Philip Antonovitch Ivanoff died at his home in London at the age of 85 on 18th July, 1957, after many months of ill health.
He was born in Russia, and later became a British subject. He was a student at the Imperial School of Mines in Ekaterinburg, graduating in 1894 and receiving the diploma of the School. His first post was as assistant manager prospecting for iron and copper in the Katav-Ivanovsky district, and shortly afterwards he was appointed assistant manager of the mining works, later becoming manager. He left in 1897 to make a special study of metallurgy and inorganic chemistry at the Freiberg Mining Academy, Saxony, and graduated with distinction as a diploma-engineer in 1901.
From 1901 to 1903 Mr. Ivanoff was assistant manager of the Kyshtim works in the Urals, manager from 1903 to 1905 and general manager from 1905 to 1907; during those two years he successfully reorganized the Katav-Ivanovsky district industry and in 1907 was made general manager of the whole mining district and of the iron and copper works. It was while holding this appointment that he passed with distinction the Government examination of the Royal Institute of Mines in Petrograd.
At the height of his career in Russia, he was managing director of the Kyshtim mining and metallurgical works from May, 1913, to January, 1918, at the same time holding the appointments of director of Kirgees, Ridderovsky and South Urals company, of Altai Lead, Zinc and Copper Mines, and chairman of the board of Beresovsky gold mines and Inzesky and Avisiano-Petrovsky districts.
Mr. Ivanoff was elected a Member of the Russian State Council in 1912, representing the mining and metallurgical industries, and in 1915 was appointed by Imperial Decree a Member of the Special Council for Defence of the State. During the 1914-18 war he acted as Chairman of the Committee of Metal Supplies to ammunition works in Russia. He was created Privy Councillor for introducing and developing new methods in the mining, metallurgical and chemical industries in Russia, and for distinguished work in the Central Army Supply Committee during the War. He had been awarded the Order of St. Vladimir, 3rd and 4th class, for work done in developing the mining industry in Russia. He was a member of Council, and subsequently chairman, of the Siberian Bank of Commerce and of the Bank for Gold Industry; Chairman of the Association of Gold and Platinum Producers in Russia, and concurrently Chairman of the Institution of Mining Industry in the Urals.
The Revolution brought these activities to an end. He was engaged in action against the Bolshevik forces from 1919 to 1921, then came to England, where he took up consulting work with various mining companies in London. From 1927 to 1932 he was consulting engineer to Lena Goldfields, Ltd., and joined the board of directors of Anglo-Scottish Tin Corporation, Ltd. He was appointed managing director of Thracian Mineral Products, Ltd., and Thracian Union Trust, Ltd., in 1932, and held this position for five years. Some time later, and until his death, he was a director of Lake Copper Proprietary Co., Ltd.
Mr. Ivanoff was elected to Membership of the Institution in 1929.
Vol. 68, Trans IMM 1958-59, pp.18-19
