An exhibition of the NSU History Museum “The Great Patriotic War in Faces. Novosibirsk State University” has opened at NSU

The exhibition “The Great Patriotic War in Faces. Novosibirsk State University” opened at Novosibirsk State University on May 4. Its organizer was the Museum of History of NSU. The exhibition features 126 portraits of veterans of the Great Patriotic War, whose post-war lives were connected with NSU. These people made their important contribution to the victory of the peoples of the Soviet Union over Fascist Germany: some directly participated in military actions, others engaged in scientific activities aimed at improving the combat capability of the Soviet army and enhancing its weaponry.The exhibition is located in the alumni gallery, which is located on the second floor landing between the first and third blocks of the NGU academic building (1 Pirogova St.).

—The heroes of our exhibition are participants of the Great Patriotic War, whose post-war life was connected with the Novosibirsk State University. We tried not to overlook anyone, so the exposition includes portraits of academicians, doctors and candidates of sciences, as well as employees working in administrative positions. It was important for us to present the stories not only of outstanding scientists and academicians, but also those of people who worked at NSU: teachers and medical workers., — explained by the curator of 1st category museum objects of the History Museum of the NGUViktoriya Vybornova.

Photos of the Victory Relay held in 2010 were used in creating the exhibition display, as well as materials from the NSU History Museum, NSU personal files and archives, and written recollections of combatants.

—One of the indicative examples of how the story of one person reflects the history of the entire Great Patriotic War, –Spartak Timofeevich Belyaev(1923–2017), an outstanding Soviet theoretical physicist, academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences and participant in the Great Patriotic War. In June 1941, he finished Moscow school, and immediately after the graduation ball tried to volunteer for the front, but first he got a job at the Metallorukav factory (Moscow), where he worked for two months—from June to August—as a turner. Then for several months he was a cadet in the 40th radio battalion of the Air Defense Forces and went to the front, where he served as a radio-telegraph operator of the radio unit of the intelligence department of the headquarters of the Northern Group of Forces of the Transcaucasian Front. He ended the war in Berlin with the rank of junior lieutenant., — Victoria Vybornova said.

After demobilization in 1946, the future academician enrolled at Moscow State University and later became one of the leading Soviet scientists in the field of plasma physics and the atomic nucleus, as well as the rector of Moscow State University.

In 1962, at the initiative of an outstanding nuclear physicistGersh Budker, together withViktor Galitskyand, with several young physicists, Spartak Belyaev moved to Novosibirsk Akademgorodok and became a leading employee, then head of the theoretical department of the Institute of Nuclear Physics (INP) of the Siberian Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Three years later, he became rector and head of the theoretical department of NSU, where he recreated the “PhysTech system.” In 1964, he was elected corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences, and in 1968 — academician.

—And still one of the most important pages of Spartak Belyayev’s biography became his participation in the Great Patriotic War. Undoubtedly, the influence of wartime conditions on his further development as a scientist and the formation of his life and scientific principles was significant. Spartak Timofeevich himself emphasized the importance of the experience gained for determining the paths of further educational and scientific activity — the development of independent thinking through independent activity, perseverance, determination, and a creative outlook.An involuntary analogy between science and war has drawn a parallel with rapid adaptation principles everywhere, where it is necessary to exert effort, adapt to new complex conditions, and temper one’s character., — said Viktoriya Vybornova.

Founder of the Siberian Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences (SB AS USSR) and Novosibirsk Akademgorodok, academician of the USSR Academy of SciencesMikhail Lavrentyev(1900-1980) By the beginning of the war, he was already a renowned scientist and had a number of important scientific achievements.

Among the numerous awards of M.A. Lavrentyev is the Order of the Patriotic War 2nd class, which he was awarded in 1944. This award was given to participants in combat operations, but Mikhail Alekseevich became one of the few exceptions. He did not participate directly in the battles of the Great Patriotic War and was not on the front line, but he made a significant contribution to the Great Victory as a talented scientist. The cumulative charges developed by him became one of the factors influencing the outcome of the Battle of Kursk (July 5 — August 23, 1943).

Previously, cumulative anti-tank aerial bombs were quite large in size, and domestic IL-2 attack aircraft could carry only a few pieces on board, which corresponded to a small and maximum possible number of destroyed armored targets. M. A. Lavrentyev proposed his solution to the problem — the creation of a new generation of cumulative anti-tank aerial bombs, equipped with cassettes containing 78 pieces. Each such bomb weighed 2.5 kg and pierced cumulative holes up to 70 mm in armor. This was enough to destroy the most protected tanks of the Wehrmacht: the “Panther” had an armor thickness on the turret of no more than 16 mm, and the “Tiger” — 28 mm.For the first time, PTABs from Ufa were used in the Battle of Kursk, and several hundred tanks were destroyed by air strikes.

Another scientist, whose research also influenced the outcome of the Battle of Kursk, was the outstanding Soviet mathematician, corresponding member of the USSR Academy of SciencesAleksey Lyapunov(1911-1973). Later he became one of the founders of cybernetics. He was just a young lieutenant when, during offensive battles in the area of the Kursk magnetic anomaly, he introduced a correction for magnetic deviation into the artillery calculation, which ensured the success of artillery preparation.

At the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, Alexey Lyapunov was a senior researcher at the V. A. Steklov Institute of Mathematics. By that time, he had already defended his candidate’s dissertation and was recognized as a specialist in one of the most abstract areas of mathematics. As the scientist recalled later, at the start of the war his scientific work stagnated and his mood was heavy. Despite having a reserved status, which was granted to employees of the Academy of Sciences with scientific degrees, in 1942 he volunteered for the front, along with three of his younger brothers.

At first, Aleksey Lyapunov was sent to the Vladimir military school, which he graduated from, and then he taught there. From October 1943, as the commander of a topographic reconnaissance platoon, he participated in battles in Crimea during the capture of Perekop and the liberation of Kerch, then in Ukraine and the Baltics. He ended his combat path in East Prussia.

—Platoon commander Alexey Lyapunov used his mathematical knowledge while performing combat missions. His knowledge of mathematics and ballistics theory helped him in linking to the terrain and aiming. During offensive battles in the area of the Kursk magnetic anomaly, Alexey Andreevich made an adjustment to the artillery calculation for magnetic deviation, which ensured the success of artillery preparation. The command highly appreciated this initiative and, before large-scale offensives, Alexey Lyapunov was tasked with conducting the aiming for not only his own division but the entire regiment., — said Viktoria Vybornova.

The successful scientist at the beginning of the war was also an academicianSergey Khristianovich(1908–2000). He played a key role in the improvement of rocket projectiles for the legendary “Katyusha” (M-13 and M-31). Possibly, if not for his proposed aerodynamic improvements to the projectiles, these combat vehicles would not have become formidable weapons, and would have been withdrawn from service already at the beginning of the war.

The first rocket shells for the “Katyusha” had a huge dispersion when fired — they only hit about 4 shells per hectare. For this reason, a colossal number of shells and many installations were required to create the necessary density of fire. And, consequently, a huge amount of metal was needed. It was necessary to immediately find a technical solution to this problem, otherwise there was a likelihood that the “Katyushas” would have to be removed from service due to the excessive metal consumption. And this solution had to be simple, not requiring serious changes to technology and production.

In 1942, Sergey Khristianovich, together with his colleagues, developed such a technical solution. He proposed drilling inclined side holes in the projectile’s body. Part of the powder gases was diverted through them, causing the projectile, similar to a bullet, to spin in flight. This stabilized its trajectory. The proposal was accepted. The accuracy of fire increased more than 5 times, and the spread of ammunition at high damage density dropped. This reduction turned out to be so significant that it enabled conducting sighting.And Sergey Khristianovich was awarded the Order of Lenin and the Stalin Prize for the improvement of shells for the “Katyusha”.

Also, portraits of NSU employees who did not hold high scientific titles and ranks but made their important contribution to teaching and the functioning of the university were presented on the exhibition stand. They were respected by students and held authority among colleagues.

Valentina Tokareva(1922-1998) She worked as a doctor at NGU. During the war, she was a doctor in the 173rd Western Rifle Regiment of the 6th Army of the 1st Ukrainian Front. She was demobilized in February 1946 with the military rank of senior lieutenant of the medical service.

Angelina Kuzmina(1924-2002) fought in the active army from April 1942 to May 1945 as a telegraph-operator-radio operator, head of the radio station, and platoon communication commander. Later became a candidate of philological sciences, associate professor of NGU.

Luiza Bocharova(1923-1998) served throughout the war in the counterintelligence of the headquarters of the 11th Air Army of the South-Western Front and the 1st Ukrainian Front. Her military rank was private. She participated in the liberation of Rostov-on-Don, the North Caucasus, the Taman Peninsula, Crimea, Poland, as well as in battles on the territory of East Prussia and Germany. During peacetime, she became a candidate of economic sciences, a senior lecturer, and an associate professor in the Department of Political Economy at NGU.

—We believe that it is absolutely necessary to carefully preserve the memory of all employees of the NGU who contributed to the Great Victory. And our exhibition is one of the events that helps preserve this memory. Two special pages on the NGU History Museum’s website also serve this purpose. One is dedicated to participants of the Great Patriotic War, and the other contains frontline or wartime recollections., — said Viktoria Vybornova.

The exhibition “The Great Patriotic War in Faces. Novosibirsk State University” will be open until May 12.