Ephraim Katzir — president with roots in the Russian Empire
Ephraim Katzir was an Israeli biophysicist and statesman born in Kyiv (Russian Empire, now Ukraine) who served as the fourth President of Israel (1973-1978). A pioneering researcher in polyamino acids and enzyme immobilisation, he was also a founding figure of the Weizmann Institute of Science.
Tracing the roots — Kyiv (Ukraine)
Born in Kyiv in 1916 and brought to British Mandatory Palestine as a child, Katzir was a product of the Russian-Jewish emigration that built Israel's scientific and political elite. His career — from Kyiv to Rehovot to the President's residence in Jerusalem — is the arc of an entire generation of Russian-Jewish immigrants who built the State of Israel.
Famous biophysicist turned President.
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Kyiv (Ukraine). At the time, this region lay within the Russian Empire, which spanned from Poland to the Pacific.