Jadwiga Szmidt

Jadwiga Ryszardowna Szmidt (; 8 September 1889 – April 1940) was a Polish-Russian physicist. She conducted pioneering research in the fields of optical engineering, radiology, radioactivity and electrical engineering.

Early life and education Jadwiga Ryszardowna Schmidt was born in Łódź on 8 September 1889, the daughter of Ryszard Schmidt. At the time of her birth, the city was under the control of the Russian Empire, but her family were of Polish descent. They were also Protestants.

In 1911, Szmidt left for a six-month training course at the Sorbonne in Paris. Thanks to the intercession of the physicist Jan Kazimierz Danysz (she held a teaching diploma rather than a bachelor’s degree), Schmidt was able to take up a position in Marie Skłodowska-Curie’s laboratory during her time in Paris. She collaborated with the Norwegian physicist Ellen Gleditsch, the British chemist May Sybil Leslie and Swedish physicist Eva Ramstedt during her time there.

She spoke six languages, which she used to translate a number of scientific works into Russian. Personal life In 1923, Szmidt married her colleague A. A. Chernichev.

In 1938, her husband Chernichev had to move to Moscow for work. Szmidt remained in Leningrad, and the couple were only able to keep in touch by post.

Jadwiga Szmidt fell seriously ill and died in Leningrad in April 1940, the same month her husband died in Moscow.