Images Dated 27th July 2005

Peter Stolypin was born in Dresden, Saxony, on 14th April, 1862. The son of a large

Peter Stolypin was born in Dresden, Saxony, on 14th April, 1862. The son of a large Russian landowner, Stolypin joined the Ministry of State Domains in 1885. Four years later he was appointed marshal of Kovno province. This was followed by the governorships of Grodno (1902-1903) and Saratov (1903-1906).
Stolypin's successful suppression of the revolutionaries in Saratov resulted in him being made Minister of the Interior in April, 1906. Three months later Nicholas II appointed him his Prime Minister. Stolypin attempt to provide a balance between the introduction of much needed land reforms and the suppression of the radicals.
In October, 1906, Stolypin introduced legislation that enabled peasants to have more opportunity to acquire land. Stolypin's intention was to create a stable group of prosperous farmers (kulaks) who would form a natural conservative political force. People living in rural areas also got more freedom in the selection of their representatives to the zemstvo (local government councils).
At the same time Stolypin instituted a new court system that made it easier for the arrest and conviction of political revolutionaries. Over 3, 000 suspects were convicted and executed by these special courts between 1906-09. As a result of this action the hangman's noose in Russia became known as "Stolypin's necktie".
In 1907 Stolypin introduced a new electoral law, by-passing the 1906 constitution, which assured a right-wing majority in the Duma. Other reforms proposed by Stolypin concerning education and taxation were blocked by more reactionary forces in the government. Peter Stolypin was assassinated by Dmitri Bogrov, a member of the Socialist Revolutionary Party, at the Kiev Opera House on 1st September, 1911

© 2005 TopFoto

False-colour SEM of secondary oocyte & polar body

Human egg. False-colour scanning electron micrograph of a human egg (primary oocyte) at the end of the first meiotic division, occurring just before ovulation. At this stage the primary oocyte is split into two cells, known as the secondary oocyte (green) and the first polar body (yellow), each containing 23 chromosomes. If after ovulation the secondary oocyte is penetrated by a spermatozoon, it completes the second meiotic division producing a fertilised mature oocyte and one polar body. The first polar body divides into two and all three polar bodies shortly degenerate. Magnification: x700 at 6x7cm size. x1115 at 4x5ins

© PROF. P. MOTTA/DEPT. OF ANATOMY/UNIVERSITY LA SAPIENZA , ROME/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY

Staphylococcus aureus bacteria

False-colour transmission electron micrograph (TEM) of bacteria Staphylococcus aureus, showing a complete bacterium (centre) & the plasma membrane remains (top right) of another bacterium burst by lysis, due to effects of antibiotics. Lysis occurs through the destruction of the outer plasma membrane (appears blue around complete bacterium), & the release of intracellular contents into the surrounding medium. S. aureus (a species of spherical, non-motile, Gram-positive bacteria) is responsible for pus containing infections such as boils and abscesses. S. aureus also secretes an exotoxin causing a type of acute gastro-enteritis. Magnification: X 17, 500 at 35mm size

© CNRI/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY