Vlastislav Červený (1932 - 2022)

We are sorry to inform the community that we lost the great scientist, colleague and friend, Professor Vlastislav Červený. Sláva, as we called him, passed away on May 21, 2022.

Sláva graduated from Charles University in Prague, Czechoslovakia, in 1956. He re- mained devoted to Charles University and, specifically, to the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics his whole life. He concentrated there on theoretical problems of seismic wave propagation, specifically on the seismic ray theory, in which he was an expert. His work in this field is represented by many papers and reports, several books and codes, and it was crowned by his well-known book (often called ray-theory Bible) ”Seismic ray theory”.

Sláva built a strong team of closely collaborating colleagues, with which he undertook many activities, which made him and his team famous around the globe. Many of Sláva's colleagues throughout the world may remember him through the international workshops ”Seismic waves in laterally inhomogeneous media”, which were held at various castles and monasteries in Czechoslovakia and later in Czech Republic. In their early forms, during the cold-war times, the workshops helped to get together scientists from all parts of the divided world. Sláva also founded and led for many years the successful consortium project ”Seismic waves in complex 3D structures".

During his life, Sláva received many local as well as international awards. Among others, he received the Beno Gutenberg Medal of the European Geosciences Union, the Maurice Ewing Medal of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists, the Gold Memorial medal of Charles University and the Ernst Mach Medal Medal of the Czech Academy of Sciences. He was a honorary member of the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers and of the Society of Exploration Geophysicists.

Sláva remains in our memories as a modest, gentle and friendly person always ready to help. Our community lost a distinguished scientist.

Ivan Pšenčík and Jan Šílený, Czech Academy of Sciences