Vasily Gavrilovich Erofeev. 1822-1884

Erofeev Vasily Gavrilovich was one of the main initiators of the Geological Committee creation and its Director (1882–1884). Professor and Head of the Department of Palaeontology, St. Petersburg Mining Institute (1866–1873), Rector of the Mining Institute (1881–1884). Graduate of the Institute of Mining Engineers (1842). He taught a palaeontology course at the Mining Institute (1857–1896). The initiator and one of the leading implementers of the development of the General GeolCom work plan for the systematic geological study of Russia. For the first time established Jurassic age of coal deposits in Turkestan, previously considered as Carboniferous; compiled the "Tables of fossils in sedimentary systems of Russia", published in the Russian edition of "Geology of Russia" by Murchison, Verneuil, Keyserling. Compiled the first lithographed textbook of palaeontology. He discovered a rock salt deposit on the Bakhmut River in the Donbass. He first systematized palaeontological collections in the Mining Museum.