This paper reviews the scientific work of Academician D.S. Rozhdestvenskii who was born 100 years ago. The origin and development of his work on the anomalous dispersion of light are discussed, and his researches are evaluated and compared with the results of other authors. A brief description is given of the work of Rozhdestvenskii's pupils, who used his method of ``hooks'' in their researches. An analysis is also given of his work on the theory of spectra and the structure of atoms, and of its influence on the subsequent development of Soviet physics in these fields. The review concludes with a brief survey of his work in applied optics and, especially, on the theory of the microscope. His views on the relationship between science and technology are summarized.