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From the editor
With this issue we begin the publication of the memoirs of the former chief designer of department 520 of Uralvagonzavod (UKBTM), laureate of the USSR State Prize, candidate of technical sciences, major general of the engineering and technical service Leonid Nikolaevich Kartsev, who turned 85 years old on July 21, 2007.
Leonid Nikolaevich held the position of chief designer of the Uralvagonzavod tank design bureau from 1953 to August 15, 1969. Under his leadership, a large number of armored vehicles were created, including such famous combat vehicles as the T-54A, T-54B, T-55, T-55A tanks , T-62 and T-62A, which have received worldwide recognition and fame. He laid the foundations for the design of the T-72, recognized as the best tank in the world in the second half of the 20th century.
There is no doubt that the Ural school of tank building, created during the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945, strengthened in the difficult post-war years, is now a leader in domestic and world tank building. And this is the great merit of Leonid Nikolaevich Kartsev and his successors.
The editors express their deep gratitude to the specialists of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "UKBTM" and the Uralvagonzavod Museum for their help and assistance in the preparation of this publication and the significant observations and comments they made, which made it possible to more fully and objectively show the features of the work of the tank design bureau during the period described. Here it is necessary to note the contribution of the Deputy Director of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "UKBTM" I.N. Baranov, the veteran of the UKBTM E.B. Vavilonsky and the head of the Uralvagonzavod museum complex A.V. Pislegina.
Special thanks to GBTU veterans P.I. Kirichenko, G.B. Pasternak and M.M. Usov, who worked with Leonid Nikolaevich Kartsev for many years. Without them, these memories would hardly have seen the light of day.
Instead of a prologue
The design bureau that created the T-34 tank, together with the team of the Kharkov Locomotive Plant (KhPZ), was evacuated from Kharkov to Nizhny Tagil to Uralvagonzavod in the fall of 1941, where the production of this famous tank was quickly organized and launched. Soon Uralvagonzavod became the main supplier of tanks. During the war years alone, the plant produced about 26 thousand Thirty-Fours.
The design bureau, headed by Alexander Aleksandrovich Morozov, did a great job of simplifying the components and mechanisms of the tank, increasing manufacturability and reducing the weight of parts, and adapting the tank design to mass production.
During production, the T-34 was continuously improved taking into account comments coming from the troops. The thickness of the turret armor was increased, its rotation was accelerated, a more advanced sight was installed, the four-speed gearbox was replaced with a five-speed one, the efficiency of cleaning the air entering the engine was increased, an all-mode fuel supply regulator was introduced, etc. At the beginning of 1944, a major modernization of the tank was carried out: instead of The 76mm guns mounted an 85mm cannon. As a result of this modernization, the tank received the name T-34-85.
Towards the end of the war, the design bureau began developing the T-44 tank, which became the prototype of the T-54 tank, which was developed and put into mass production after the end of the war.
Unfortunately, the start of mass production of the T-54 tank showed that there were serious flaws in its design, especially in terms of reliability. From the Belarusian Military District, where the first production T-54 tanks were sent, complaints poured in to all authorities, right up to the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee.
To ensure a complete revision of the design of the T-54 tank, the Politburo decided to delay the serial production of these tanks by one year. Throughout 1949, tank production at the country's three leading factories was stopped.
One of the main reasons for the imperfect design of the T-54 tank was the small number of Uralvagonzavod design bureau. The fact is that after the liberation of Kharkov in 1943, many specialists from the plant named after. The Comintern, evacuated to Nizhny Tagil, began to return to their homeland. As a result, the already small design bureau began to quickly lose staff.
In this situation, in 1949, a decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR was issued on the secondment to Uralvagonzavod of a group of fifteen graduates of the engineering faculties of the Military Academy of Armored and Mechanized Forces of the Soviet Army, among whom I was included.
The best graduates were included in this group. The bulk were officers with the rank of captains. The youngest of us was only 25 years old, the oldest was 35. Almost all of us participated in the Great Patriotic War, mainly in technical positions. Everything would be fine, but after a year there were only ten people left in our group. Two were not given clearance for secret work and were sent to the troops, where they rose to the rank of major general, and the other to colonel general. Three native Muscovites ended up in Nizhny Tagil due to a misunderstanding: during assignment, they were told that the design bureau where they were assigned was located in Moscow, on Sadovo-Sukharevskaya Street. In fact, this was the address of the Ministry of Transport Engineering, to which Uralvagonzavod was subordinate at that time. Therefore, two of them, not wanting to leave the capital, immediately entered the postgraduate course at the Academy, and the third got a job in the testing department of the Ministry of Transport.
In Nizhny Tagil
Upon arrival in Nizhny Tagil, most of us were assigned to design bureau groups and only two to the research bureau. I ended up in the transmission group, headed by one of the main developers of the transmission of the T-34 tank, Stalin Prize laureate Abram Iosifovich Speichler.
To begin with, we were all instructed to carry out calculations of the main components and mechanisms of the T-54 tank, since no one in the design bureau had done such calculations before us. I got the job of calculating the planetary rotation mechanism of the tank (PMP), which I completed in two weeks. The group leader was pleased with the result of my work. This inspired me and, having completed the calculations, I decided to submit a rationalization proposal. Its essence was to reduce the number of planetary gears. As a result, four ball bearings, two satellites, two axles and several smaller parts were superfluous, and the labor intensity of manufacturing the PMP was reduced. The economic efficiency of this proposal was undeniable, and it was accepted for testing.
In a relatively short time, carried away by the work, I completed a new design for the guitar breather, a reinforced drive to the generator, an improved seal for the PMP switching mechanism, and other work to improve individual transmission components.
I, then a novice designer, was keen on any job. It was also interesting to work because our design bureau surprisingly harmoniously combined the experience of experienced people and the enthusiasm of young people. The rapid achievement of good results was also facilitated by the lively communication between the various design teams.
I remember how in 1950 the design bureau received the task of developing an armored tow truck based on the T-54 tank, which later received the name BTS-2. This tractor was equipped with a winch for winding and laying the cable, which was developed by the chassis group. Our group’s task was to develop a drive for this winch.
The drive consisted of a guitar, a reduction gear and a safety clutch. The guitar was entrusted to the development of experienced designer I.Z. Stavtsev, gearbox - experienced designer A.I. Sher and my classmate F.M. Kozhukharyu, and the clutch - to two young people: V.I. Mazo and me.
Of course, it also happened that the plant carried out tasks that were, to put it mildly, non-specific, non-core. In such cases, it was also necessary to stimulate the work of designers and production shops by “non-standard” means. In 1951, the plant received the task of manufacturing two power units for drilling wells: a winch power unit and a pump power unit. The winch and pump themselves were manufactured by other companies. The task of our plant was to mount a motor unit with an engine and drives to the power units of the winch and pump on the frame. This was entrusted to me and V.N. Benediktov from the motor group. We completed this work in a relatively short time.
The assembly of the units was carried out in the car assembly shop, for which such a task was, of course, non-core. Despite this, they worked quickly and efficiently. For a long time I could not understand what stimulated the shock work. After the order was submitted, the head of the workshop, K. S. Zhuravsky, revealed the secret: one of the technologists wrote down the consumption of 25 liters of alcohol for each unit in the assembly map. According to technology, there was no need for this, and the alcohol was used for personal needs. This is what turned out to be the incentive...
The design bureau was also actively engaged in rationalization activities. I set out to cover the entire engine and transmission compartment, in which V.N. was the closest to me in spirit. Venediktov. As a rule, we walked around the plant together, and we were soon nicknamed “foster brothers.” Our passion for rationalization began to produce tangible results. Here are a few memorable examples.
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The administration of the “Courage” website thanks the editors of the magazine"Equipment and Weapons" for kindly providing material for publication.
From the editor. With this issue we begin the publication of the memoirs of the former chief designer of department 520 of Uralvagonzavod (UKBTM), laureate of the USSR State Prize, candidate of technical sciences, major general of the engineering and technical service Leonid Nikolaevich Kartsev, who turned 85 years old on July 21, 2007.
Leonid Nikolaevich held the position of chief designer of the Uralvagonzavod tank design bureau from 1953 to August 15, 1969. Under his leadership, a large number of armored vehicles were created, including such famous combat vehicles as the T-54A, T-54B, T-55, T-55A tanks , T-62 and T-62A, which have received worldwide recognition and fame. He laid the foundations for the design of the T-72, recognized as the best tank in the world in the second half of the 20th century.
There is no doubt that the Ural school of tank building, created during the Great Patriotic War of 1941–1945, strengthened in the difficult post-war years, is now a leader in domestic and world tank building. And this is the great merit of Leonid Nikolaevich Kartsev and his successors.
The editors express their deep gratitude to the specialists of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "UKBTM" and the Uralvagonzavod Museum for their help and assistance in the preparation of this publication and the significant observations and comments they made, which made it possible to more fully and objectively show the features of the work of the tank design bureau during the period described. Here it is necessary to note the contribution of the Deputy Director of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "UKBTM" I.N. Baranov, UKBTM veteran E.B. Vavilonsky and the head of the museum complex of Uralvagonzavod A.V. Pislegina.
Special thanks to GBTU veterans P.I. Kirichenko, G.B. Pasternak and M.M. Usov, who worked with Leonid Nikolaevich Kartsev for many years. Without them, these memories would hardly have seen the light of day.
Instead of a prologue
The design bureau that created the T-34 tank, together with the team of the Kharkov Locomotive Plant (KhPZ), was evacuated from Kharkov to Nizhny Tagil to Uralvagonzavod in the fall of 1941, where the production of this famous tank was quickly organized and launched. Soon Uralvagonzavod became the main supplier of tanks. During the war years alone, the plant produced about 26 thousand Thirty-Fours.
The design bureau, headed by Alexander Aleksandrovich Morozov, did a great job of simplifying the components and mechanisms of the tank, increasing manufacturability and reducing the weight of parts, and adapting the tank design to mass production.
During production, the T-34 was continuously improved taking into account comments coming from the troops. The thickness of the turret armor was increased, its rotation was accelerated, a more advanced sight was installed, the four-speed gearbox was replaced with a five-speed one, the efficiency of cleaning the air entering the engine was increased, an all-mode fuel supply regulator was introduced, etc. At the beginning of 1944, a major modernization of the tank was carried out: instead of The 76mm guns mounted an 85mm cannon. As a result of this modernization, the tank received the name T-34-85.
Towards the end of the war, the design bureau began developing the T-44 tank, which became the prototype of the T-54 tank, which was developed and put into mass production after the end of the war.
Unfortunately, the start of mass production of the T-54 tank showed that there were serious flaws in its design, especially in terms of reliability. From the Belarusian Military District, where the first production T-54 tanks were sent, complaints poured in to all authorities, right up to the Politburo of the CPSU Central Committee.
To ensure a complete revision of the design of the T-54 tank, the Politburo decided to delay the serial production of these tanks by one year. Throughout 1949, tank production at the country's three leading factories was stopped.
One of the main reasons for the imperfect design of the T-54 tank was the small number of Uralvagonzavod design bureau. The fact is that after the liberation of Kharkov in 1943, many specialists from the plant named after. The Comintern, evacuated to Nizhny Tagil, began to return to their homeland. As a result, the already small design bureau began to quickly lose staff.
In this situation, in 1949, a decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR was issued on the secondment to Uralvagonzavod of a group of fifteen graduates of the engineering faculties of the Military Academy of Armored and Mechanized Forces of the Soviet Army, among whom I was included.
The best graduates were included in this group. The bulk were officers with the rank of captains. The youngest of us was only 25 years old, the oldest was 35. Almost all of us participated in the Great Patriotic War, mainly in technical positions. Everything would be fine, but after a year there were only ten people left in our group. Two were not given clearance for secret work and were sent to the troops, where they rose to the rank of major general, and the other to colonel general. Three native Muscovites ended up in Nizhny Tagil due to a misunderstanding: during assignment, they were told that the design bureau where they were assigned was located in Moscow, on Sadovo-Sukharevskaya Street. In fact, this was the address of the Ministry of Transport Engineering, to which Uralvagonzavod was subordinate at that time. Therefore, two of them, not wanting to leave the capital, immediately entered the postgraduate course at the Academy, and the third got a job in the testing department of the Ministry of Transport.
In Nizhny Tagil
Upon arrival in Nizhny Tagil, most of us were assigned to design bureau groups and only two to the research bureau. I ended up in the transmission group, headed by one of the main developers of the transmission of the T-34 tank, Stalin Prize laureate Abram Iosifovich Speichler.
To begin with, we were all instructed to carry out calculations of the main components and mechanisms of the T-54 tank, since no one in the design bureau had done such calculations before us. I got the job of calculating the planetary rotation mechanism of the tank (PMP), which I completed in two weeks. The group leader was pleased with the result of my work. This inspired me and, having completed the calculations, I decided to submit a rationalization proposal. Its essence was to reduce the number of planetary gears. As a result, four ball bearings, two satellites, two axles and several smaller parts were superfluous, and the labor intensity of manufacturing the PMP was reduced. The economic efficiency of this proposal was undeniable, and it was accepted for testing.
In a relatively short time, carried away by the work, I completed a new design for the guitar breather, a reinforced drive to the generator, an improved seal for the PMP switching mechanism, and other work to improve individual transmission components.
I, then a novice designer, was keen on any job. It was also interesting to work because our design bureau surprisingly harmoniously combined the experience of experienced people and the enthusiasm of young people. The rapid achievement of good results was also facilitated by the lively communication between the various design teams.
I remember how in 1950 the design bureau received the task of developing an armored tow truck based on the T-54 tank, which later received the name BTS-2. This tractor was equipped with a winch for winding and laying the cable, which was developed by the chassis group. Our group’s task was to develop a drive for this winch.
The drive consisted of a guitar, a reduction gear and a safety clutch. The guitar was entrusted to the development of experienced designer I.Z. Stavtsev, gearbox - experienced designer A.I. Sher and my classmate F.M. Kozhukharyu, and the clutch - to two young people: V.I. Mazo and me.
Of course, it also happened that the plant carried out tasks that were, to put it mildly, non-specific, non-core. In such cases, it was also necessary to stimulate the work of designers and production shops by “non-standard” means. In 1951, the plant received the task of manufacturing two power units for drilling wells: a winch power unit and a pump power unit. The winch and pump themselves were manufactured by other companies. The task of our plant was to mount a motor unit with an engine and drives to the power units of the winch and pump on the frame. This was entrusted to me and V.N. Venediktov from the motor group. We completed this work in a relatively short time.
The assembly of the units was carried out in the car assembly shop, for which such a task was, of course, non-core. Despite this, they worked quickly and efficiently. For a long time I could not understand what stimulated the shock work. After the order was submitted, shop manager K.S. Zhuravsky revealed a secret: one of the technologists wrote down the consumption of 25 liters of alcohol for each unit in the assembly map. According to technology, there was no need for this, and the alcohol was used for personal needs. This is what turned out to be the incentive...
The design bureau was also actively engaged in rationalization activities. I set out to cover the entire engine and transmission compartment, in which V.N. was the closest to me in spirit. Venediktov. As a rule, we walked around the plant together, and we were soon nicknamed “foster brothers.” Our passion for rationalization began to produce tangible results. Here are a few memorable examples.
The tank cooling system fan had 24 blades. We proposed reducing the number of blades to 18. It would seem to be contrary to logic, but this led not only to a reduction in the metal intensity and labor intensity of manufacturing the fan, but also to an increase in its productivity.
I especially remember the case with the heater boiler for the cooling system of the T-54 tank.
Once passing by a tank with a working heater, I saw black smoke coming out of the boiler pipe. I didn’t like how the boiler operated this way, and I decided to figure out the reasons for such strong smoking.
Having carefully read all the literature on combustion aerodynamics and water boiler designs available in the factory library (including Academician S.P. Syromyatnikov’s book “Steam Locomotive” and Academician P.L. Chebyshev’s doctoral dissertation “Gas Jet Theory”), I came to the firm conviction that the boiler was not designed correctly. In shape and structure, it was a smaller copy of a steam locomotive boiler. But the shortage of combustion chamber volume and combustion chamber volume did not allow the fuel to burn completely. As a result, the flame tubes quickly became clogged with soot. The heater designers came to terms with this evil so much that the tank’s spare parts kit even included a so-called “sweep brush.”
The delicacy of the moment was that such a design was proposed by A.A. himself. Morozov. Even as a child, he studied the locomotive well, thanks to his father, who worked at a locomotive factory. Considering himself an expert in the “boiler business,” he did not see the need to develop a new boiler design and considered the “locomotive” design to be optimal.
Knowing how painfully Morozov took criticism of his ideas, Venediktov and I decided to look for a new boiler design. We worked at home in the evenings, fortunately, after graduating from the academy, in addition to the bed, I also brought a drawing board. Soon the design of the new boiler was ready. In terms of external dimensions and installation dimensions, it was identical to the existing one, but in design... Instead of fire tubes, a cylinder was placed inside the boiler, filled with coolant coming from the outer cylinder through four pipes, which simultaneously served as fasteners for the inner cylinder. Thanks to this design, the volume of the combustion chamber increased, and fuel combustion occurred along the entire length of the boiler.
As we expected, Morozov immediately rejected this proposal and did not give permission to issue working drawings and manufacture prototypes. We made two more “approaches” to him, but with each new attempt his irritation only intensified. And then we decided on a “strategy.”
At that time, we just had a way of making blueprints from pencil tracings. Taking several already unnecessary drawings, we erased everything from them except the stamp with all the approving and other signatures, including Morozov’s signature. Instead of erased images, we made drawings of a new heater boiler... When the product was manufactured according to our drawings in the pilot workshop, it turned out that it was... a heater boiler.
Together with researcher Chuikov, we secretly checked the operation of the boiler on the stand: the coolant began to heat up faster, and the black smoke disappeared. Having completed the tests of the new boiler, we confessed to Morozov. After listening to us, he smiled and allowed us to continue working legally, having previously issued an order prohibiting the removal of blueprints from pencil drawings.
Based on the test results, the new heater boiler was introduced into mass production, and the sweep brush was forever excluded from the tank's configuration. For this work, Venediktov and I received a prize, for which we bought a Zenit camera each.
The new heater boiler also prevented the trouble that awaited the plant. After three to four years, the old boilers on the operating tanks began to leak due to corrosion of the flame tubes, for the manufacture of which seamless carbon steel pipes were used. The new boilers did not have this defect, since all parts in contact with the fire were made of stainless steel.
Unexpected appointment
I will return to 1951. In November, the chief designer of Uralvagonzavod A.A. Morozov underwent surgery for a stomach ulcer at the Kremlin hospital. I can’t say how these two events are connected, but already in December of the same year he was appointed chief designer of the Kharkov Transport Engineering Plant, which had already been restored by that time.
At Uralvagonzavod, fifty-four-year-old A.V. was appointed acting chief designer. Kolesnikov. Even before the war, Anatoly Vasilyevich was the deputy of the then chief designer of KhPZ M.I. Koshkin, creator of the legendary “thirty-four”.
By the time of my arrival at Uralvagonzavod, Kolesnikov headed the maintenance of serial production and modernization of the T-54 tank and, in Morozov’s absence, as a rule, replaced him. He was an experienced leader, a Stalin Prize laureate, a graduate of the Military Academy of Armored and Mechanized Forces. None of us even thought that someone else would be confirmed in the position vacated by A.A. Morozov. However, 1952 passed, 1953 began, and still it was not approved.
At the end of January 1953, I, who by that time had been appointed chief designer for the installation of a new stabilizer for the Horizon gun in the tank, was busy drawing the route of hydraulic hoses going from the hydraulic booster to the power cylinder. Suddenly, the secretary of the chief designer enters the room and says that the director of the plant, Ivan Vasilyevich Okunev, is calling me.
Naturally, I was surprised, since I had never met the director in a work environment, and I only saw him walking through the plant once: average height, stocky, heavy gait, gloomy eyes...
Old KB employees said: I.V. After graduating from the Ural Polytechnic Institute, Okunev was sent to Uralvagonzavod, where even before the war he worked his way up from workshop foreman to chief technologist of the plant.
Due to the fact that I.V. Okunev had no experience in producing tanks; with the start of their production at Uralvagonzavod, a “Kharkov resident” was appointed chief technologist of the plant, and Ivan Vasilyevich became his deputy. At the end of the war, Okunev again became the chief technologist of the plant, after the war he worked as the chief engineer, and in 1949 he became the director of the plant. From rumors, I knew that he was a strong-willed, organized person, but taciturn, rude, called everyone first name, and could be offensive in conversation.
The design bureau was located on the fourth floor, and the office of the plant director was in the same entrance on the second floor. A minute later I was at the director's office. Upon entering, I immediately noted: the office was very small, no portraits on the walls, not a single piece of paper on the table.
I.V. Okunev looked at me gloomily and asked: “Do you know tanks?” I answered embarrassedly: “Apparently, I know. He graduated from the Tank School with honors in 1942, was a tank mechanic at the front, after the war he graduated from the Armored Academy with a gold medal, and for the fourth year I have been working as a designer in a tank design bureau.” .
“You will work as chief designer “, he said and after a short pause continued. – After lunch, go see my HR assistant, take the package from him and tomorrow go to Sverdlovsk to the regional party committee.” .
Thus the first meeting with I.V. I ended up with Okunev.
The next day I was received by the head of the industrial department of the Sverdlovsk regional committee of the CPSU Gryaznov. He asked me to tell about my origins, inquired about my relatives, and asked if any of them were convicted or formerly in the occupation. I replied that my ancestors were hereditary peasants of the Vladimir province, my parents worked on a collective farm until 1934, and in 1934 we moved to the Petrovsky distillery in the Ivanovo region. The father died, the mother works as a cleaner. I don’t have any relatives of those convicted who were in the occupation or living abroad. After the end of the conversation, Gryaznov invited me to have lunch in the regional committee canteen and then visit him again. When I returned, he handed me a package and said that I could go back. Arriving home in the evening, the next day I handed over this package to the head of the plant’s personnel department, N.S. Kovalenko. A week later, Kovalenko calls me: “A business trip to Moscow has been arranged for you. Come to me for it and for the package, which should be handed over to the head of Glavtank (Main Directorate of Tank Engineering of the USSR Ministry of Transport Engineering) N.A. Kucherenko".
I knew Nikolai Alekseevich Kucherenko very well; I met with him several times through joint, often social, work. A native of our design bureau, during the war he was A.A.’s deputy. Morozov and after the war was appointed chief designer of Glavtank.
In 1950, the All-Union Scientific and Technical Society (NTO) was created, of which Uralvagonzavod became a member by paying an entrance fee of 10,000 rubles. Kucherenko, who was then working as the chief engineer of the plant, became the chairman of the NTO factory organization, and I was elected secretary of the tank section. I periodically approved his plans, reports and other papers related to the work of this society. Often communicating in those years with N.A. Kucherenko, I discovered in him an attentive and respectable person. After reading the papers I brought in a bag and talking a little about the work of the design bureau, Nikolai Alekseevich took me to the Deputy Minister of Transport Engineering S.N. Makhonin. Having never met Makhonin before, I heard a lot about him. Before the war, he was the head of the diesel department, the head of the quality control department at the plant named after. Comintern, during the war - chief engineer of the Chelyabinsk Tractor Plant. After the war, Sergei Nesterovich Makhonin returned to Kharkov and became director of the plant. Comintern, and then the head of Glavtank and, finally, deputy minister. According to stories, he was similar in character and appearance to Okunev. I remember Kolesnikov’s story about his first meeting with Makhonin.
After graduating from the Academy A.V. Kolesnikov was assigned to the plant named after. Comintern. Once returning from field tests of a prototype tank, he had to report the results to Makhonin. The old plant employees warned the young research engineer that the report should be clear, clear and not take more than five minutes. Having thoroughly rehearsed and checked the report on his colleagues, Anatoly Vasilyevich entered the office of the plant director. Having rattled off his five minutes and mentally congratulated himself on his success, he waited for something akin to praise. After a heavy pause, Makhonin suddenly said: “What a talker you are, brother. You can go..."
S.N. Makhonin received N.A. Kucherenko and me in his office, listened carefully to the report and recommendation and said: “Let's go to the minister!”
The Minister of Transport Engineering of the USSR was Yu.E. Maksarev. He warmly received us, invited us to sit down and started a conversation about the problems of Uralvagonzavod and the design bureau. As it turned out, he knew these problems well, since during the war he was for some time the director of Vagonka. The conversation turned out to be detailed and specific. Yuri Evgenievich knew and remembered many factory workers, was accurate in his descriptions, and friendly. During the conversation, Kucherenko expressed the idea that it would be more expedient for Kartsev to work first as deputy chief designer, and only then, after gaining experience, as chief designer. The minister did not agree with this idea, saying: “In this case, the “old men” will crush him. No, let’s immediately recommend him for the position of chief designer, as Okunev wishes.” .
The next day Makhonin and I went to the CPSU Central Committee to see the head of the defense industry department I.D. Serbin. Entering the office, we heard selective expressions with which Ivan Dmitrievich scolded someone on the phone. After hanging up, he continued his obscene rhetoric for some time, very dissatisfied with something. All this made a depressing impression on me. Having never previously communicated with party workers of such a high rank, I got used to the idea that ideal people should work in the CPSU Central Committee. Moreover, in our simple working-class family, I have never heard a single swear word from my father in my entire life. Subsequently, when meeting with Serbin, I repeatedly witnessed how unfairly rudely he treated people, including even ministers of defense industries.
Having finished the conversation, we left Serbin’s office. Both the conversation itself and the environment in which it took place left a heavy impression on my mind. Instead of saying goodbye, Makhonin said gloomily: "Go Home" .
And I went... During the way back, I gradually accustomed myself to the idea that everything that happened to me was some kind of cruel joke, that every cloud had a silver lining. Arriving home and not telling anyone about what had happened, I tried to work as calmly as I could in my previous position.
About two or three weeks later I.V. called me. Okunev said: “Starting tomorrow, sit in Morozov’s chair. An order has arrived from the Ministry appointing you as acting chief designer of the plant.” . So two days before the death of I.V. Stalin, unexpectedly for myself and many colleagues at the plant, I jumped several steps of the career ladder at once.
There are no Kartsev tanks only in Antarctica!
Leonid Nikolaevich Kartsev is the chief designer of the family of Soviet tanks, one of the few of our contemporaries whose contribution to the development and strengthening of our country cannot be overestimated. Under his leadership, tanks were created that received recognition not only in our country, but also abroad - T-54A, T-54B, T-55, T-55A, T-62, T-62A. He was at the forefront of laying the foundations for the technical solutions of the T-72 tank, the most popular tank in the history of world tank construction and recognized as the best tank in the world of the second half of the 20th century. In July 2012, Leonid Nikolaevich turned 90 years old. However, he was not awarded any honors at the highest level. In December, in the village of Skomovo, Ivanovo region, a lifetime monument was erected to him - a T-62 tank - thanks to the efforts of his former colleagues. Leonid Nikolayevich himself, due to poor health, was unable to attend its opening, which was attended by the Governor of the Ivanovo Region Mikhail Men, the Chairman of the Council of Veterans of the GABTU, Colonel General Sergei Mayev, representatives of Uralvagonzavod, his colleagues, tank building veterans. The speakers spoke about Kartsev’s contribution to the development and strengthening of the power of our state, admiring his design genius, talent as an organizer, and politeness with his subordinates. However, there was some uncertainty. After all, everyone understands that a tank in the village of Skomovo is right and good, but L.N. Kartsev deserves more.
“Moskovsky Komsomolets” writes: “Awards in our country do not always correspond to the merits of the recipient. Therefore, no one is surprised when a show business star, for example, is awarded the Order of Merit for the Fatherland, although all her merits consist only of promoting vulgarity and tastelessness. And when state recognition, on the contrary, bypasses a person whose services to the country are truly enormous, then only those who are aware of these merits are surprised, because other people simply do not know about them.”
Also, as MK reports, it is difficult not to notice the 90th anniversary of such a person. But our country actually did not notice it, despite all the efforts of tank building veterans. In the spring of this year, one of them, a former employee of the Kartsevo design bureau, wrote to our president that it was necessary to adequately celebrate the anniversary of the outstanding designer. A month after the anniversary, the presidential administration responded that Kartsev was awarded the Order of Honor. However, no announcements or decrees on rewarding Kartsev were published. Who awarded him or on whose behalf is still unknown. To this day, this award has not been awarded to him. The leadership of the Ivanovo region invited a representative of the presidential administration to present the order in Skomovo at the opening of the memorial. But he didn't arrive.
To understand how wild such an attitude towards people of Kartsev’s stature is, you need, of course, to know WHAT he did in his life, says the Moskovsky Komsomolets article.
Leonid Nikolaevich Kartsev was born on July 21, 1922 in the village of Skomovo, Gavrilovo-Posad district, Ivanovo region. He graduated from high school in 1939 and entered the Ivanovo Energy Institute. After his second year, he was drafted into the army and in August 1941 he became a cadet at a tank school in Saratov, which he graduated with honors in 1942 and worked in military acceptance at the Gorky Automobile Plant. Soon Leonid Nikolaevich was sent to the front. He fought as part of the 45th Guards Tank Brigade of the 1st Tank Army under the command of M. Katukov, which took part in the Proskurovo-Chernovtsy, Vistula-Oder and Berlin offensive operations. Victory L.N. Kartsev met near Berlin as commander of a technical support company.
Kartsev's military merits were noted, including the Order of the Red Star, the Order of the Patriotic War, 1st degree, and medals " For courage", "For the capture of Berlin."
In August 1945, Leonid Nikolaevich entered the engineering faculty of the Military Academy of Armored and Mechanized Forces (which he graduated with a gold medal in 1949), where he studied disciplines in the theory, design and calculation of tanks and their mechanisms. After this, Leonid Nikolaevich, as part of a group of fifteen graduates, was appointed to the design bureau (KB) of the Ural Tank Plant in Nizhny Tagil (plant No. 183), ended up in the transmission group, the head of which was then one of the main developers of the T-34 tank transmission, laureate Stalin Prize Abram Iosifovich Speikhler, and the chief designer of the plant was one of the creators of the legendary T-34 tank, Hero of Socialist Labor A.A. Morozov. In March 1953, Leonid Nikolaevich, who was 30 years old, was appointed chief designer of the Ural Tank Plant. As mentioned above, under his leadership a number of models of domestic armored vehicles were created, namely the T-54A, T-54B, T-55, T-55A, T-62, T-62A tanks, the IT-1 missile tank destroyer, and also received scientific and technical groundwork for the creation of the T-72 tank, which has received recognition in our country and abroad.
The first series of T-54 tanks was produced back in 1946 and sent to units of the 5th Guards Tank Army, after which work was carried out to improve the design and increase the manufacturability of the tank. The production of T-54 tanks began to increase every month, and the Soviet Army received a tank that served for 40 years. The T-54 model 1951 was also produced under license in Poland, Czechoslovakia and China.
People who know Leonid Nikolaevich say that having a wonderful sense of humor, Leonid Nikolaevich was very fond of practical jokes and often joked about his subordinates. At the same time, holding a high position, he was a very modest person. He could come to any outdoor event by train, while other chief designers could only travel by car. He loved factory hockey and football. Didn't miss a single match. Everyone knew that Kartsev was the most democratic chief designer, and each of his subordinates could turn to him for help. He was the only designer who was not afraid of having talented people next to him in the design bureau. At the same time, he had a bright independent character. He was not afraid to argue even with the highest party and state leadership of the country. Especially in cases where the manager allowed himself to give instructions on the design plan. There was a case when Kartsev entered into an argument even with N.S. Khrushchev.
When creating the T-55, Kartsev was the first in the world to approach the creation of a tank as a complex multifunctional combat vehicle. He managed to find the “golden ratio” in the link: engine, power transmission, chassis. This circumstance played a crucial role in the development of Soviet tank forces for decades to come. Therefore, T-55 tanks are currently in service with the armies of many countries around the world. Leonid Nikolaevich always tried to be at the most advanced frontiers of science and technology. It was he who initiated the creation of a 115-mm smoothbore tank gun and its installation in the T-62 tank. It should also be remembered that in 1962, on one of the experimental tanks, instead of a diesel engine, the Uralvagonzavod design bureau used a gas turbine engine. This was the first tank in the world with such a motor-transmission unit, which made it possible to practically evaluate some of the properties of this type of engine when installed in a tank. The prototype of the tank received the designation "Object 167T", which became the prototype of the T-80 tank known today.
The next tank Kartsev worked on, the T-72, competed with the T-64, which was being developed at the Kharkov Tank Plant. Kartsev argued that his car was better. As a result, in 1969, the then director of Uralvagonzavod Krutyakov, himself an ardent opponent of the T-72, removed Kartsev from his post. He removed me when everything was already done - only state tests remained. But nevertheless, the tank was adopted by the Soviet Army in 1973. Major General Kartsev, at the age of 55, was dismissed from the army and sent to retirement. After this, many of its former opponents received state prizes and awards for the development and introduction into production of the T-72 tank. Leonid Nikolaevich was not allowed to work “in civilian life” in his main specialty related to tanks; His anniversaries were not celebrated at the state level, although veteran tank crews and tank builders insisted on this. Kartsev’s 90th anniversary was no exception in this regard.
As MK reports: " Due to bureaucratic squabbles and grievances, the essence of which no one even remembers, the great designer was deleted from the official lists of “honored”. And now the authorities are wobbling, not knowing how to deal with him and what to reward him with - the highest rank, middle, lowest, or not at all, since the current bureaucrats do not understand his status, and they will not understand such a complex issue".
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