This essay is dedicated to the history of creation and development of the molecular layering technique (ML) which, in the
modern community of non-Russian scientists, is commonly referred to as atomic layer deposition (ALD). Basic research in the
field of chemical transformations of solid surfaces using the ML method in the light of the “framework” hypothesis proposed
by V. B. Aleskovskii in 1952 is discussed. A number of questions raised by international scientists including those involved in
the Virtual Project on the History of ALD (VPHA, 2013), and scientists from conferences in Helsinki (Finland, May 2014.),
Kyoto (Japan, June 2014), and personal communications amongst peers are addressed. For the first time in English, this article
provides information about V. B. Aleskovskii and S. I. Kol’tsov who are closely associated with development of the ML
technique in the Soviet Union. This paper also informs the scientific community about research groups currently engaged in
ML research in Russia and introduces