There are several “electrochemical places” in StPetersburg (SPb), which was a capital of Russia for a long time. Specialized Dept of Electrochemistry still exists at the Faculty of Chemistry, SPb University. There are also technical universities which host various branches of applied electrochemistry.
Mikhail Stepanovich Vrevskyi (1871-1929) was a key person of his period in <non-electrolyte> solutions research in SPb University. In 1914, he founded the Dept of physical chemistry, see Historical webpage of the Dept (in Russian). The obituary with numerous details of Vrevskyi’s life and work, incl. list of publications, was published by his pupil S.A. Shchukarev in Zhurnal Obshchei Khimii. 1931. V. 1. P. 1145-1157 (in Russian).
Ivan Ivanovich Zhukov (1880-1949) headed Vrevskyi’s Dept starting from 1929, transformed it into Dept of physical and colloid chemistry, and finally separated his Dept of colloid chemistry in 1939. He payed serious attention to teaching of colloid chemistry, and authored a fundamental textbook which was used for decades. Among his research areas, the most known is electrodyalisys (Zhukov’s 1943 review in Uspekhi Khimii, in Russian). Jointly with Nikol’skyi, he worked on applied problem of water purification. He was active with pH-metry (examples are “antimony electrode” (1931) and pH-metry in mixed solvents (1932)) and, wider, in potentiometric analysis. He also invented unusual approach to fabricate smooth highly active platinum electrodes, Zhurnal Obshchei Khimii. 1933. V. 3. P. 958-962, and 1934. V. 4. P. 9-12.
Boris Petrovich Nikolskyi (1900-1990) was supervised by M.S. Vrevskyi in his youth. His widely known early works on the glass electrode (Parts I – III) were mostly done in Saratov (Volga region), where Nikolsky was in exile after he was arrested in 1935. At the end of 1937, he was arrested again and sent to detention camp at the North. Fortunately, he was released in 1939 and returned to Leningrad. Part V appeared in Zhurnal Fizicheskoi Khimii 1953. V. 27. P. 724-743 (generalized theory, allowing for varios bonding energies of hydrogen ions). Part IX (co-authored by M.M. Shul’tz and N.V. Peshekhonova) appeared in 1959. V. 33. P. 1922-1927.
1932: Dept of Electrochemistry in newly established Institute of Chemical physics, headed by S.A. Shchukarev, B.P. Nikolskyi, and R.L. Müller (see P. 448 of this text). However, this Institute was transferred to Moscow in few years, when electrochemical branch continued in various institutions in Leningrad.
Nikolsky B.P. Die Eigenschaften der doppelschicht und die Austauschadsorption von Ionen au Nichtmetal-Lischen Oberflachen // Phys. Z. Sowjetunion. 1933. Bd. 4. S. 266–281. Ions bonding and exchange at Al(OH)3 and kaolin surfaces is addressed.
1940: Specialized Dept of Electrochemistry is founded at the Faculty of Chemistry, StPb (Leningrad) State University.
This Dept was headed first by Rudolf Lyudvigovich Müller (1899-1964), who was an expert in solid electrolytes with the accent on glass conductivity (1929 diploma study in StPb University, 1938 PhD degree, and 1940 DSc thesis). However, he was ungroundedly arrested in 1941 as a person having German last name, and found himself in various camps in Krasnoyarsk region (Siberia). In 1946, he was transferred to Karsnoyarsk and obliged to work in newly constructed factory, working out electrolysis technologies of platinum group metals and gold. Being released in 1951 (but still exciled), he moved to Kemerovo (also in Siberia) and worked as school teacher. In 1953, after Stalin’d death, he was allowed to work in the local Mining University, and returned to his research work with glasses, as well as with local carbon. He was able to come again to StPb only in 1956. Texts in Russian written by Andrey G. Morachevsky and by unknown author from Kemerovo present many biographic and professional details.
1940s: Vol’f Lazarevich Kheifets (1904? – 1977) started to work at the Dept of Electrochemistry in 1946, after 1952 he mostly worked in GiproNickel applied institute, and is known as an expert in Ni plating and refining.