The main stages of the formation of ecological paradigms of environmental management are considered, the fundamental role of V.V. Dokuchaev ideas and the importance of following V.I. Vernadskiy works in their development are shown. The role of scientists of the Club of Rome in the development of the ideology of sustainable development and its controversial perception by the world scientific community is reflected. The analysis of the existing paradigms, in particular of the co-evolutionary paradigm, and its implementation in the theory and practice of adaptive-landscape farming systems is given. The priority tasks for its improvement are defined. Further prospects for its development are considered in the framework of the proposed constructive-biospheric paradigm of environmental management, which implies the creation of a network of agricultural landscapes (agricultural, water, land reclamation, agro-industrial, rural forestry, livestock, residential) in compliance with the ecological status of the territory. The grouping of ecological functions of the landscape and mechanisms of their transformation into socio-economic functions are considered as tools for landscape-ecological planning and design.

The article shows the relevance and modernity of the scientific ideas of V.V. Dokuchaev, whose 175th birthday anniversary is dedicated to the XXIV Dokuchaev Readings. The digitalization of soil science is the basis for creating a scientific base for the state system of soil conservation land use.

Soil scientists have long believed that the first printed work of V.V. Dokuchaev was his diploma thesis in 1871 “On alluvial sediments along the Kasna River of the Sychevsky district of the Smolensk province”, which he defended after graduating from St. Petersburg University, under the guidance of Professor P.A. Puzyrevsky. However, there is a little-known article written under the pseudonym of V. D-chaev, “Darwin's theory before the court of Holy Scripture as the oldest historical botanical and zoological monument”, published in 1869 in the spiritual journal “Strannik” (“Wanderer”), which was written by V.V. Dokuchaev shortly after graduating from the theological seminary. The first work of V. Dokuchaev is of interest due to the fact that it appeared in the transition period from Dokuchaev-theologian to Dokuchaev-naturalist. Analyzing the article, written on 52 pages, one can understand how seriously the young man approached this publication. According to the former seminarian, the Holy Scriptures are the main and most reliable source of information about the past. In formulating his attitude to Darwin's theory, he relies on the work of M.A. Sibirtsev and spiritual father Matveevsky, finding in them arguments in support of his point. In addition, Dokuchaev mentions and cites the publications of more than two dozen geologists, mostly foreign ones. However, it should be noted that most of the works he refers to were popular sources. Objections to Darwin on the basic aspects of evolutionary theory show the spiritual maturity of the future scientist. The manuscript is still a student's article, but it contains the analysis of the problem of time, which later became the basis of Dokuchaev's teaching about time as a factor of soil formation. Dokuchaev came to understand the law of love as a universal law of the commonwealth that rules the world, which in fact is the basis of the ecological perception of the world. 

In 2021 we celebrate the 175th anniversary of the birth of the founder of Soil Science – Vasiliy Vasilievich Dokuchaev, and his wife and colleague – Anna Egorovna Dokuchaeva (Sinclair). V.V. Dokuchaev personally highly appreciated the outstanding role of Anna Egorovna in the formation of the Russian school of soil scientists, calling her the first Russian woman soil scientist. The article is devoted to the life of A.E. Dokuchaeva and based on the analysis of a few archival materials and literature. He emphasized its importance not only in his own life and scientific work, but also noted its influence on the formation of young soil scientists. By the moment of the meeting with V.V. Dokuchaev, Anna Egorovna was an educated and financially independent woman, had teaching experience and was the head of a private girls’ school, that belonged to her, and led an active social life. A successful, active, but at the same time the fragile young woman, being the head of educational institution, became for her husband not just a loving and beloved wife, but also a loyal companion and assistant, in whom he always found understanding and encouragement, his reliable support. Anna Egorovna helped her husband with translations with scientific articles, participated with him in the preparation and work of the VIII Congress of Russian Naturalists and Doctors, traveled with Vasiliy Vasilievich on expeditions, and processed the materials collected. This is only a small part of what Anna Egorovna did in Soil Science and of what we know today from documents and memoirs, most likely her scientific activity was much wider. In the Dokuchaevs’ house, there was a close connection between the family and Anna Egorovna’s scientific activities, which only people close to the family, friends, and students of Vasiliy Vasilievich knew about, but for most people Anna Egorovna was not a scientist.

The year 2021 is marked by the 175-th anniversary of the birth of Anna Egorovna and Vasiliy Vasilievich Dokuchaevs. This is a wonderful occasion to recall an amazing and remarkably modest woman who played an important role in the life and work of the great Russian natural scientist, the founder of genetic soil science. If many works were written about her outstanding world-wide known husband, films were made, pictures were created, his photos are preserved, then the life of his wife is undeservingly poorly described, and the appearance of this very beautiful woman is depicted in the only one famous portrait. This article, dedicated to the memory of Anna Egorovna Dokuchaeva, is based on both the quotations from the already published memoirs of the follower and the friend of V.V. Dokuchaev – Franz Yulievich Levinson-Lessing, and the excerpts from Anna Egorovna’s letters to Varvara Ippolitovna – the wife of F.Yu. Levinson-Lessing. These letters were collected from the archives of the Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg and copied by the employee of the V.V. Dokuchaev Soil Science Institute – Sergey Petrovich Lyalin – in the 1980s, and they are now kindly provided by the Central Soil Museum by V.V. Dokuchaev (the Branch of the Federal Research Centre “V.V. Dokuchaev Soil Science Institute” in St. Petersburg). 

The idea of this paper is to highlight the scale of Dokuchaev's personality through the prism of readers' perception and comparison of the scientist's achievements, timed to certain milestones in his life, with their own successes. Dokuchaev's biography, filtered through his own life experience, provides a better understanding of the magnitude of the first soil scientist, and a respect for his significant scientific heritage. The work will give an insight into the extensive and varied activities of the pioneer in the comprehensive study of soils and the environment.

The idea of this paper is to highlight the scale of Dokuchaev's personality through the prism of readers' perception and comparison of the scientist's achievements, timed to certain milestones in his life, with their own successes. Dokuchaev's biography, filtered through his own life experience, provides a better understanding of the magnitude of the first soil scientist, and a respect for his significant scientific heritage. The work will give an insight into the extensive and varied activities of the pioneer in the comprehensive study of soils and the environment. 

The article is dedicated to the assessment and the recognition of the merits of V.V. Dokuchaev in different periods. We have divided the stages of the evaluation into three periods, the boundaries of which are taken by the memorable dates since the birth of Dokuchaev (100, 150, 175 years). The recognition of Dokuchaev's merits in each period took different forms and depended on the subject under assessment (what was assessed) and the evaluating subject (who made an assessment). The first period is based on the perception of his contemporaries. In the history of natural science, it is hardly possible to find any other scientist, whose works so seamlessly combined theoretical research with its practical application. Dokuchaev's scientific achievements were highly appreciated in Russia and abroad (gold medal of the International Geographical Congress in Paris, special gratitude from the Imperial Free Economic Society, full Makariev Prize of the Imperial Free Economic Society, full Makariev Prize of the Imperial St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, Grand Prix of the World Exhibition in Paris and others). The high state recognition of Dokuchaev is evidenced by the presence of the orders of St. Stanislav and St. Anna. The second period of recognition is associated with the triumph of the scientist's ideas, which were almost completely realized in Russia: a network of research and educational institutions and experimental stations were created, large-scale soil research was carried out, a plan for the transformation of nature was implemented. During this period, events were organized that included: the installation of a monument and a memorial plaque in St. Petersburg, the establishment of a gold medal and an award named after V.V. Dokuchaev, the establishment of grants in universities, the creation of the Central Soil Museum named after V.V. Dokuchaev. The third period is rather a tribute to the scientific merits of the scientist. The highest award of the International Union of Soil Scientists is established (2002); a documentary film dedicated to the 165-th anniversary of the birth of the scientist is released; exhibitions are organized on memorable dates. As recognition of the merits in the creation of a scientific school of fundamental soil science, a scientific conference “Docuchaev conference for young scientists” is organized and held annually. 

The Editorial Board is pleased to announce that by tthe decision of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences, V.V. Dokuchaev Gold Medal has been awarded to Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Valery Ivanovich Kiryushin for his series of works "Soil and Ecological Support of Adaptive Landscape Farming and Nature Management"!