By Lyudmila Bezrukova Trud, August 4, 2001, p. 3
The first compartment of the Kursk will remain on the seabed for a time because it was torn off from the submarine’s hull by the explosion
The public learned about Academician Igor Spassky and the Rubin Design Bureau, which he has been heading for 30 years, not long ago. The issue is that the Rubin Design Bureau is a secret defense enterprise. It designs submarines for the Russian Navy. It is exactly this Design Bureau, which developed the Kursk submarine, whose fate is known to the whole world. Academician Igor Spassky gave an interview with the newspaper Trud.
Question:Igor Dmitrievich, have you ever counted how many submarines you have created?
Igor Spassky:My colleagues say we have created about 200 submarines. I do not mean projects. Sometimes we build six or more submarines using one project. I mean the total number of submarines. Each submarine is a destiny for me! It is not enough to design it. We have to monitor its life until the submarine is scrapped. We are in charge of our submarine until they are scrapped.
Question:What happens if the submarine sinks?
Igor Spassky:(…) There were two serious tragedies – the Komsomolets in April 1989 and the Kursk in August 2000. (…) We make every effort to raise the submarine. This is our main task.
Question:Is it necessary to raise the Kursk? Specialists have not reached an agreement regarding this question…
Igor Spassky:We must do this. Such objects like this submarine must not remain in the fishery district.
Question:As far as I know, you intend to leave the first compartment on the seabed…
Igor Spassky:It will remain on the seabed for a time because it was torn off from the main hull by the explosion. It will collapse when we start raising the submarine.
(…)
Question:Many specialists left the country in the late 1980s and in the early 1990s. Did your design bureau lose many specialists?
Igor Spassky:Our specialists have not left Russia. Some of them joined private companies. The majority are young specialists on whom we relied. Fortunately, the situation is improving. Very few people leave the design bureau now. This is due to the fact that the president has focused his attention on the defense sector.
(…)
Question:Do you develop new submarines?
Igor Spassky:Yes, we do. We plan to build the St. Petersburg diesel submarine by the 300th anniversary of the northern capital of Russia. (…)
