Dear Colleagues!
In September 2025, the scientific community suffered a great loss – Victor Drits, an outstanding scientist whose work in mineralogy and crystallography left a deep mark, passed away. Victor Drits was not only an outstanding researcher, but also a person whose authority was highly valued by colleagues around the world. He was an honorary member of the Polish Mineralogical Society.
An unexpected and valuable gift came in the form of a letter from our Polish colleague Jan Środoń. Among his archives, he discovered and forwarded to us an interview with Victor Drits, which was taken in 1991 in Strasbourg and published in the CMS News newsletter in 1992.
Today, with Jan's permission and in memory of Victor Drits, we are publishing this interview. In it – a living voice from the past, the scientist's thoughts, his view of science and the changes of that period, a story about the beginning of his scientific journey, overcoming difficulties, scientific achievements and international cooperation.
In September 2025, the scientific community suffered a great loss – Victor Drits, an outstanding scientist whose work in mineralogy and crystallography left a deep mark, passed away. Victor Drits was not only an outstanding researcher, but also a person whose authority was highly valued by colleagues around the world. He was an honorary member of the Polish Mineralogical Society.
An unexpected and valuable gift came in the form of a letter from our Polish colleague Jan Środoń. Among his archives, he discovered and forwarded to us an interview with Victor Drits, which was taken in 1991 in Strasbourg and published in the CMS News newsletter in 1992.
Today, with Jan's permission and in memory of Victor Drits, we are publishing this interview. In it – a living voice from the past, the scientist's thoughts, his view of science and the changes of that period, a story about the beginning of his scientific journey, overcoming difficulties, scientific achievements and international cooperation.
The Russian Clay and Clay Minerals Group expresses its gratitude to Jan for providing the materials and for his initiative.