Russia. Dmitry Mendeleev divorces and remarries. But according to Orthodox custom, he was supposed to wait seven years before remarrying, so he bribes a priest to perform the second marriage. The priest is excommunicated for this. A state official complains to the Tsar about this, who responds: “It’s true, Mendeleev has two wives, but I have only one Mendeleev.” But those in power aren’t always willing to turn a blind eye, and in 1890, Mendeleev, a self-proclaimed anarchist, is expelled from the university for supporting a left-wing group.
