He is not afraid of volcanoes, rather, they inspire him to philosophical reflections that can be transferred to a painting. Only this hero will draw in his free time from lectures.
We are not surprised that pundits of the past could boast of several talents at once. However, people like them are rarely found in our time. Our hero is among such unique, classic representatives of curious and gifted people. Retelling his biography, it is impossible not to mention all his scientific research, which allows you to learn more about our planet.
early years
Vanya was born in July 1967. The Kulakovs family lived in Novosibirsk. The son was not encouraged to continue the work of the dynasty, he could choose his own path. Like all boys, our hero was fond of stories of distant wanderings. Among the most romantic professions of the Soviet era was the specialty of a geologist - real trips to little-explored corners of the Earth, adventures and romantic songs with a guitar. After leaving school, Ivan entered the Novosibirsk State University at the Faculty of Geophysics.
In 1989, the guy graduated. The name of his specialty sounded like geotectonics and geodynamics. The young man considered his vocation to be science, because an ordinary diploma was not enough for him. Soon the Soviet Union collapsed and significant sums from the budget ceased to be allocated for research activities. Many of Kulakov's peers preferred immediate earnings to a career and went into commerce. Ivan Kulakov did not betray his dream. In 1997, he defended his Ph. D. and began to prepare for the next peak in his career.
Research subject
The time for doctoral defense came in 2007. The Institute of Geology and Mineralogy of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences became the place of this event. Kulakov chose geodynamic processes in the crust and upper mantle of the Earth as the topic of his work based on the results of regional and local seismic tomography. In his field of vision were extreme natural phenomena in places where there are joints of tectonic plates.
Ivan regularly takes part in expeditions. His publications are often accompanied by a photograph of the author against the backdrop of a pristine landscape. The results of his research were a number of publications in domestic and foreign specialized editions, monographs. Kulakov's contribution to science in 2016 was assessed by awarding him the title of Professor of Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The titled scientist runs a laboratory that studies seismics at the Institute of Petroleum Geology and Geophysics. A. A. Trofimchuk of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and teaches at the Novosibirsk State University..
Confession
Ivan Kulakov is respected not only at home. Leading volcanologists from abroad listen to his opinion. Our hero spent about 5 years in the state of research laboratories in France and Germany. This allowed him to take part in expeditions organized by Western scientists. Among the most interesting and productive was a business trip to Sumatra. There, the attention of the Kulakovs was attracted by the Toba volcano, which is credited with having a serious impact on the Earth's climate. It is assumed that it was his eruption that caused one of the global extinctions of prehistoric flora and fauna.
Professor Ivan Kulakov is known not only in scientific circles. Our hero is fond of fine arts. He draws ideas for creating his paintings from life, generously adding humor to the philosophical context. When asked about his original style, the minister of the muses replies that he is not trying to compete with nature in creating beauty and, in principle, does not create decorative elements, he simply conveys a state of mind. The canvases of the self-taught artist are not inferior to the works of professionals and have already found their fans. Author's exhibitions of Ivan Kulakov's works were held in Russia and abroad. In his native Novosibirsk, this painter is called the most popular artist of the city.
Interesting hypotheses
The aforementioned place of work does not mean at all that the range of interests of Ivan Kulakov is limited only to the search for mineral deposits and is tied to a commercial order. Our hero is keenly interested in the problems of geology and geophysics around the world and offers the society curious theories about the processes taking place on Earth. So a few years ago, the famous Yellowstone drew the professor's attention.
A huge dormant volcano in the American Nature Reserve has begun to wake up. Kulakov named the estimated size of the lava massif that feeds Yellowstone, and asked not to turn the discussion of this natural phenomenon into a source of panic. Western journalists are interested in the expert's opinion. As a result, a discussion unfolded on the pages of scientific journals. It happened several years ago. Last year, a number of American volcanologists confirmed Ivan Kulakov's hypothesis, while modestly keeping silent about its author.
What the professor is hiding
The only topic that Ivan Kulakov does not touch upon in his interviews is his personal life. It is not known whether the scientist has a wife and children. Our hero does not use close people as an advertisement for his scientific and creative activities. Friends and colleagues of this person note his ease of communication and decency. You can learn more about the professor's hobby, his musical preferences at exhibitions of his paintings. Kulakov invites musicians there by all means.
