Burtsev, Vsevolod Sergeevich

Born February 11, 1927 in Moscow.

Lost parents during the war ^[2] .

Scientific activity

First projects

Vsevolod Burtsev began his scientific activity in 1950, when S. A. Lebedev invited him, among the 9 best graduate students of the Moscow Power Engineering Institute , to the Institute of Precision Mechanics and Computing Engineering (ITMiVT) to participate in the development of the latest, at that time, Soviet Computer - BESM . The graduation project of the young student was carried out at a high level and formed the basis of the BESM team control unit ^[3] . By the time MPEI graduated (1951), Burtsev was already working in the laboratory of S. A. Lebedev and in 1956 he was awarded the Order of Lenin for the creation of BESM , among other developers.

In 1953, Vsevolod Burtsev from ITMiVT was sent to NII-17 with the task of developing a system for digitizing a radar signal. By 1956, a group of developers created a complex of two specialized computers, “ Diana-1 ”, “ Diana-2, ” the first of which digitized and selected data from the radar and made an advanced calculation of the trajectories of targets, the second solved the interception tasks and issued information on board the fighter. The system could simultaneously work with several goals ^[4] . The principle of signal selection and digitization, which made it possible for the first time to automatically acquire data from a radar, was developed by Burtsev himself, he also supervised the creation of computers, for these works in 1962 he was awarded a doctoral degree ^[5] . In 1956, the complex was successfully tested in work with the serial P-30 radar ^[6] .

Creation of computing facilities of the System A missile defense system

Since the mid-1950s, the USSR began active research in the field of missile defense . To solve the problem, a supercomputer capable of real-time processing of information and control of a complex system hundreds of kilometers away was required. ITMiVT wins the fight against SKB-245 for participating in the project ^[2] and Academician Lebedev appoints Burtsev as the main executor ^[7] , he goes to Sary-Shagan for several years, where he developed the principles of constructing computing tools of the first experimental missile defense system ( System “A” ), a computer complex is being created from two high-performance computers M-40 , M-50 and several small specialized machines ^[8] . At the time of creation, the M-40 and its modification, the M-50 were among the most powerful computers in the world, their architecture was significantly different from BESM and became one of the first implementations of multiprocessor computers with a common memory field ^[9] . The principles of parallelizing the computing process proposed by Burtsev have significantly increased the speed of processing and receiving / transmitting information in real time ^[5] . For the creation of the complex Vsevolod Burtsev, among the developers, receives the Lenin Prize (1966.) ^[10] .

Creation of computers for missile defense and air defense systems

Successful testing of system A gave a significant impetus to the development of computer technology. The development of computers for the missile defense of Moscow begins, Burtsev becomes deputy director of ITMVT Lebedev and the main contractor for military orders. In 1961-1967, a series of high-performance dual-processor computers 5E92 ( 5E92b semiconductor version, 5E51 serial modification) and a computer network based on them, consisting of 12 machines with full hardware control and automatic backup, were created for the A-35 missile defense system. In addition to the missile defense system, 5E51 is also used at the Center for Outer Space Control (CCCS) and many military-related information and scientific centers ^[11] . In 1972, for this work, a group of scientists led by V. S. Burtsev was awarded the USSR State Prize ^[7] .

Since 1968, Vsevolod Burtsev has been leading the development of computing tools for the future S -300 air defense system. By 1972-1974 created a three-processor modular computer 5E26 and, later, its modifications 5E261 , 5E262 , 5E265 and 5E266 , which were replaced by a five- processor CVK 40U6 (1988) ^[12] .

In 1970, as part of the creation of the second generation of missile defense constructor by G.V. Kisunko , ITM&VT began the development of the promising Elbrus computer complex with a capacity of 100 million opt./s., V. S. Burtsev became the chief designer of the project (in 1973 he replaced S. A. Lebedev, who had left for health reasons as director of ITMiVT ). It is planned to obtain high performance using the institute’s wide experience in the field of multiprocessor parallel architectures (previously this was mainly used to achieve a high level of reliability with a relatively low quality of components of the Russian Ministry of Radio Industry ). The first Elbrus-1 (1978), due to its outdated elementary base, had low productivity (15 million op./s.), The later modification Elbrus-2 (1985) in 10-processor version reached 125 million op. /with. ^[11] and became the first industrial computer with superscalar architecture and the most powerful supercomputer of the USSR, Elbrus-2 was used in nuclear research institutes, the MCC and in the A-135 missile defense system, for its development V. S. Burtsev and a number of other specialists were awarded State Prize ^[13] .

Work in the field of advanced multiprocessor computers

As part of the further modernization of the supercomputer, under the guidance of Burtsev, a vector processor is being developed with a speed of 200-300 million opt./s, the introduction of which into the Elbrus MVC could increase the productivity to 1 billion op / s, but in 1985, after 35 years of work in ITM&VT , circumstances compel him to transfer to the post of deputy director (director since 1992) of the Computing Center for Collective Use (VTsKP) of the USSR Academy of Sciences. In his new position, Burtsev continues to develop ideas for high-speed parallel computing within the framework of the project “Optical Super High Performance Machine” (OSVM) of the Academy of Sciences ^[14] , developing the structure of a supercomputer on the “non-Von Neumann principle” with efficient parallelization of the computing process at the hardware level ^[11] .

After the collapse of the USSR, the Russian Academy of Sciences turns off the front of work on supercomputers and the All-Russian Center for Computer Science is closed. In 1995, Burtsev independently organized the Institute of High Performance Computing Systems (IVS), where he continues to work, but due to the lack of interest in this topic from the Academy of Sciences and the lack of funding for practical continuation, he does not receive any direction.

At the age of 71, Burtsev left the post of director of the IVVS and transferred to the Institute of Informatics Problems of the IPI RAS, Academician I.A. Mizin , where he worked the last years of his life.

He died on the night of June 13-14, 2005 . He was buried at the Troekurovsky cemetery in Moscow ^[15] .

Chronicle of scientific activity

• 1951 - graduated from the Moscow Power Engineering Institute . After graduating from MPEI, he works at the Institute of Precision Mechanics and Computer Engineering , since 1973 - its director (professor since 1965 ).
• 1962 - to defend a candidate dissertation, members of the academic council unanimously voted for Burtsev to be awarded the degree of Doctor of Technical Sciences.
• 1965 - Member of the CPSU , professor at the Institute of Precision Mechanics and Computer Engineering ( ITMiVT ).
• 1966 - Lenin Prize Laureate .
• 1972 - Laureate of the USSR State Prize .
• 1973 - Director of ITMiVT .
• 1976 - Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences in the Department of Mechanics and Control Processes (control processes - computer engineering) since December 23 .
• 1985 - Laureate of the USSR State Prize .
• 1992 - Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences in the Department of Informatics, Computing and Automation (Computing and Element Base) since June 11 .
• 1993 - Director, Institute of High Performance Computing Systems, Russian Academy of Sciences
• 1998 - Advisor to the President of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

For more than 20 years he taught at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (from the day it was founded). He headed the branch of the department "Microprocessor systems, electronics and electrical engineering" of Moscow Aviation and Technology University. K. E. Tsiolkovsky and was the supervisor of the department. Under the guidance of V. S. Burtsev, more than 40 people defended dissertations for the degree of candidate and doctor of technical sciences.

The main works on the principles and methods of building high-performance computers , theoretical and practical problems of automatic control, principles of implementation of multiprocessor computing systems. Burtsev is known as the deputy chief designer of computers Diana-1, Diana-2, M-40 , M-60 , 5E92 , 5E92b , 5E51 , and also as the chief designer of the Elbrus MVK - machines that have been widely used in creating command computer centers and firing systems of missile defense systems , as well as other systems and means of special purpose.

The largest specialist in the USSR / Russia in the field of creating high-performance computers and complexes of universal and specialized application for managing objects operating in real time. He is the author of about 200 scientific papers, which form the basis for the design of new computing tools, and are used for educational purposes in leading universities in Russia.

• Order of Lenin , Order of the October Revolution , Order of the Red Banner of Labor and medals
• Laureate of the Lenin Prize (1966)
• Twice winner of the USSR State Prize (1972, 1985)
• Prize of the USSR Academy of Sciences named after S. A. Lebedev (for a series of works "Theory and practice of creating high-performance multiprocessor computers")

• Burtsev, Vsevolod Sergeevich // Domestic electronic computer technology. Biographical Encyclopedia / comp. S. A. Muravyov. - M .: Metropolitan Encyclopedia, 2014 .-- S. 32-33. - 400 p. - 1000 copies. - ISBN 978-5-903989-25-6 .
• “Military Encyclopedic Dictionary of Strategic Missile Forces” / Ministry of Defense of Russia .; Editor-in-chief: I. D. Sergeev , V. N. Yakovlev , N. E. Solovtsov . - Moscow: Big Russian Encyclopedia, 1999 .-- 632 p. - 8500 copies. - ISBN 5-85270-315-X . . - S. 71.

• Profile of Vsevolod Sergeevich Burtsev on the official website of the RAS
• A conference dedicated to the memory of V.S. Burtsev (Russian) was held at ITMiVT . News. 2007 year ITMiVT (02/14/2007). Date of treatment November 10, 2009. Archived August 26, 2011.
• Expert Group R & D.CNews. The creator of Soviet missile defense computers turns 80 years old (Russian) . Science - articles . R & D.CNews (02/08/2007). Date of treatment August 4, 2009. Archived on August 26, 2011.
• Andrey Garavsky. At the dawn of the computer era (Rus.) // " Red Star ": newspaper. - 2007. - No. 10 of February .
• Burtsev V.S. Supercomputers in Russia. History and perspectives. (Russian) // Electronics: NTB: Journal. - 2000. - No. 4 . - S. 5 - 9 .
• Burtsev V. C. On the history of the creation of Soviet computer technology (based on a 1973 report) (Russian) // Open Systems. DBMS: magazine. - 2012. - No. 01 .
• Burtsev V. C. Parallelism of computational processes and the development of the architecture of the supercomputers of the Elbrus MVK (Russian) // IVVS RAS: book (pdf). - 1998.
• T. Burtseva, L. Karpov, Vera Karpova. Vsevolod Burtsev and supercomputers (Russian) // Open Systems. - 2007. - No. 09 .
• I. Shakhnovich. Work on the architecture of an ultra-high-performance computer continues (in Russian) // Electronics: NTB. - 2002. - No. 2 . - S. 30 - 31 .
• Kim Smirnov. But we did anti-missiles. Project of Academician Burtsev (Russian) // Novaya Gazeta . - 2005. - No. 61 of August 22 . (inaccessible link)
• Vladimir Tuchkov . Climbing the Elbrus. Supercomputer of academician Burtsev // Supercomputers. −2011, No. 6.