Putin expresses condolences over death of Russian Academy of Sciences academician Velikhov

Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed condolences to the family and friends of the deceased academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Yevgeny Velikhov. The telegram of the head of state was published on December 6 on the Kremlin website.

"Please accept deep condolences, words of support and participation in connection with the grief that has befallen you. The death of Yevgeny Pavlovich Velikhov is a great, irreplaceable loss for the national science, for the whole country, which he honestly, devotedly served all his life," the text reads.

Putin called Velikhov an outstanding scientist, innovator and a man of inexhaustible creative energy. According to the President, the highest professionalism, experience and organizational talent of the academician has always been in demand in responsible areas.

According to the head of state, Velikhov solved problems in accordance with the colossal scale of his personality and was always full of bold ideas. This is how he will remain in the memory of relatives, friends, students and colleagues, Putin noted.

Labors and days: Academician Evgeny Velikhov passed away

The eminent scientist came to science through books and the example of his father

Velikhov's death became known the night before. The outstanding expert in the field of thermonuclear fusion died at the 90th year of life. Commenting on this, Vice President of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vice President of the National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute", Academician Vladislav Panchenko noted that Velikhov was a great man who could think broadly and was passionate about his work.

Velikhov was the scientific director of research on controlled thermonuclear fusion in the USSR (since 1973), as well as the initiator (in 1977) and one of the leaders (since 1992) of the international project for the development of thermonuclear energy ITER.

In 1977-1996, Velikhov was vice-president of the USSR Academy of Sciences, then of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and also initiated the creation of the Department of Informatics and Computer Science, or the Department of Nanotechnology and Information Technology at the moment.

In addition, Velikhov is a participant in the liquidation of the consequences of the Chernobyl accident, Hero of Socialist Labor, Hero of Labor of the Russian Federation and the holder of many other state awards.