The ceremony took place at the main building of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow and was broadcasted in three official UNESCO languages – Russian, English, and French.

The 2022 laureates were Irina Beletskaya, a member of the Russian Academy of Sciences and head of the laboratory of elementorganic compounds at the chemistry faculty of Moscow State University, and Professor Klaus Alexander Müller, honorary director of the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (Mainz, Germany).

Academician Beletskaya was awarded for her innovative research in the field of new metal-organic reactions and the use of catalysts based on transition metals and metallic nanoparticles in organic synthesis. The jury also noted her active participation in the development of natural science education, international cooperation, and the development of environmentally sustainable chemistry.

Professor Müller was awarded the prize in recognition of his outstanding scientific achievements in the field of basic chemical and polymer disciplines, as well as for his long-standing efforts in promoting international cooperation, natural science education, and sustainable development.

The UNESCO-Russia International Mendeleev Prize for achievements in the field of fundamental sciences was established in 2019 as part of the International Year of the Periodic Table of Chemical Elements, with the aim of promoting scientific progress, popularizing natural sciences, and developing international cooperation. The prize is awarded annually to two representatives of the natural science community in recognition of their outstanding discoveries, breakthrough innovations, as well as active efforts in promoting fundamental sciences that have contributed to real socio-economic transformations and development at the regional or global level.

More about the event on the official page of the Russian Academy of Sciences