I started systematic
studying of topology together with a group of friends when I was in higher
school.
This school, Internat (Boarding
school) No 45, known now also as the Academic Gymnasium, was established
by the St. Petersburg University for talented students.
The study group consisted
of my classmates, mostly the winners of mathematical olympiads (for instance,
B.Solomyak, N.Netsvetaev and me entered later Soviet International Math.
Olympiad Teem, which was, in turn, the best among the others on the Olympiad
in Austria).
The idea of such studying
was due to Igor Rubanov, a graduate student who taught us point set
topology for one year and invited then O. Ya. Viro (who was at that time
a young professor giving regular lectures in topology in St. Petersburg
University) to continue our education.
I consider Viro as one
of the best lectures and teachers that I met. Several courses in algebraic
and geometric topology that he gave to us during two years in higher school
and a few more years in the University were very valuable for our topological
background.
I had a lucky opportunity
to communicate for a few years with and become a student of V.A.Rokhlin,
one of the most brilliant Russian
mathematicians of this century. He was my Ph.D. advisor till his death
in 1983.
Rokhlin was educated and worked
originally in Moscow. The dramatic story of his life may be a subject of
a novel,
it is enough to mention that
he was captured by Nazi during the World War II, managed to survive
convincing them (!) that he
is a German from Lithuania (his was speaking German perfectly, but actually
was a Jew).
Afterwards he was imprisoned
and kept in a "filtration camp" as were many others former prisoners of
Nazi
camps, who managed to survive
there. Finally, efforts of several leading Russian mathematicians allowed
to save him
from a camp, although he was
allowed only to work in provincial universities.
After many years, such a treatment
was relaxed and he came to St. Petersburg University, where he created
a modern topological School in the beginning of 70s.
He was really a great master
and artist on his lectures, which were always attracting a lot of people.
The creative atmosphere of his seminar determined my vision of topology.