Oleksandr Oleksandrovych Radzig (27.01 [08.02]. 1869, Tver Governorate, the Russian Empire – 30.12.1941, Bui station of the Northern Railway, the USSR) – the founder of national steam turbine building, teacher and scientist. He was also a professor and dean of the faculty of Mechanics at the KPI. 1909-1919, 1925-1930 – dean of the faculty of Mechanics at the St. Petersburg Polytechnic Institute, rector of the SPPI in 1917-1918, 1918-1930 – professor of the academic department of Thermal Machinery, in 1930-1941 – head of the academic department of Steam Turbines of the LPI.
He was an extraordinary professor of KPI since 1998, professor of Applied Mechanics, dean of the faculty of Mechanics in 1905-1909.
Biography
Oleksandr Oleksandrovych Radzig was born on the 27th of January (the 8th of February N. S.) 1869 in Tver Governorate, in a family of an employee of the Ministry of Railways, soon to be known specialist on railways’ exploitation and author of a series of works on the subject Oleksandr Antonovych Radzig. His secondary education Oleksandr received at the Kremenchug Real School, higher education – at the faculty of Mechanics of the St. Petersburg Institute of Technology, after the graduation from which in 1891, he entered the faculty of Mathematics of the Berlin University.
After the successful presenting in 1895 his PhD thesis on Application of Zelov’s Theory to Symmetrical Groups, Oleksandr Oleksandrovych worked for some time as an engineer at the Warsaw Railway, then – as a receiver of locomotives at the Nevsky Machinery Plant. In 1896 he was invited to the St. Petersburg Institute of Technology, and was sent abroad in order to be prepared for teaching activities, where he was introduced to the setting of lessons in engineering laboratories and listened to a series of lectures in institutions of Germany, Switzerland and Belgium, and also visited a number of the biggest factories of Germany, Sweden, France and Belgium. After the trip O. O. Radzig had been assigned for the position of the teacher of drafting.
In spring 1898 Oleksandr Oleksandrovych was invited to the academic department of Thermodynamics and Thermal Engines at the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. Since the Institute was still in developing, O. O. Radzig was sent abroad for development of the future courses, where he observed a number of machinery plants of England, and, next summer, took part in a congress on Applied Mathematics in Paris. At the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute he performed the duties of an extraordinary professor. In 1905, after presenting his thesis on Mathematical Theory of Warmth Exchange in Steam Engine Cylinders, he received the degree of adjunct of Applied Mathematics and became the dean of the faculty of Mechanics. In 1908, protesting against introducing of reactionary “Rules on Students’ Organizations and Holding the Meetings in Institutions of Higher Education”, together with the headmaster of the Institute, and deans V. H. Bazhayev, V. H. Shaposhnikov and E. O. Paton Oleksandr Oleksandrovych submitted their resignation. [The Shuliavka Republic and the Students’ movements of the XX century]
In 1909 O. O. Radzig was invited to the St. Petersburg Polytechnic Institute, to the academic department of Applied Mechanics, and all of his further activity was connected with this Institute. Twice, in 1909-1919 and 1925-1930, he became the dean of the faculty of Mechanics. Since the 13th of September 1917 Oleksandr Oleksandrovych Radzig was elected by the Board of the Polytechnic Institute as the rector of the Institute (till 27.11.1918).
In 1918-1930 O. O. Radzig was a professor of the academic department of Thermal Machinery, since 1930 – the head of the academic department of Steam Turbines.
Oleksandr Oleksandrovych dedicated 44 years of his life to teaching activity in higher education institutions, 32 of them – in St. Petersburg Polytechnic Institute. He took a great part in creating and organizing the process of education in two departments, connected with Mechanics – in Kyiv and St. Petersburg Polytechnic Institutes, in 1930 – in creating All-Union Boiler-and-Turbine Institute, and in 1934 – faculty of Power Plant Engineering, which was the first in USSR to graduate specialists in this field. At the beginning of 1930, O. O. Ragzig created the first in the country academic department of Steam Boilers, based on which were organized a number of Academic Departments in other institutes. Also, he has done much for the organization of extramural education.
O. O. Radzig’s scientific activity, the beginning of which coincides with the greatest inventions in the branch of Steam Turbines, deserves special attention. He was one of the first to appreciate the great advantages of the new engine and its value in the development of Power Engineering, published a series of works on Steam Turbines – books and manuals for both students and engineers. In 1926 was published the course on steam turbines. For many years heating engineers have used “Formulas, Tables and Diagrams for Water Steam” reference materials, published in three editions. The course on Applied Mechanics was re-published four times, the course on Condensing Units at Steam Turbine Stations – twice.
Another side of Oleksandr Oleksandrovych’s talent is his works on the History of Science and Technology. Among them, monographs on James Watt and the invention of the steam engine, “The Development of the Steam Engine”, “The Progress of Heat Engineering in the USSR”, “Sadi Carnot and his Thoughts on the Driving Force of Fire”.
Some years before World War II, Oleksandr Oleksandrovych has almost completely lost his sight. Despite this, his scientific activity has not become any worse, mainly due to the selfless work of his wife and friend Yevgenia Viktorivna, the daughter of famous scientist Viktor L’vovych Kyrpychov.
During the Siege of Leningrad, Oleksandr Oleksandrovych kept his teaching activity in the academic department of Turbine Building going, and became an advisor for the specialists of the Defense industry. The last record in his labour book, dated the 10th of October 1941, says, that O. O. Radzig was provided with an extended leave without pay due to the evacuation from Leningrag to Sverdlovsk, to work for the Soviet Academy of Science. However, Oleksandr Oleksandrovych was not destined to reach Sverdlovsk. On his way, he became seriously ill and died on the Bui station of the Northern Railway on the 30th of December 1941.