The configurational splitting of giant dipole resonance

This review considers the history and meaning of the phenomenon of configurational splitting of giant dipole resonance in light nuclei, which was first discovered a quarter of a century ago and induced profound changes in the commonly accepted understanding of the structure of light nuclei and the mechanisms of their high-energy excitations. The experiments that led to the discovery of this phenomenon are described. The present status of the phenomenon of the configurational splitting of nuclear giant dipole resonance is discussed and directions of its future studies are outlined.