The life and scientific activity of Ukrainian astronomer V. M. Grigorevsky (1930-1981)

In 2020, the scientific community will celebrate the 90th birthday of Vitaly Grigorevsky – the Ukrainian astronomer, a specialist in satellite astronomy, a representative of a scientific school of an outstanding Ukrainian scientist, corresponding member of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, a director of the Odessa Astronomical Observatory – a professor Vladimir Platonovich Tsesevich. In the article on the basis of complex use of biographical method and methods of bibliographic and source analysis the basic milestones of life and scientific activity of Vitaly Grigorevsky are investigated. The Kherson, Odessa before-Chisinau, Chisinau and Odessa after-Chisinau periods of the scientist's life and work at the Odessa and Chisinau State University, Odessa Technological Institute named after M. V. Lomonosov. The basic directions of scientific researches of the scientist are defined: physical processes in semi-regular variable stars, photometric researches of artificial satellites of the Earth, research of geometry and motion of artificial satellites of the Earth and small planets, optimization of technological processes by mathematical methods with use of electronic computing methods. The contribution of Vitaly Grigorevsky to the formation and development of a new direction of scientific research in the 1960s - photometric observations of artificial satellites of the Earth is shown. The international aspect of Vitaly Grigorevsky's scientific and organizational activity and his work in the Commission on Multilateral Scientific Cooperation between the Academies of Sciences of Socialist Countries are covered. The activity of Vitaliy Grigorevsky as the initiator and coordinator of cooperative research in the field of photometric observations of artificial satellites of the Earth under the SPIN program was noted. The SPIN program included the stations of the People's Republic of Bulgaria, the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, the Hungarian People's Republic, the German Democratic Republic, the Polish People's Republic, the Soviet Union and the United Arab Republic (Egypt). The little-known facts about the scientist's biography are covered.