The article describes a history of studies of samarskite-(Y), YFe3+Nb2O8, from its discovery in the Ilmeny Mountains (South Urals) in 1839 to the moment of the solution of its crystal structure and refnement of chemical formula in 2019.

Figures 8. References 52.

Key words: samarskite, niobate, double wolframite, crystal structure, metamict state, phase transition, Ilmeny Mountains, Urals

S.N. Britvin, Institute of Earth Sciences, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya nab. 7/9, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia; sergei.britvin@spbu.ru
Nanomaterials Research Center, Kola Science Center, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Fersmana 14, Apatity, Murmansk oblast, 184200 Russia

I.V. Pekov, Moscow State University, Leninskie gory 1, Moscow, 119991 Russia

M.G. Krzhizhanovskaya, Institute of Earth Sciences, St. Petersburg State University, Universitetskaya nab. 7/9, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia

A.A. Agakhanov, Fersman Mineralogical Museum, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninskiy pr. 18/2, Moscow, 119071 Russia

B. Ternes, Bahnhofstrasse 45, Mayen, 56727 Germany

W. Schüller, Im Strauenpesch 22, Adenau, 53518 Germany

N.V. Chukanov, Institute of Problems of Chemical Physics, Russian Academy of Sciences, Chernogolovka, Moscow oblast, 142432 Russia

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