EVGENII FEDOROVICH BURINSKII – OUTSTANDING FORENSIC SCIENTIST (A TRIBUTE TO THE 170th BIRTHDAY)

Abstract

In the article the author analyzed the main milestones of the life path and scientific activity of the outstanding Russian forensic scientist Evgenii Fedorovich Burinskii (1849–1912). He considered to be the father of forensic photography and technical research of documents, as well as the founder of Russia’s first specialized forensic institution – the forensic-photographic laboratory under the prosecutor of the St. Petersburg Trial Chamber. Burinskii developed and successfully applied color separation, overlaying of negatives and other methods of forensic research of documents that are successfully used in modern practice of forensic research and examination. Example of Burinskii’s participation in the investigation
of fraud found in the archives is proposed in the article, when the scientist, using the method of color separation for the first time, proved the fact of signature forgery and thereby helped to establish the guilt of two scammers. An example of scientist’s use of the colour separation method, which made it possible to restore and read the texts of the famous «Kremlin treasure» (ancient manuscripts dating to the 14th century), is also given in the article. This was the first case in the world practice of such a unique research of documents, which were found in a water-filled copper vessel during repair work in the Moscow Kremlin, and, according to experts, were considered unreadable, and were stored in the archive for almost fifty years.
Keywords: E. F. Burinskii; forensic photography; technical research of documents; contrast enhancement and color separation method; St. Petersburg forensic-photographic laboratory; fingerprints examination; forensic history.