The Solemn meeting of the Scientific Research Council of the NAO with the participation of 25 representatives of education and cultural community of Nikolaev and Veterans of Labor of the NAO was held on May17, at 14:30 in the Round Hall of the observatory. Director of the observatory, G. Pinigin, opened the meeting with welcoming remarks about the role and status of science in a modern Ukraine.

Zh. Pozhalova made the report about the fifth Director of NAO, Yakov Efimovich Gordon, who would have celebrated his 100th anniversary this year. In addition, the presentation of the new book "Nikolaev Observatory in the first half of XX century" (by G. Pinigin, Zh. Pozhalova), released in a series of "Bibliography of scientists of the NAO" was done. This book is devoted to the activities of two directors of the NAO, B.P. Ostaschenko-Kudryavtsev (1909-1923) and L.I. Semenov (1923-1950), who own most of the credit in preservation of the observatory as a scientific institution, historical and architectural complex in the first half of XX century. The authors reported on the content and history of the book, after which everyone present had the opportunity to receive a book with a commemorative inscription of the authors.