Rostislav Yevgenyevich Alekseev (1916–1980) was a Russian shipbuilder, designer of hydrofoil vessels, Hero of Socialist Labour, Doctor of Technical Sciences, and laureate of the Lenin Prize and State Prizes. He was born in the city of Novozybkov, Bryansk Region.
Education
In 1941 he graduated from the shipbuilding faculty of the Gorky Industrial Institute named after Zhdanov (now the Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University) and was assigned to the Krasnoye Sormovo Plant plant.
Key Facts and Activities
From 1941 he worked at the Krasnoye Sormovo Plant shipbuilding plant. From 1942 he conducted successful research and testing in the field of hydrofoil vessel design. Under his leadership, a hydrofoil boat was developed that achieved a speed of 87 km/h during trials in 1945. In 1950, serial production began of hydrofoil torpedo boats designed under his supervision. In 1951 he was awarded the Stalin (State) Prize for his contributions to shipbuilding.
In January 1955, Alekseev became head of the Central Design Bureau (TsKB) for Hydrofoil Vessels. From the 1950s onward he expanded work on developing a domestic high-speed passenger fleet. In 1957, the hydrofoil vessel Raketa made its inaugural passenger voyage to Kazan. During the 1960s, the Meteor, Sputnik, Vikhr, Kometa, and Voskhod followed. For his work on hydrofoil vessels he was awarded the Lenin Prize in 1962 and was also given the title of Honoured Inventor of the RSFSR.
Seeking to increase vessel speeds and reduce water resistance, Alekseev turned to the concept of the ekranoplan — a craft invisible to radar that uses the water's surface for take-off, low-altitude flight, and landing. From the 1960s, work on developing a domestic ekranoplan industry was carried out under his leadership; the ekranoplans KM ("Caspian Monster"), Orlyonok, Lun, Volga-2, and others were built. Several such craft were constructed for the Soviet Navy.
Academic Degrees, Titles, and Awards
He was awarded the degree of Doctor of Technical Sciences in 1962. In 1963 he was elected a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the RSFSR. He was decorated with the Order of the October Revolution and the Order of the Red Banner of Labour, as well as ministerial awards and commemorative medals. In 1984 he was posthumously awarded the State Prize for his work in the field of shipbuilding.
Through his scientific research and experimental work, Alekseev established a leading scientific and practical school of high-speed shipbuilding and ekranoplan construction, one that gained worldwide recognition and secured the priority of domestic science and technology in these fields.
Legacy
Nizhny Novgorod residents honour the memory of R. Ye. Alekseev and his scientific achievements. In 2007, the Nizhny Novgorod State Technical University was named after him. His name is also borne by a square in the Sormovo District and by the Central Design Bureau for Hydrofoil Vessels.