For the first time in the research literature, the paper highlights the cooperation of the outstanding Russian investigators G.N. Potanin (1835–1920) and V.I. Vernadsky (1863–1945). The basis of interaction between these scientists was determined by the fact that both of them were students of Natural Department of the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics of Imperial St. Petersburg University. They carried the knowledge and interest in research gained at the university throughout their lives. Based on authentic sources, the authors revealed the role of A.A. Inostrantsev (1843–1919) as the organizer and ruler of the geological cabinet (museum) at St. Petersburg University, where G.N. Potanin acquired the necessary knowledge for his scientific expeditions to Central Asia in 1874. Under the influence of Dr. Inostrantsev, Potanin realized the importance of museums in geology and other branches. Besides, he supported V.V. Dokuchaev (1846–1903) in conducting soil science research in Russia. The paper emphasizes the participation of the university student Vladimir Vernadsky in Prof. Dokuchaev’s expeditions and in the preparation of a soil exposition at the World Exhibition in Paris in 1889. Following in the footsteps of his teachers and mentors, V.I. Vernadsky joined the museum science, became the curator of the Mineralogical Museum in Alma Mater, and then, some years later, in the Imperial Moscow University.

Immediate communication between V.I. Vernadsky and G.N. Potanin occurred in the 1890s – 1900s, when they participated in discussions on ideological and political reorganization of Russia, pondered on the problems of regional self-government in the country. As a brief conclusion from this publication, the authors postulate free thought and scientific creativity, which related to Vernadsky and Potanin, as relevant ideas of our days.

The article is devoted to the history of V.I. Zubov’s Museum of Geology and Minero­logy, the prerequisites for its foundation, and the main stages of its creation, development, and collection formation. The article analyzes the museum’s exhibition policy and research activities, trends in museum science, the structure of the collections reflecting regional geological features, current issues and prospects for updating exhibition spaces, digitalization of the collections, and integration of museum experience into educational programs.

This study establishes the authorship of the geological term “eluvium” and traces its evolution in geological and soil sciences. It confirms the priority of H. Trautschold (1817–1902) as the original author of this term, supported by analysis of his works from the 1870s. The term was first introduced by him in 1872. The article demonstrates that the modern interpretation of the term “eluvium” shows a high degree of correlation with H. Trautschold’s classical definition. The development of the concept of eluvium and ideas about eluvial processes is traced through the works of prominent Russian soil scientists – N.M. Sibirtsev, V.V. Dokuchaev, V.I. Vernadsky, B.B. Polynov, V.R. Williams, and N.P. Remezov. V.V. Dokuchaev systematized the concept of eluvium into a coherent framework: definition of eluvium → eluvial processes → stages and phases of eluvial rock transformations. He emphasized that “although these products are sometimes altered beyond recognition of the parent rock which they originated from, a genetic connection between them always persists.” Particular significance lies in the incorporation of the biogeochemical aspect into the concept of eluvium through the works of N.P. Remezov, who established biological accumulation of elements exceeding their removal during eluvial processes. This allowed eluvium formation to be viewed not as a purely abiotic process but as a phenomenon involving living organisms. The article reveals the historical continuity of scientific ideas in the hypothesis of the origin of the Russian Plain: H. Trautschold → V.V. Dokuchaev → B.B. Polynov → V.A. Kovda. H. Trautschold was the first to propose that the Russian Plain formed from deposits lying on top, which were influenced for millennia by atmospheric precipitation, initiating the concept of eluvial origin of plains. This idea was later reflected in the works of V.V. Dokuchaev and B.B. Polynov, and subsequently in V.A. Kovda’s hypothesis regarding the fluvioglacial origin of the Russian Plain. Our analysis confirms that the term “eluvium” is a fundamental concept uniting geology, geomorphology, geochemistry, and soil science, and its evolution reflects the advancement of understanding regarding the genesis of surface deposits and soils.