He was born on September, 21, 1871 in the Gorki region.
He is the founder of the Soviet oil geology, geologist-oil worker, Academician of the USSR Science Academy, Honored Scientist of the RSFSR.
He graduated from the Saint-Peterburg Mining Institute in 1910.
In 1917-1918 he was sent to the USA to study the oil industry.
In 1920 he headed the oil industry Council, and was appointed Chairman of the Special commission on the Kursk magnetic anomaly, 1922 -1930 - rector of the Moscow Mining Academy.
He was the founder and the first director of the State Research Oil Institute (the Institute of the combustible minerals of the USSR Science Academy).
1930-1936 - rector of the Moscow Oil Institute, Chairman of the USSR Science Academy Council on the productive forces study.
1931-1936 - Head of the geological prospecting department, 1936-1939 - Vice-president of the USSR Science Academy.
He died in Moscow in 1939.
