Blokh Max Abramovich (Dinaburg 1882 - Moscow 1941), chemist, historian of chemical sciences.
Max Blokh graduated from the Dvinsk real school and from 1901 to 1908 studied at the Riga Polytechnic Institute. He graduated from the chemical department with honours and received the title of engineer-technologist of the X class. Simultaneously with his studies at RPI he listened to lectures and worked at Heidelberg University under the famous Prof. T. Kurzius. Since 1909, after graduating from the Riga Polytechnic Institute, he worked as an assistant in the laboratory of Prof. P. Walden in St. Petersburg.
Max Blokh's first printed work was translations of P.Walden's works from German into Russian. In 1916 in Moscow the scientist organised a chemical-technical scientific publishing house. He published «Библиографический справочник: Выдающиеся химики и учёные Х1Х и ХХ столетий, работавшие в смежных с химией областях науки (в 2 томах, 1929-1931) ( ‘Bibliographical Directory: Outstanding Chemists and Scientists of the Х1st and 20th Centuries, who worked in the fields of science related to chemistry (in 2 volumes, 1929-1931)). The reference book reflects the scientific activity of about 1500 scientists, among whom is mentioned S. Levitas, a native of Dvinsk, who received his pharmaceutical education in Bern.
In 1940 he published «Хронология важнейших событий в области химии и смежных дисциплин и библиография по истории химии»(‘Chronology of the most important events in the field of chemistry and related disciplines and bibliography on the history of chemistry’).
Max Blokh took part in the preparation of a number of encyclopaedic editions, wrote more than 150 popular science articles, including «Химия в поэтической литературе» ( ‘Chemistry in poetic literature’).
Max Blokh was an editor, member, scientific secretary of various commissions and committees, organiser of courses in chemical economics and history of chemical sciences. He was a professor of a number of Leningrad universities, a correspondent member of the International Society for the History of Sciences (since 1933), a participant of congresses of natural scientists, doctors and chemists in Dusseldorf (1926), Hamburg (1928), Frankfurt (1930).
Scientific researches of Max Blokh allowed to study the problem of origin of chemical ideas, their historical and genetic connection, establishment of relations between separate scientific currents, he was one of the initiators of chemicalisation of the Soviet industry in the late 20s of the XX century.
Source: V.Ozoliņa. Учёный и знаток учёных. Газета «Красное знамя» (Даугавпилс). 17.06. 1989 (Scientist and connoisseur of scientists. Newspaper ‘Red Banner’ (Daugavpils). 17.06. 1989).