Borovsky Vladimir Mikhailovich Doctor of Agricultural Sciences (1956), Professor, Honored Scientist of the Kazakh SSR (1961), Professor (1958), corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR (1962), Academician of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR (1983), laureate of the State Prize of the Kazakh SSR (1984).

Vladimir Mikhailovich Borovsky was born in St. Petersburg, in the family of a professor of agronomy. In 1930, he entered the Leningrad State University at the Faculty of Geology, Soil Geography, from which he graduated in 1934 with a degree in soil science.

In 1933, as a last-year student at LSU, he was enrolled as a researcher at the V.V. Dokuchaev Soil Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences. The talent and great organizational skills of Borovsky V.M. were noticed. In 1934-1937 together with N.A. Kachinsky, V.A. Kovda, A.F. Bolshakov, etc. under the guidance of academician B.B. Polynov, he studied the soils of the salt complex, rocks, groundwater and microrelief at the Janybek hospital (West Kazakhstan, now Ural region) in the conditions of the semi-desert of the Caspian Sea. Later, the works of this period are published without mentioning the names of Borovsky and Bolshakov, who were arrested in 1937 together with B.B. Polynov, director of the V.V. Dokuchaev Soil Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Arrested on April 29, 1937. He was charged under article 58, paragraphs 2, 10 and 11 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR. Sentenced by a Special meeting of the NKVD of the USSR on December 17, 1939 to exile for 5 years in Kazakhstan. Rehabilitated on April 28, 1989.

Since 1940, Vladimir Mikhailovich has connected his scientific activity with Kazakhstan, since that period he has devoted more than 40 years of his fruitful scientific activity to the study of the soil cover of Kazakhstan: senior soil engineer of the Regional Water Farm and teacher of the Kyzyl-Orda Pedagogical Institute (1940-1945), director of the Kyzyl-Orda Research Base of the Kazakh SSR Academy of Sciences (1945-1954), Head of the “Kazgiprovodelektro” Department (1949-1954), head of the department (1954-1957), Deputy director (1957-1968), Director of the Institute of Soil Science of the Kazakh SSR Academy of Sciences (1968-1984).

In 1945 Vladimir Mikhailovich successfully defended his PhD thesis on the topic: "Syrdarya hollows", and in 1956 - a dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Agricultural Sciences on the topic "Soils of the ancient delta of Syrdarya and ways of their agricultural development".

Vladimir Mikhailovich's scientific research is devoted to the issues of reclamation soil science, geomorphology, geochemistry, agrochemistry, quaternary geology, theory of soil-geochemical problems of arid territories.

Borovsky V.M. created a scientific school of reclamation soil science in Kazakhstan, explored vast territories of river valleys for the purpose of their development and irrigation development in the republic; developed a theoretical position on the general laws of delta soil formation, water-salt regime, the genesis of saline soils, determined the land resources of Kazakhstan for reclamation development, proposed various methods of reclamation of saline soils.

Of particular theoretical and practical interest are the studies of the lower reaches of the Syr Darya, presented in the 2-volume monograph "The ancient Delta of the Syr Darya and the Northern Kyzyl-Kums". They developed a theory of the genesis of the delta plains, the evolution of soils in connection with the development of irrigation, determined the pace, nature and direction of water-salt exchange in the soil-groundwater system, clarified the nature of a single process of "litho-morphopedogenesis". This is the largest scientific monograph on delta soils. 

His fundamental works were the scientific basis for the extensive development of irrigation in the valleys of the Syr Darya, or, Chu, Talas rivers.

The theory of the unity of litho-morphopedogenesis developed by him reveals the essence of not only the delta soil formation of the southern rivers of Kazakhstan, but also, in general, the conditions of soil formation of irrigation areas of arid territories of the world. Violation of this unity inevitably leads to degradation and development of irrigation desertification processes.

The development of the ideas of his teacher, the largest Soviet soil geochemist academician B.B. Polynov about geochemical landscapes, allowed him to zone the southern part of Kazakhstan according to soil and geochemical indicators and distinguish three provinces by types of salt accumulation: chloride in the Caspian, sulfate in the Aral Sea and sulfate-soda in the Balkhash region.

Based on the results of many years of research, Vladimir Mikhailovich has published 230 scientific papers, including 8 monographs. Under his leadership, a world map of saline soils of Kazakhstan was compiled as an independent part of the corresponding world map, carried out under a UNESCO project within the framework of international coordination. He considered in detail the problem of irrigation efficiency of different zones and districts of the USSR. It is established that the maximum return on irrigation costs can potentially be obtained in Kazakhstan and the republics of Central Asia. Under the direct influence of Vladimir Mikhailovich, along with the successful solution of the theory and practice of reclamation of saline soils, the creation of schools of soil reclamation scientists, the study of the nature of saline soils of the republic was further developed, various methods of their improvement were proposed. The scientific evidence of the reclamation of saline lands served as the basis for the adoption of the resolution of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the Council of Ministers of the USSR and at the same time the Central Committee of the CPSU of the Kazakh SSR, the Council of Ministers of the Kazakh SSR (1980) on the settlement of saline lands.

V.M. Borovsky was an active participant and organizer of many (more than 30) Union, republican and international forums, congresses, congresses, conferences and meetings on irrigation, land reclamation, cartography and practical development of the country's land funds. His creative and organizational abilities were most fully manifested during the IV All-Union Congress of Soil Scientists in Alma-Ata (1971), the fifth round of the scientific excursion of the X International Congress of Soil Scientists in Northern Kazakhstan on the ecology of arid territories (1974), international courses for specialists of developing countries (Asia, Africa and Latin America in Alma-Ata (1979).

V.M. Borovsky was a good popularizer of science, he often spoke on radio, television, and in newspapers with interesting messages. Vladimir Mikhailovich devoted a lot of effort and energy to social work. He was Chairman of the Scientific Council "Problems of Soil Science and Soil Reclamation" of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR, Deputy Chairman of the Scientific Council of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, member of the Presidium of the Central Council of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Chairman of the Commission of the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR on the problems of the Aral Sea and Balkhash, and many others.

Under the guidance of Borovsky V.M., 40 of his students defended their candidate and doctoral dissertations, who continued the teacher's initiatives.

For his great services to Soviet science, V.M. Borovsky was awarded the honorary title of Honored Worker of Sciences of the Kazakh SSR (1961), awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor (1976), the Order of Friendship of  Nations (1979), medals "For Valiant Labor in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945 (1946), "For Valiant Labor in commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the birth of V.I.Lenin" (1970), "30 years of Victory in the Great Patriotic War 1941-1945 (1975), "For the development of virgin lands (1956), "Veteran of Labor" (1975) and a Certificate of Honor of the Supreme Soviet of the Kazakh SSR (1961). In 1984, he was posthumously awarded the title of laureate of the State Prize of the Kazakh SSR.