In memoriam. Professor Arvydas Survila (1942–2026)

On 15 January 2026, Lithuania lost a distinguished electrochemist, Professor Habilitated Doctor Arvydas Survila.

His scientific career began at Vilnius University and continued at M. V. Lomonosov Moscow State University, where he specialised in electrochemistry and defended his doctoral dissertation. From 1968 onwards, his professional life was closely associated with the Institute of Chemistry and Chemical Technology of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences (later the Institute of Chemistry, now FTMC), where he worked for most of his life.

Professor Survila’s main research areas included electrochemical kinetics, electrochemistry of coordination compounds, and electrochemical deposition of metals and alloys. His work was characterised by profound theoretical analysis, meticulous quantitative interpretation of experimental data, and the application of fundamental electrochemical principles to practical electroplating processes. The results of these studies were summarised in his habilitation thesis and in monographs that received wide international recognition. For his significant contribution to the theory and practice of electrochemical alloy deposition, Professor Survila was awarded the Lithuanian Science Prize, and later a cycle of his works in this field was honoured with the J. Matulis Prize of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences.

An important part of his scientific activity was devoted to photoelectrochemical research, which contributed to a deeper understanding of electrochemically formed semiconductor layers and to the development of photoelectrochemistry as a research direction.

Professor Survila authored more than 250 scientific publications and published monographs with prestigious international publishers. He was actively involved in international scientific life, delivering presentations at more than fifty international conferences, giving invited lectures at research centres abroad, and collaborating with scientists from the United States, Poland, and other countries.

Teaching played a major role in his life. He delivered core and specialised courses in chemistry and electrochemistry at Vilnius University, Vilnius Pedagogical Institute, and Vytautas Magnus University. Under his supervision, twelve doctoral dissertations were completed and successfully defended. The work of his former students reflects his characteristic methodological precision and theoretical consistency. His contribution to the training of young scientists was further recognised by the award of a First-Class State Science Fellowship in 2002–2003.

Equally important was Professor Survila’s contribution to the organisation of science. He headed the Laboratory of New Electrochemical Methods, the Laboratory of Theoretical Electrochemistry, and the Department of Electrochemical Kinetics. He was elected a member of the Council of the Institute of Chemistry and served as its Chairman from 1994 to 1998.

Despite his extensive commitments in research and teaching, Professor Survila also devoted time to public service. He participated in the organisation of chemistry olympiads for young scientists, served on the Board of the Theodor von Grotthuss Foundation of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences, and was elected an expert member of the Lithuanian Academy of Sciences. He was also a member of international electrochemical societies, a member of editorial boards of prestigious scientific journals, and a peer reviewer.

The work and achievements of Professor Arvydas Survila constitute a significant part of the history of chemical science in Lithuania. His scientific and pedagogical legacy lives on in his publications and in the work of his students.

Colleagues will remember him as a principled yet warm and supportive friend, students as a demanding and inspiring Teacher, and the scientific community as a person for whom science was not merely a profession, but the meaning of life itself. His work and ideas will endure.

The farewell will take place in Vilnius, at M. Paco Street 4 (near the Church of St Peter and St Paul) on 18 January 2026 from 9.00 to 13.00 (Holy Mass at 10.00). The urn will be carried out at 13.00.