Evgenii Burov, professor of geophysics at Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC) in Paris, died unexpectedly at the age of 52 during a scientific field trip to Chile.
Trained at the prestigious Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, Evgenii Burov had joined France in 1992 and worked successively at Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris (IPGP), at the Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (BRGM) before he was hired as a full professor in 1999 at UPMC. He was professor in the Institut des Sciences de la Terre de Paris (ISTeP).
Geophysicist, Evgenii was recognized worldwide as one of the best specialists of numerical modelling of the internal processes that shape our planet. He contributed in a magnificent way to the fame of Earth Sciences at UPMC. Evguenii was seen by the community of geoscientists as a leader in the field of geodynamics and numerical modelling. He has paved the way for a new approach of geodynamical processes through numerical modelling that has been since followed by many, and he had trained many master and PhD students who will extend his approach in the years to come.
Member of the Academia Europaea, he received several international awards such as the Stephan Müller Medal of the European Geoscience Union or the Flinn Medal of the EGS International Lithosphere Programme. He was recently the laureate of an ERC Advanced Research Grant. Through this international recognition, he greatly participated to the worldwide visibility of UPMC.
As an editor-in-chief of the international journal Tectonophysics, a manager of several task forces dedicated to modelling and source of numerous national and international collaborations, Evgenii Burov was one the most frequently cited modellers in the field of geosciences.
All those who had met him and worked with him will remember a cheerful person, always smiling and an extremely hard worker. He was a passionate and tireless researcher.
All of his colleagues and friends in Paris express their deepest sympathies and condolences to his wife Katia and his young son Alexei.
Evgenii at the ILP meeting in Tokyo (October 5-9, 2015):
In Memoriam Evgueni Burov 
Douloureuse nouvelle…Depuis son recrutement à l’UPMC ,en 1999,Génia a beaucoup apporté au Laboratoire et ouvert de nouveaux champs de recherche très fructueux.
C’était un collègue très attachant…
Jean-Paul Cadet
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I know Evgeniy (Zhenya, Genia) very well. Me is Russian from Moscow. Our joint papers were published in 1993 in Tectonophysics. Zhenya was very young but strong scientist. We submitted a paper 10 days ago just before his travel to Japan. Zhenya was responsible author, me is first author. We planned to write 2-3 papers on Arctic tectonics. New field for Zhenya. I met him in Moscow in 1990 may be. He was ans is one of the best Russian scientist in Europe. I know well his Family, his wife, his son. I can not believe to last news with Zhenya. I will see Zhenya’s smile and ideas long time in future.
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After just arriving in the US after a long journey I opened my emails to discover the shocking news concerning Evgenii. I remember praising his achievements during our very recent ILP meeting in Potsdam. He has achieved so much. It is really sad that solid earth geophysics has lost a real star.
Of course, our loss does not compare to that of his wife and son. They must be devastated. My thoughts are with them during this very difficult period.
With sadness
Alan
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We are very sorry to listen to this sad news and irreparable loss. May God bless his departed soul with peace at Heaven.
Regards
Kalachand
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what a shock this has been!
I am in the Alsace at a meeting where Evgenii was due to speak yesterday!
It is a tragedy for his family and quite shock for his colleagues. Especially for the older ones like you and I. You never expect the younger ones to go first.
Don
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I cannot expressed that shock I have got from this sad news that Evgenii Burov is not anymore with us. He was a bright scientist, a kind and warm person, a great colleague and faithful friend to many of us.
My condolences to his wife Katia and his son Alesha.
Sincerely yours,
Larissa
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I was astonished from this very sad news. I knew Evgenii as brilliant scientist and co-author of a paper of mine, where I appreciated its deep knowledge of Earth Sciences and his willingness to collaborate.
I sincerely express my condolences to his wife Katia and his son Alexei.
Alessandro Tibaldi
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The sad news saddened me way more than I thought they would. It touched me deeply, although I did not know Evgenii much.
I started to get to know with my first involvement with ILP. Here I attach a couple of pictures that I took in Tokyo when he gave his presentation.
His memory in my heart will be the successful scientist, hardworker, and yet shy and modest.
Such characteristics in a fellow researcher make him an example to follow.
I say to myself, I am so lucky to have met him – even if for a short time.
Here words end and only feelings and emotions remain.
He will be missed, that is for sure.
Let us remember him and follow on his legacy.
My deepest feelings to his close family, close friends, and students.
May his soul rest in peace.
Fadi
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So sorry to learn of the sad demise of Evgenil Burov. May his soul rest in peace. Best wishes to Katia and Alexie to bear this great loss.
Harsh Gupta
Prof. Harsh Gupta
Member, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB)
President, Geological Society of India
Immediate Past President, International Union of Geodesy & Geophysics (IUGG)
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Genia was a kind, generous, and delightful friend, and a brilliant scientist who will be dearly missed.
I sought him out at meetings and tried to sit next to him at talks, inspired by his little chuckles and witty asides. We will celebrate his career for decades to come, as his work underpins so much current and future science.
Our community’s loss of an inspired leader in his prime is little in comparison to Katia and Alexei’s loss. My thoughts are with you.
Cindy
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Cher tous,
(Dear all… it is much easier to write in your own langage in this circumstances…)
Moi aussi, bien évidemment. Quasiment 20 ans, avec des échanges très réguliers.
J’ai compris ces derniers jours – et au travers de vos messages – que je n’étais pas
son seul ami, qu’il avait su plaire, convaincre et attirer beaucoup d’entre nous.
Genia était inquiet pour son fils, qui allait rentrer au collège, il m’en faisait part.
Bien entendu il allait continuer à s’intéresser à ces magmas pegmatitiques, si
différents des autres, rhéologiquement, mais je le sentais surtout soucieux des
prochaines années.
T’inquiètes Genia, Katia était super-affectueuse avec Alexei à Ste Geneviève,
il sera bien guidé. Les copains d’Alexei étaient là, y compris le coach de l’équipe
de hockey. On s’occupe de lui.
Je suis effondré, et je ne m’en remets toujours pas…
Cheers
laurent gf
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