A hard, brittle, silvery-white metallic chemical element with the symbol Ru and atomic number 44, belonging to the platinum group of metals.
Named after Ruthenia, the Latin name for the region that is now parts of Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia. Russian chemist Karl Ernst Claus discovered and named the element in 1844 from platinum ore residues. The name honors Claus's homeland using the historical Latin designation for the Slavic regions.
Ruthenium was discovered by a Russian scientist who wanted to honor his homeland, but he had to use the ancient Latin name 'Ruthenia' because 'Russia' would have sounded too much like existing element names! It's the only element named after Russia, making it a unique piece of chemical patriotism.
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