ABSTRACT
In beginning this lecture, I wish to thank the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences for awarding me the M V Lomonosov Great Golden Medal, the highest award of the Academy. Certainly it is a great honor for everybody to be distinguished in such a way but I have more reasons to be proud. The fact is that I have been with the Academy (at the P N Lebedev Physical Institute [FIAN]) since 1940, i.e. almost as long as my scientific career. Equally important for me is that IE Tamm, my teacher, was also awarded the M V Lomonosov Medal in 1968. Finally, it is a pleasure to share the honor with such an eminent physicist as A Abraham.
