PRESIDENTIAL ENVOY TO THE NORTH-WEST DISTRICT VICTOR CHERKESOV PRESENTS STATE AWARDS TO SPECIALISTS OF RUBIN CENTRAL DESIGN BUREAU

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Kommersant, February 1, 2001, p. 3

Submarine builders celebrated the 100th anniversary of their enterprise. There were no reminiscences about the Kursk nuclear submarine, which was designed at Rubin and sank six months before that anniversary.

The January 4 presidential decree as of January 4 cites the Rubin designers and engineers “for their immense contribution to research and construction of special hardware and also for the 100th anniversary of the enterprise.” The ceremonial meeting took place in the bureau’s hall, decorated with the Russian national flag, the Naval colors and the flag of the design bureau. Only selected press services were invited: three TV channels and two information agencies, and representatives of print media were not let in at all. Those admitted reportedly made a promise not to ask questions about the Kursk. “This is an internal formal activity,” Rubin officials stated.

However, Cherkesov didn’t accept this opinion. Speaking before workers of the design bureau he said that “an immense event, not only for Rubin, but also for the whole Navy and for Russia” was taking place. “It is very rare in history that a single team is responsible for the history of a submarine force”, said Cherkesov.

Indeed, Rubin’s history began on January 4, 1901 when by a confidential letter the Russian marine ministry entrusted a group of St. Petersburg designers with coming up with “designs of semi-submarine vessels.” These experts later founded the Submarine Design Commission, which in May 1901 researched the Delfin project, which produced the first Russian submarine. In total, over a hundred years 919 submarines were designed in Russia by Rubin project. Now the bureau had already developed projects and started constructing fourth-generation submarines, according to General Designer and Director of the bureau Igor Spassky. Thus, the fruit of the Sankt-Petersburg project 677, the Lada diesel-electric submarine, is being constructed at the Admiralteiskie Verfi. The Yuri Dolgorukii project produced the Borei nuclear strategic cruiser, now being constructed at the Sevmashpredpriyatie in Severnaya Dvina. Besides submarines, the bureau is designing platforms for oil and gas extraction on the continental shelf, shipyards for installation of additional equipment on the Odyssey pad, Commander spaceship for the SeaStart space project and the Sokol high-speed train.

At the ceremony Victor Cherkesov awarded ten workers of the bureau orders of Honor, Friendship and “For service to the Fatherland in the second degree” medals. A designer for project 949 Igor Baranov (Kursk submarine was part of this project) was among them. Like Chief Engineer Alexander Zavalishin, he received an Order of Honor. The director of the bureau’s security service Sergei Komarov was awarded with an Order of Friendship.

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