V.A. Melnikov - The Architect of Soviet Computers and Computer Systems

Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Vladimir Melnikov was a disciple of the great Russian scientist, academician Sergei Lebedev, who was the founder of the national computer science, the creator of the first Soviet computers, the chief designer of computers that made up the famous BESM line (high-speed electronic computers). Since 1950, being the fifth-year student, he worked in the Academic Institute of Precise Mechanics and Computer Engineering (IPMCE), where participated in the development of the first soviet electronic computer. The serial BESM version was called BESM-2, and Melnikov became the executive in charge. Later this computer was replicated in China. A significant role in the life of Melnikov was played by the creation of the transistor BESM-6 computer, on which he worked as a deputy chief designer. In 1967, this computer was put into production and was produced for 17 years. In 1969 Melnikov started the design and development of a computing system "BESM-6 pairing hardware interface" (HI-6). In 1975, during the Soviet-American space flight 'Soyuz-Apollo' the operation was carried out on the system, built on the basis of HI-6 and BESM-6, that also provided a highly automated processing of ballistic and telemetry data in the Soviet Mission Control Center. Since 1978 Melnikov began to develop a new supercomputer, which had the name 'Electronics SS BIS' and was close to the American supercomputer Cray 1 in its instruction set.