Cheliev Egor

Cheliev (Chelidze) Egor (1771–1829), Inventor of cement. He was born in Saratov Province of Russia. In his young years he worked as a land surveyor in Saratov. Starting from 1800 he lived and worked in Moscow. In 1800-17 he discharged the duties of a land surveyor in Moscow. In 1817-21 Cheliev was the director of Drafting Commission of Moscow and in 1821-25 he headed the workshops assigned to the rehabilitation of Moscow. He was commissioned to design and restore Moscow that was burnt down in 1812 during Napoleon’s invasion. In 1825 E. Cheliev published a Russian-language book Complete Instructions Regarding Producing Of Cheap And Best Mortar, That Is Cement, Which Is Extremely Firm For Underwater Structures. It described the composition and method of producing the cement of his invention. In the same period English scientist J. Aspdin submitted to the Patent Bureau his invention: artificial hydraulic cement. That way E. Cheliev and J. Aspdin invented cement completely uncorrelated with each other. Their invention was the forerunner of modern cement. E. Cheliev’s discovery adds up to the list of the inventions that changed the world.

E. Cheliev died in Moscow.