100 Russian Engineers Who Changed Our Life
The book is dedicated to those amazing people. Those who created national science, developed industry and opened new horizons. In other words, the people who built the world we live in today. Who are these great Russian engineers? How did they arrive at their inventions and discoveries? What was the fate of the geniuses in science and technology? A lively writing style, rigorous scientific facts and rare documentary materials make the book interesting for a wide range of readers. Each part is preceded by a brief description of the times our heroes lived and worked in.
In May 1841, Pavel Melnikov, professor at the Institute of Transport Engineers, was seconded to the River Volga. Not a big deal, a minor development in the life of a big country—an official trip by a bureaucrat… However, wellinformed people knew the truth: in fact the fate of the Empire’s railways was on stake. There were two competing projects to build a railway between Moscow and St. Petersburg. Melnikov’s plan against the plan by Dufour and Harcourt. On the one side, a Russian professor. On the other side, Leipzig bankers. Each of them was supported by their faction in the government. The sudden «business trip» of Pavel Melnikov—the chief designer of the railway branch—was nothing than an attempt to move him aside St. Petersburg at any cost.
On 24 March 1896 at the Russian Physical and Chemical Society a young inventor Alexander Popov made a speech and demonstrated his invention. Two devices were located at different ends of the large hall 250 metres apart—the receiver and the transmitter. Would one device be able to receive the signal from the other if there were no wires between them? And what would this mean—the first radiogram in the world? These questions were answered within minutes. The Russian engineer proved that the wireless transfer of information was possible. The text of the first radiogram consisted of only one name—Heinrich Hertz. This is how the inventor of the radio signal paid respect to his predecessor and colleague who had recently died.
He did not understand what was happening—nor did he wish to. Searches and detentions at the factory continued. His colleague, the head of the second design bureau of the Tank Department of the Kharkov Locomotive Factory, had been charged with sabotage. He himself was a footstep away from being arrested. Nevertheless, he continued working. He had to prove at whatever cost the advantages of tank caterpillar drive compared to wheeled caterpillar. However, the designer Mikhail Koshkin did not know how this could be done…
