and publication of the monograph “The Birds of Karakum Desert”.The work published in 1954 defined the direction of further studies of young professor and his students O.
Sopiyev, K.Atayev, M.Amanov, Ch.Atayev, S.Shammakov and other as well as desert scientists in Turkmenistan and other countries.Young Doctor of Sciences, the Professor was 32 years old at that time.
The success of the scientist was noticed.The Literature Newspaper wrote :”According to unanimous opinion of the leading specialists, the doctorate thesis of A.Rustamov fills large and considerable gap in our knowledge of not only the birds of Karakum Desert but other regions deserts as well”.
Professional cooperation and friendship with S.P.Dementyev, who was the professor of Lomonosov Moscow University at that time, helped to reveal the talent of researcher.The circle of interests of Turkmen scientist was quite large.
It included herpetology, ecology, zoogeography, scientific and methodological subject of high education and organization of university study.However, the ornithology remained the leading and favourite section of the zoology.
A.Rustamov was not just the ornithologist; he was also interested in the issues of protection of desert natural landscapes, adaptation of living organisms to arid conditions, rational use of fauna of Central Asia and many other.
The scientist is the author of numerous publications including monographs, study books, booklets, articles and theses reflecting not only the facts discovered in field studies but containing original scientific summaries.
For example, he offered his own interpretation of the concept of 2living form” in animal’s ecology.He studied the issues of cultural landscape and existence of animals under man-made conditions.
It can be stated with confidence that the scientist was one of the first in the CIS countries who started looking for the solution of this issue.
The concept of “man-made landscape”, its classification, objectives of man-made zoogeography as a science are the subjects the scientist was actively working on.He made original conclusions during the study of zoogeographical relations of herpetal fauna of central Asia, Caucasus, Iran and Afghanistan, integrated protection of birds and vertebrate animals of Turkmenistan and Palearctic deserts.
The scientist referred to the issues of herpetology.The Birds of Turkmenistan (1958) containing numerous new facts for those days is worth to be highlighted among the publications of A.
k.Rustamov.He acted as the fauna scientist, ecologist and zoogeographer in this book.
Last decades of his scientific activity are characterized by increased attention to the problems of environmental protection.Anver Rustamov was the founder and head of Turkmenistan Natural Protection Association for many years.
He was the first to respond to the creation of National Red Book.Owing to his authority among international scientific circles, Ashgabat hosted the 14th General Assembly of International Environmental Protection Union.
During the independence, the ideas of the scientist were reflected in the Strategy and Action Plan on Protection of Biodiversity of Turkmenistan and National Action Plan on Environmental Protection (2002), in the Programme of Key Ornithological Territories of Turkmenistan (2009), the Law on Specially Protected Natural Territories (2012).
Entire life and activity of Anver Rustamov was related with Turkmenistan, which is one of the unique natural territories.He was born in Ashgabat and graduated with excellence from Natural faculty of A.
M.Gorkiy University (Magtumguly Turkmen State University at present).Creative atmosphere in scientific student club at the Zoology department under the leadership of Professor Mikhail Laptev raised his interest to the science.
After he was wounded in the war, he continued the work on his candidacy dissertation, which he successfully defended in 1943.After the war, the scientist chaired the department of zoology and natural protection of Turkmen agricultural institute (TAU at present) and the laboratory of biodiversity of Zoology Institute of the Academy of Science of Turkmenistan.
Anver Rustamov successfully combined scientific work with versatile public and teaching activity and was one of the organizers of agricultural education in Turkmenistan, having dedicated half of the century to this subject.
A. K. Rustamov was awarded the title of Honoured Scientist, elected as the Academic of the Academy of Sciences of Turkmenistan and received numerous state awards. The Great Britain Royal Birds Protection Society instituted Anver Rustamov Youth Award that is conferred in birds study and protection in Central Asia.