Named after the great scientist: birthday of M. A. Bonch-Bruevich

Every year, on February 21st, our University celebrates the birthday of an outstanding scientist, corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Professor Mikhail Alexandrovich Bonch-Bruevich (1888-1940). It is difficult to name an area of radio engineering in which the developments of M. A. Bonch-Bruevich would not be used, contributing to the rapid development of radio broadcasting, radar, television.

The staff and students of SPbSUT are proud that the University has perpetuated the name of this wonderful man. Scientist-thinker, engineer-teacher: the multifaceted, creative work of this man is a vivid example for all generations of signalmen.

In 1918-1928 Mikhail Alexandrovich headed the Nizhny Novgorod Radio Laboratory, which united the best radio specialists of that time. With its work in the field of radio tubes, radio broadcasting and long-distance communications on short waves, the Nizhny Novgorod Radio Laboratory has played an outstanding role in the development of radio engineering. In 1918, M. A. Bonch-Bruevich proposed a circuit of a switching device having two stable operating states (this device was later called a trigger).

In 1919-1925, the scientist created a design of a powerful water-cooled generator radio tube and developed circuits of radiotelephone stations. Working on this task, M. A. Bonch-Bruevich improved the design of generator lamps, developed a water-cooled lamp with a capacity of 25 kW and builded a twelve-kilowatt radiotelephone transmitter. These achievements of his were ahead of the world radio engineering, which at that time had neither such lamps nor radio stations of similar capacity. In 1924-1930 under his leadership, the peculiarities of the propagation of short radio waves were studied, the world's first short-wave directional antennas were developed and short-wave long-range radio communication lines were built.

Mikhail Alexandrovich Bonch-Bruevich was also engaged in the physics of the upper atmosphere, research of the ionosphere by radio echo, ultrashort waves and their practical application, including in the field of radar.

In 1931-1940, M. A. Bonch-Bruevich conducted pedagogical work at the Leningrad Electrotechnical Institute of Communications (LEIS) as a professor of the Department of Theoretical Radio Engineering, headed the radio faculty, was deputy director of the Institute for academic affairs.

With his participation, new programs for teaching radio engineering disciplines were developed. In the courses he taught, students got acquainted with the most important achievements of the theory and practice of world radio engineering science. And, of course, an experienced practitioner generously shared with them what he came to in his practical activities. The programs developed by Bonch-Bruevich were honed and perfect. They have not changed for almost twenty years. The consequence of all this was a significant increase in the professional level of graduates of the Institute.

Mikhail Alexandrovich always worked with genuine interest, sincerely, regardless of time, gave all his strength to his favorite work without a trace, sometimes forgetting about rest, not sparing himself. The prolonged strain had sapped his strength. On March 7th, 1940, Mikhail Alexandrovich Bonch-Bruevich died. On June 8th of the same year, LEIS was given his name.

And on the day of the 125th anniversary of the scientist's birth, in 2013, having opened an exhibition dedicated to his activities, the Cultural and Educational Center "SPbSUT Museum" began its work. And now February 21st has also become the birthday of our Museum.