- Veronica, why is it chemistry anyway? How did this hobby begin, who supports him in the family? How did it happen that you began to do scientific work at the university without graduating from school?

- Since childhood, I was very attracted by the uncertainty of our world, I wanted to know as much as possible. Studying chemistry at school with a bias in the subjects of the natural science cycle just provided me with such an opportunity. Since my relatives support me in all endeavors, the study of chemistry was approved by them. 

Two years ago, thanks to the cooperation of my school №197 in St. Petersburg with ITMO University, I managed to attend a university lecture in chemistry, during which lecturer Mikhail V. Kurushkin (my current supervisor and co-author of the article) noted my good knowledge of chemistry and English. In the summer of 2019, he invited me to participate in the Mendeleev 150 international conference as a speaker. After the speech, I was offered an internship at ITMO, during which an article was written.

- The chemical element of promethium has become the basis of your debut in science. How did you choose this topic? Why is the element interesting? Is it true that it is connected with space exploration in the future, with the preparation of expeditions to other planets?

- We would like to write an article that would have a connection with the periodic table, tell in detail about some chemical element, so that the work would be unique and have scientific value. Therefore, we opted for promethium. Very few articles have been written about him, unlike most other elements.

Promethium is a gray radioactive metal that is almost never found in nature. It is believed that its content in the earth's crust is estimated in hundreds of grams. However, after opening the element found a huge number of applications.

Yes, the future of promethium may be associated with various space exploration expeditions. This element has soft beta radiation that can simulate conditions on Earth that the crew may encounter in space.

  • Promethium is a rare radioactive metal that is almost never found in nature.
  • Gettyimages.ru
  • © viking75

- Often schoolchildren complain that after completing homework they don’t have time for their favorite activities. How did your work on an article in a prestigious magazine fit with school responsibilities? 

- After completing all the tasks on the school curriculum and preparing for the exams, the time really does not remain for anything. Therefore, in order to have time to do everything that was intended, I had to go to school and additional classes during the day, and then work at night.

Writing a scientific review required serious preparation: in fact, work went on throughout the past school year. To trace the history of promethium over the past hundred years, I had to learn the skills of working with scientific databases: Scopus, Web of Science, Kopernio and Mendeley.

- Which, apart from chemistry, objects are close to you, and which seem complicated? For example, how will you pass the exam? Does the modern school curriculum seem too simple for you?

- I am close to subjects of the natural science cycle, such as biology, chemistry. However, I did not experience great difficulties in studying the remaining disciplines, because I was lucky to learn from good teachers. If a subject is not clear, then this means that it takes more time to study it. At the exam I plan to take Russian, specialized mathematics, chemistry, biology. I do not consider the modern school curriculum too simple. At the same time, it is designed for everyone, and therefore can not be greatly complicated.

- The problems of gifted young people are often called the difficulty in communicating with peers, mental overload, emotional burnout. How do you relax? Do you have friends, pets, favorite sports or any hobbies not yet related to science and education?

- To avoid overloads and emotional burnout, I make a weekly weekend for myself, which I spend with friends and family. In winter, we ski, in the summer we swim on the lakes.

- Now many areas of knowledge often intersect, there is a convergence of sciences. In what area of ​​scientific activity do you see your future?

- I would like to do research at the intersection of chemistry and medicine, but I believe that science has no certain limitations in the subject of research.

  • Veronica considers it necessary to change society for the better with the help of inventions and innovations
  • © ITMO University

- What people inspired and inspire you? How do you think science can change this world, society, life of specific people for the better?

- I am inspired by modern scientists who, despite everything happening in the world, manage to do science with one large world team. 

For me, science is a way of understanding the world, in which even in the 21st century a huge number of “white spots” remain. I consider it necessary to study the world and change the familiar life of society for the better with the help of various inventions and innovations.