The Russian land has not yet become depleted of folk talents. What are inventors worth?- self-taught. Thus, an inventor from Severodvinsk, Sergei Murakin, constructed a unique hydropneumatic motor from an ordinary household vacuum cleaner. Another interesting "homemade product" — a farmer from Arkhangelsk who breeds “thoroughbred” worms -for the production of vermicompost.
Is it possible in our time to become at least a regional, and at most a world celebrity in today's Russia on your own, alone, without using special government support? Or the goodwill of, say, large financial and industrial structures? Has the time of self-taught, self-made, left-handed and Kulibin people passed? There is no doubt - Skolkovo and other similar scientific and high-tech structures bring benefits to the country, and considerable ones. But…
About ten years ago Pravda. Ru first wrote about the amateur inventor Sergei Murakin from Severodvinsk, who later became famous (just after our publications). Based on the test results of its unit, constructed from a conventional Buran vacuum cleaner (still a Soviet model), scientists then concluded: the hydropneumatic motor can be used not only as a drive-propulsion device for various purposes, but also as a generator at power plants of low and medium power.
Laureate Nobel Prize Academician Zhores Alferov then said about his invention: “We don’t understand how this very hydropneumatic motor works... But, despite this, it still works!” A little later, the Severodvinsk genius Murakin, who had only a secondary specialized education (he graduated from a mechanical engineering college back in the USSR), patented a unique wind power plant, which has no analogues in the whole world.
When Sergei Mikhailovich applied to participate in international competition "Global Energy"(one of the initiators of the establishment of which was, by the way, Academician Zh. Alferov), members of the organizing committee, five Nobel laureates, many academicians and professors were perplexed: after all, inventions, although they work and pass tests, still contradict the laws of “generally accepted” physics!
As Pravda already wrote. Ru, in the mid-2000s Sergey Murakin developed a unique conversion technology rotational movement into a reciprocating one, and again perplexed scientists. The bottom line: when transforming rotational motion into reciprocating motion (and vice versa), Murakin’s device completely lacks such seemingly “irreplaceable” gizmos as a crank, connecting rod and crankshaft! It can’t be - but... everything works!
The author of these lines more than once in those days personally communicated with the self-made man from Severodvinsk - after all, thanks to our publications, he, by and large, gained fame, to him e-mail questions started pouring in. And the offers are mainly from abroad. In particular, from the USA, Germany and Japan. Huge promises of money...
But Sergei Mikhailovich has said more than once: his secret dream is for inventions to begin to work “in their Fatherland.” By that time, a wind power plant was already approaching the implementation stage in one of the Ural regions of Russia. He carried his sophisticated pieces of iron on trains, in a regular reserved seat, at his own expense - no one really wanted to invest in them until their real return was shown...
Recently, having come across Murakin’s name on one of the scientific and technical Internet forums, I decided to call him. And... the widow said that he passed away not so long ago. He says that he is tired of pushing through his inventions, for which the Japanese and Germans offered him huge amounts of money. But he never sold any of his inventions to the outside world! Well, they were never useful at home...
The fate of our other hero, Grigory Ivanov from Arkhangelsk, turned out to be much happier. This simple Arkhangelsk farmer, right in the very center of the city, in the basement of one of the quite official institutions, undertook to breed worms for the production of vermicompost.
Now Grigory Ivanov successful businessman, head farm. The company's central office is now located in the very center of Arkhangelsk in a former boiler house. And again, when I got through to the hero of my own publication in Pravda. Ru, I heard something sad: bureaucratic obstacles and high costs did not allow us to turn around for a long time.
Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, whose quotes have not lost their relevance even today, is an example of determination and amazing patience. Born in 1857 in the city of Ryazan, he suffered scarlet fever as a child, after which he almost lost his hearing.
Life and art
Kostya has been interested in engineering since childhood. Movement without human intervention, the action of a spring on an object, strollers and locomotives - all these were homemade toys on a home machine. Impressed by his son's success, the father sends the boy to Moscow, but it is not easy to enter the school. Having achieved nothing, Konstantin returns home, takes the exam to become a teacher, and earns a living as a teacher.
It was during this period that Tsiolkovsky, whose quotes about human patience we hear every day, completely devoted himself to the invention of mechanisms. The self-taught scientist did not create the rocket, but his idea jet engine(inertia creates energy) inspired Sergei Korolev and Andrei Tupolev, and was a catalyst for inquisitive minds.
Human illusions and fears
Tsiolkovsky's quotes about man and himself are taken from life, born through reflection.
- Humanity has discovered solar system. They study it, think that they are the owners. But this is a mistake. We can't learn anything about space from one system, it's like studying the ocean from one stone.
- New ideas are difficult to support, but it is necessary. Not all people have such a precious property.
- My goal is to move humanity forward. It gives me neither bread, nor rest, nor strength. But I hope that my labors will allow society to gain power and mountains of bread.
- Courage must be developed and not given up at the first failure. The causes of these failures can be simply eliminated.
- After exercises in the water and walks, I feel younger, and most importantly, I massage and give freshness to my brain.
- Every person can achieve anything if they think it is possible.
Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, quotes about space and possibilities
The main thing for the inventor has always been science and its advancement. The desire to explore space gave the most bold ideas meaning and strength. Theoretical astronautics was born when a scientist proved the need to use rocket “trains” and use several stages for a rocket.
- Our planet is our cradle. But you need to get out of the cradle.
- Space is such an infinite mechanism that it creates the illusion of freedom of action.
- Creating a rocket is not an end in itself, but only a way to penetrate into space.
- What is impossible today will become commonplace tomorrow.
- In the beginning there was only a thought and a fairy tale, then calculation and possibility, and the finished object crowns everything.
- Time may exist, but it has not yet been discovered because we do not know where to look for it.
- All the experience of accumulated knowledge is insignificant compared to what we will never know.
Death as part of nature
The connection with the vast cosmos, great ideas and achievement made Tsiolkovsky cynical. Death, no matter how terrible it may be for us, in comparison with the universe, is just a phenomenon. Tsiolkovsky, whose quotes about his death look shocking, expresses himself quite clearly in his pursuit of perfection.
- If you know nature, the fear of death becomes insignificant.
- I always strive for perfection. This also applies to people. You can take care of rapists, the insane, the crippled, but prevent the appearance of their offspring, and they will fade away in possible happiness.
- A person’s life tends to range from 30 to 50 years, the difference depends on the living conditions. What contradictions can be caused by artificially stopping vital activity at will? After all, doctors say that there are quick and painless ways.
Being an optimist in life, Konstantin Eduardovich Tsiolkovsky sprinkled his works, books, lessons and lectures with quotes about the perfection of the world. While teaching physics, he inspired action not only among his students, but also among his friends.
Jimi Hendrix
Is it possible to learn to play the guitar on your own? Or is it impossible to do without special musical education?
While exploring my favorite bookstore in the city center, for some reason I wanted to look into its most inconspicuous corner, called the “Music Section”. What kind of books are hiding there? History of music? Thematic fiction? Textbooks for music school? Interesting...
Coming closer, my gaze immediately fell on a small shelf right at eye level - usually there, in the most visible place, the most popular books are located. Well, of course, who could doubt it! Almost all books with intriguingly banal titles “...for beginners” were in this top place. And that's the best case scenario. At worst, all newcomers trying to master a new musical craft were shamelessly called “dummies.” An example of this is “Guitar for Dummies.” “No, you are dummies yourself! And I am quite a capable student!” - some potential buyer will think and go look for another textbook. Something like “Guitar for Future Great Musicians.” But the headlines were not the main topic that interested me at that moment. Another thing was more interesting: is there any practical benefit from such books? And in general: is it possible to learn to play this musical instrument on your own? Or is it impossible to do without special musical education?
Almost all self-realized musicians agree on one opinion: in order to at its best To master the technique of playing the guitar, you need perseverance, dedication, regular practice and, of course, love for your work. What about primary music education? To answer this question, remember if all your friends who graduated music school, have you chosen to play an instrument as your life’s work? Or at least an additional hobby. So all this is not a guarantee of success at all. creative career. More like an added bonus-plus.What should enthusiasts do who, for various reasons, do not have such a bonus, but really want to achieve the success of great guitarists? Will self-help books on your bookshelf really help you achieve outstanding results? Why not? If you have the desire, self-confidence and love for music - go for it!
Thinking about the answer to the main “book-based” question, several famous names came to mind. It seems that this will be the meaningful answer to everything.
So is it possible to become a successful guitarist by teaching yourself?
Everybody knows Jimi Hendrix
Does everyone know that this legendary American virtuoso, the greatest guitarist of all time according to Time magazine, is self-taught? At the age of 16, having bought his first guitar, Hendrix became so passionate about music that everything faded into the background, even school, which he decided to quit altogether. All free time The musician devoted himself to learning to play the guitar and listening to old records by famous guitarists of that time. And all this brought fantastic results over time!Many great guitarists of the past and our time are followers of Jimi Hendrix (Paul McCartney, Freddie Mercury, Yngwie Malmsteen, Joe Satriani, Eric Clapton, John Mayer, Lenny Kravitz, Kirk Hammett, Kurt Cobain, Matthew Bellamy).
Eternal schoolboy from AC/DC
Wildly energetic, professionally technical and slightly strange in his stage image (which is worth it alone school uniform- permanent outfit for performances) Angus McKinnon Young is the permanent lead guitarist of the famous rock band AC/DC. Undoubtedly a virtuoso master. He can play complex solos, head up, rushing across the stage, jumping and running, without stopping the game for a second. This is skill! Where is this taught? And now we come to another one interesting fact about Young: he is a real self-taught person! From the age of five I was interested in playing the guitar, but there was no question of musical education. Thanks to his determination and sincere interest in the instrument, Young not only succeeded in music, but also earned millions from it. Millions of dollars and fans.“On the day Jimi Hendrix died, guitarist Malmsteen was born.”
This self-confident phrase belongs to Yngwie Malmsteen himself, then a seven-year-old boy who saw the funeral of Jimi Hendrix (by the way, one of his idols) on TV. Who is this Malmsteen? Multi-instrumentalist, composer, one of the founders of neoclassical metal. He is also a legendary self-taught guitarist who occupies an honorable place in the list of “100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time” Classic version Rock."In one of his interviews, when asked whether he was self-taught, the musician replied: “Yes, I figured it all out myself. Just listening. And everything would have happened much faster if someone had explained everything to me. But I believe that it is impossible to learn creativity, you can only receive hints. But creativity must come from within.”
Blues rocker Eric Clapton
When Eric Clapton received his first acoustic guitar on his thirteenth birthday, he had no idea that he would one day be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame three times (an absolute record!). Moreover, Clapton did not immediately become interested in learning the guitar, since the first instrument was cheap and not of very high quality, and, accordingly, it was much more difficult to play. Therefore, the future musician had to put the guitar aside and return to it two years later. Probably, then, at the age of fifteen, a serious desire arose to realize himself in music, which Clapton transformed into long hours of persistent learning to play the guitar. Like previous musicians, he studied music on his own, that is, he successfully joined the ranks of the greatest self-taught guitarists.By performing blues melodies in sync with audio recordings, Eric Clapton managed to achieve perfect technique and become one of the best masters of your business.
Chuck Barry and “Guitar for Beginners”
But who the tutorials really helped was Chuck Barry, one of the most influential early rock and roll performers.Barry's passion for music came at the age of fifteen - that is, when he got his first musical instrument- four-string tenor guitar. In the process of studying, the future celebrity used various tutorials and occasionally tips from local musicians. Very soon he mastered the necessary chords, which made it easy to inherit the guitar parts of famous songs. But the musician decided to master the six-string guitar only at the age of twenty-five! Since that time, Barry's main methods of learning to play the guitar were the parts of jazzman Charlie Christian and T-Bone Walker.
To date, the successes of the self-taught Chuck Barry are impressive. He was once even ranked fifth on Rolling Stone magazine's "50 Greatest Performers of All Time."
Remembering these names, a conclusion comes to mind: it is not the methods of study that become decisive in music, but motivation and interest. Therefore, if you have a dream, you need to act. Let no one who wants to master a musical instrument and even become successful at it be stopped by the lack of specialized education. Everything can be compensated for by perseverance and regular, systematic exercise. You can find yourself a teacher, you can learn by watching video lessons on Youtube... And buy yourself something from the “...for beginners” shelf - too good option. Moreover, even Chuck Barry himself did this.
Another important component of a successful start is choosing a good tool. This should not be taken lightly, as a low-quality guitar can discourage any desire to learn it (as it almost happened to Eric Clapton). Therefore, be selective and responsible when purchasing a tool. The online guitar store robik-music.com will help you with such an important task, the advantage of which is a huge selection of guitars different types and different price categories: from high-quality budget to sophisticated luxury models. What if your guitar, the future companion of musical success, is waiting for you in this store?
Submarine of Efim Nikonov
We all know that the Russian land is rich not only in hydrocarbons, but also in talents. For a long time, people with fantastic abilities and inexplicable imagination, but at the same time with a completely discreet origin, appear every now and then in our country. Such, for example, were Lomonosov and Tsiolkovsky.
But the greatest admiration has always been for self-taught inventors. Without education, based only on own experience and flair, they managed to create things that even professionals admired.
Let's remember the most outstanding Russian self-taught inventors who went down in history, but are now somewhat forgotten.
Efim Nikonov (date of birth unknown - died after 1728) - submarine
Efim Prokopyevich Nikonov was born into a peasant family from the village of Pokrovskoye in the Moscow region. No information about his life has reached us; there is not even an approximate year of birth left. He went down in history as a very original, self-taught inventor who tried to build Russia's first submarine.
In 1718, Nikonov for the first time submitted a petition to Tsar Peter I, in which he states that “... he will make a suitable ship for the enemies in a military event, with which at sea, in quiet times, he will break up ships, at least ten or twenty, and for testing He will make a model for that ship...”
Nikonov failed to reach the Tsar the first time, but Peter still responded to the second message and invited the self-taught man to St. Petersburg. During a personal conversation, the inventor tells Peter that he can build a ship that will be able to float in the water “secretly and knock it under a warship to the very bottom.”
The Tsar clearly liked the idea and he orders Nikonov, “hiding from prying eyes,” to build a model for testing purposes. In 1720, Nikonov was sent to one of the offices of the Admiralty College, where he was promoted to the position of foreman and given all the necessary materials for construction.
The model was tested on the Neva a year later and was not very successful. However, Peter orders Nikonov to begin construction of a full-scale copy of the “hidden ship.” Thus, in August 1721, the first Russian submarine was laid down in St. Petersburg.
As we can assume, the boat was barrel-shaped, its wooden hull was held together by 15 iron strips. On top of the boat there was a wheelhouse with sealed glass, and it was driven by oars, by the efforts of a crew of 4 people. 50 candles were stored inside the boat, which corresponds to approximately 10-12 hours of illumination. Apparently, the dive was planned for approximately this time.
The length of the vessel was supposedly about 6 meters, and the width was just over 2. The boat was immersed by collecting water in the ballast compartment, and surfaced after pumping it out using hand pumps.
Initially, it was planned to arm the boat with guns, but during the work Nikonov decided to make an airlock compartment on the boat through which a diver could go under the water. The hermetic suit for him was also invented by Nikonov and consisted of a leather robe, complemented by a wooden barrel with a viewing glass, worn on the head. The diver had to use special tools to destroy the bottom of the enemy ship.
Later, it was decided to equip the ship with copper pipes, through which it was planned to shoot fire and set fire to enemy ships. According to the plan, the boat was supposed to get as close as possible to the enemy, after which a battery would stick out from under the water copper pipes and fired something like “Greek fire”.
The first “hidden ship” was built in the fall of 1724, but its tests were extremely unsuccessful. The boat sank like a stone, causing the bottom to crack. Peter ordered the designer to fix everything and strengthen the bottom for new tests, and also ordered that no one “blame Nikonov’s embarrassment.”
But a few months later, the innovative king died. Difficulties began to arise in Nikonov's work. However, by spring the boat was repaired and launched into the water a second time. But this time a leak was immediately discovered in the housing and the tests had to be postponed again.
The last time the boat was tested was in 1727 and again unsuccessfully. After this, Nikonov was demoted from the foreman and sent to an ordinary worker at the Astrakhan shipyard. The boat was locked away from prying eyes in a hangar and after a while it simply rotted. ABOUT future fate nothing is known about this brave, self-taught inventor.
Leonty Shamshurenkov (1687 - 1758) - instrument for raising the Tsar Bell
Leonty Shamshurenkov was born a peasant in the village of Bolshakovka Nizhny Novgorod province Yaransky district. His initial fame was brought to him by an original mechanism for lifting weights, with the help of which he managed to drag the famous Tsar Bell to the bell tower of Ivan the Great. Before this, the huge bell had been lying in a hole for 14 years, since no one could do anything about its weight of 8 thousand pounds.
How exactly an ordinary peasant managed to lift it is unknown, but the bell did not hang in place for a long time. There was a fire in the bell tower and it collapsed to the ground, after which it had to be cast again.
After remanufacturing, the bell began to weigh even more. Shamshurenkov had to come up with a new “projectile” for raising the bell, and by 1737 it was ready. With the permission of the authorities, the self-taught engineer began work, but in May there was another fire in the Kremlin, this time destroying the scaffolding. The bell fell again and a piece broke off from it. This is how we know it now.
Shamshurenkov returned to his homeland in Yaransk, where he took up... the fight against corruption. Somehow he became aware that the local governor was stealing alcohol from a state-owned distillery and selling it in underground taverns. Shamshurenkov decided to report this to St. Petersburg, but the governor himself found out about the complaint and put Shamshurenkov in prison.
It sounds crazy, but the self-taught genius spent 15 (!) years in prison. At the beginning of his term, he wrote a letter from prison to St. Petersburg addressed to Empress Elizabeth, in which he said that he could build for Her Majesty a self-propelled carriage driven by two crew members. If the promise was not fulfilled, the inventor was ready to sacrifice his life.
In fact, Shamshurenkov had been inventing a self-propelled stroller for a long time - in parallel with his main activity, he assembled a sample from scrap materials at home. He knew that he could fulfill his promise - he had very little left to complete his brainchild.
The message circulated through bureaucratic channels for almost 10 years until they became seriously interested in it. The name of Shamshurenkov helped - in Moscow his work in raising the bell has not yet been forgotten. The inventor was released in 1751 and immediately went to St. Petersburg, where he was given a place to work and a small amount of money for his maintenance.
Shamshurenkov manufactured the stroller in the shortest possible time, after which it was submitted to the Senate for inspection. The creator was ordered not to leave St. Petersburg, although monetary allowance they stopped paying him. For some time, Shamshurenkov found himself in the position of a beggar and was forced to go home on foot.
But when the stroller was finally delivered to the court, the inventor’s work was finally appreciated. In 1753, he returned to St. Petersburg, where he was given a 50-ruble bonus and Shamshurenkov perked up. He came up with an idea for the design of a self-propelled sleigh; in addition, he was going to install a device that would count miles on his self-propelled wheelchair.
However, we will never know whether the inventor managed to carry out his plans, since already in 1758 he died without leaving behind any notes or drawings.
Ivan Kulibin (1735-1818) - pocket watch, bridge, searchlight and waterway
When people talk about self-taught engineers, they first of all remember Ivan Kulibin. Although it is not entirely correct to call him self-taught. Born into the family of a small merchant in the village of Podnovye, Nizhny Novgorod district, Kulibin in adolescence Studied turning, metalworking and watchmaking. However, no access to science education Kulibin, of course, did not have it.
In 1764-67, Kulibin assembled a unique pocket watch, placing in a small case, in addition to the clock mechanism, also a striking mechanism that reproduced several melodies, a musical apparatus and a tiny automatic theater with movable figures.
Such a trinket could not help but attract aristocratic attention, and Kulibin immediately became a court inventor under Catherine II. Now the egg-shaped clock is kept in the Polytechnic Museum in Moscow.
The Empress appointed Kulibin to the position of head of mechanical workshops at the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences, where he eventually worked for more than 30 years. During this time, Kulibin began many outstanding projects, most of which, unfortunately, were not completed.
From the 1770s until early XIX century, Kulibin worked on a project for a single-span bridge across the Neva. He managed to calculate the design of a 300-meter bridge on paper, although no theory of bridge construction existed at that time. Tests of a reduced 30-meter model showed that the bridge has large stock strength, and its height allowed sailing ships walk calmly along the river.
The project was already ready for implementation, but the government did not finance it. Subsequently, all of Kulibin’s calculations were rechecked more than once. They turned out to be extremely accurate, although the self-taught man knew nothing of what is being studied today within the science of strength of materials.
Another famous invention of Kulibin is a spotlight with a parabolic reflector made from many small mirrors. From just one candle he could create a highly focused, powerful stream of light. The creator planned to use it to illuminate the streets of St. Petersburg, but the spotlight found use on ships and in carriages - where aristocrats happily hung its smaller and simplified copy for lighting. Kulibin even managed to earn a little money from this, although due to the lack of a patent, other masters also traded in his invention.
One of the most famous inventions Kulibina is a navigable vessel. It was intended to move goods against the flow of the river using the force of the current itself. Such a vessel was equipped with an anchor thrown in front of the ship, as well as a wheel that wound a winch leading to the anchor. The wheel was set in motion by the river and the ship automatically moved to the place where the anchor was attached, after which it was thrown again using a boat.
Kulibin's mechanism was successfully tested and could free thousands of peasants from the thankless labor of barge haulers on the river. But, as often happens, manual labor turned out to be much cheaper than implementing the mechanism proposed by Kulibin. As a result, this invention also remained unclaimed.
Kulibin had to devote a significant part of his time to orders from nobles and those close to the court. Most often they were limited to amusing automata, but one of the unusual orders came to Kulibin precisely from Empress Catherine II.
She was already elderly and wanted to build an elevator to move around the floors of the palace. Kulibin was not allowed to make a conventional mechanism on the winch by the customer’s wishes - Ekaterina wanted to ride up and down exclusively in her chair. So he had to invent new type elevator - screw.
It worked on the principle of a screw and a nut - a special person rotated a threaded rod along which the chair with the empress rose and fell. To date, only a few parts of the mechanism remain - after Catherine’s death, the elevator was first used for entertainment and then covered with bricks.
Kulibin has many more useful deeds to his name - he renovated the St. Petersburg planetarium; created a very high-quality prosthetic leg for those times, approved Medical Academy, but never put into production; designed a row seeder for uniform seed distribution (also not put into production); manufactured a wide variety of scientific instruments for the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences. As you can see, it was not for nothing that Kulibin’s name subsequently became a household name - even foreign scientists working in St. Petersburg were amazed at his hard work.
Fedor Blinov (1831 - 1902) - tracked carriage and “self-propelled”
Fedor Blinov comes from the peasantry of Sergei Semenovich Uvarov - the same one who was the author of the notorious doctrine of “Orthodoxy, Autocracy, Nationality”. Blinov grew up in the village of Nikolskaya, Saratov province, on the banks of the Volga. Fyodor was the first in his family to receive his freedom after the abolition of serfdom and went to work first as a barge hauler, and then as a fireman and assistant driver on a steamship.
In 1877 Blinov returned to native village and began manufacturing an invention he had previously come up with - a carriage on caterpillar tracks. He was prompted to this idea by his hard time as a hauler - the inventor wanted to build a device capable of transporting loads over any, even the most difficult, terrain.
For this, Blinov decided to build so-called “endless rails” - closed iron belts consisting of individual links. In fact, it was one of the first examples of the familiar caterpillar.
The car had 4 driving wheels, as well as 4 sprockets, and was driven by horse traction. In 1879, Blinov was issued a patent. And soon the carriage was tested in action for the first time: a platform with two thousand bricks and 30 people, drawn by only two horses, spectacularly drove through the streets of Saratov.
In 1881, Blinov began construction of a self-propelled carriage with a steam engine, which was completed after 7 years. The car was capable of reaching a speed of 3.2 km/h. It was the “self-propelled gun” that brought the inventor all-Russian fame - the machine was demonstrated at major industrial exhibitions of that time.
In 1883, Blinov opened his own factory, which mainly produced fire pumps, but also dealt with oil engines. Blinov’s enterprise subsequently became a city-forming enterprise for his native village of Nikolskoye. Blinov died at the age of 70, and the business of caterpillar tractors was eventually continued by his student, who will be discussed below.
Yakov Mamin (1873 - 1955) - “Russian diesel”
A native of the village of Balakovo, Saratov province, Yakov Mamin, as a young man, ended up in the workshop of Fyodor Blinov, where he worked on oil engines. Being the son of a peasant, he did not receive any meaningful education, graduating only from a parish school. This did not stop him from showing considerable persistence in learning his craft while working with Blinov, thanks to which he end of the 19th century century Mamin came close to creating an engine internal combustion own design.
In 1899, Yakov and his brother Ivan, who by that time had received an engineering education in Saratov, opened the Iron Foundry Mechanical Plant in their native Balakovo. At first, the brothers were engaged in handicraft repairs and manufacturing of various parts, but by 1903 they managed to produce the first copy of the original internal combustion engine.
The English Hornsby engine running on kerosene was taken as the basis. At the same time, Mamin’s product ran on Baku crude oil, which made it much more attractive for the domestic market.
After this, the brothers renamed their institution “Special Plant of Oil Engines Br. Ya. and I. Maminykh on the Volga" and find money for its modernization. Already in 1904, the brothers filed the first application for an invention, and in 1908 they received a patent for their engine, which they simply called “Russian Diesel”.
Mamin’s products quickly found buyers; their engine was even exhibited at major European exhibitions, where it received several prizes for the elegance of its design. In 1910, Yakov created the first tractor based on the engine - “Dwarf”, later nicknamed the “Russian Tractor”. Before the revolution, Yakov manages to produce several copies of this tractor.
After the revolution, Yakov Mamin worked as an engineer in several places, and in 1937 he moved to Chelyabinsk where until the end of his days he worked at the Institute of Mechanization Agriculture. The fate of his brother Ivan turned out to be much more tragic - he fell under Stalin's repressions and was presumably shot in 1939.
Anatoly Ufimtsev (1880 - 1936) - wind generator, spheroplane
Anatoly Ufimtsev was born in Kursk, in the family of a land surveyor. He studied at a real school, but after the 4th grade he dropped out and went to work at a factory.
While still a student, he sympathized with the revolutionary movement and was a member of a local anti-God circle. In 1898, together with three comrades, he organized an explosion in the Znamensky Cathedral of Kursk - the target was the icon of the Mother of God of the Sign. The bomb had little power and was detonated at night so that, according to the organizers, no one would be hurt.
Ufimtsev was arrested for his crime only three years later, and his guilt was revealed by accident. They stood up for the inventor then famous writers- Tolstoy and Gorky, but the court still sentenced him to five years of exile in Akmolinsk (present-day Alma-Ata).
During his exile, Maxim Gorky helped Ufimtsev a lot, sending him money to equip a simple workshop. As a result, Ufimtsev did what he loved even on the outskirts of the empire. He started selling kerosene lamps of his own design - Ufimtsev inserted an iron cap into the flame, which, when heated, intensified the emitted light several times.
After returning from exile, Ufimtsev organized a workshop in his home for repairing bicycles, sewing machines, gramophones and other equipment. He also continues to make and sell kerosene lanterns, constantly improving their design. These lanterns could be seen on the streets not only of Kursk, but also of other Russian cities, for example, Sevastopol.
In 1809, Ufimtsev became interested in aviation and began to build a spheroplane - an airplane with a wing in the form of part of a spherical surface. To do this, he creates his own four-cylinder engine with two rotors, for which he receives silver medal on Moscow International exhibition aeronautics in 1912. But Ufimtsev’s spheroplane was not destined to take off - it was destroyed by a hurricane, and the inventor simply did not have enough money to build a new one.
Before the revolution, Ufimtsev was establishing trade in another of his inventions - a two-stroke oil engine adapted for threshing machines. This engine was considered the most reliable of its kind and was in great demand.
After the First World War and October revolution Ufimtsev becomes interested in wind energy and begins to design a wind power station together with Professor Vetchinkin. In 1923, the Soviet government gave Ufimtsev 5,000 rubles to build one of the world's first stable wind power plants.
For the wind generator, Ufimtsev and Vetchinkin invented a special inertial flywheel battery. A large wheel weighing 360 kg rotated in a vacuum chamber to avoid friction with air. In calm weather, the flywheel continued to rotate and the supply of electricity did not stop.
The wind turbine built by Ufimtsev provided electricity for his house and workshop, and also powered part of the adjacent street. It still stands today, although it has been inoperative for a long time.
One of the central streets in Kursk is named after Ufimtsev, although local clergy have repeatedly tried to rename it. But the memory of the inventor, who lived in Kursk almost his entire life, is still alive.
Recently All-Russian Society of Inventors and Innovators published statistics that claim to be sensational. It turns out that more than half of all inventions in Russia belong to people who are far from science and often have not even completed eleventh grade. Guided by the principle “everything ingenious is simple,” modern Kulibins come up with useful devices that, over time, will surely become part of everyday use. They are responsible for non-freezing ice holes, car steering wheels that transform into tables, and special syringes that even babies are not afraid of.
Non-professional inventors have proven time and time again that you don’t have to spend years toiling away in laboratories to make a discovery. Sometimes it's enough to just use your brain. So, a resident of Naberezhnye Chelny Sergey Ekimov made a real breakthrough in the field car design. He suggested equipping the steering wheel with a wide round plate, which, when parked, can be folded back and used as a writing or dinner table. The invention was recently patented and, according to local media reports, representatives of the Russian automobile industry have already become interested in it.
Resident of Yaroslavl Denis Efimov At a friendly party, the thought came to mind: “It would be nice to combine a drink and a snack.” No sooner said than done: Denis began working on the creation chocolate cups. A few experiments - and a convenient container for alcoholic drinks, yoghurt and ice cream are ready. Moreover, the invention is also inexpensive: the best cups are made from cheap varieties of chocolate. In local bars, drinks in such glasses are sold like hot cakes.
Few people think of improving such a familiar thing as a syringe. Citizen of Ukraine Vladimir Makarov and Russian Vladislav Kropachev figured out how to make sure that the thought of an injection does not cause horror in a person. “The idea for the project arose spontaneously when some time ago I was taking medicine against a cold,” says Vladimir Makarov. — At that moment I thought: how convenient it is that you can take pills at home and don’t have to once again visit a doctor. What if you can do injections yourself as well? The first image that came to mind was an ordinary button.” New syringe button It looks completely harmless: its shape resembles a baby's pacifier, the needle is not visible. They plan to use the Russian-Ukrainian invention in pediatrics: the appearance of a small red button, unlike a sharp syringe, does not frighten children.
A resident of Barnaul presented a real gift to the “walruses” Ivan Aleshkov. He figured out how to make the ice hole not freeze even at extremely low temperatures. The water at the bottom in winter is much warmer than at the surface. It was this property that Ivan adopted. It turned out that if you mix “deep” water with “surface” water, the ice hole will not freeze. "Eternal paradise for walruses" has already been built in Barnaul, neighboring cities are next.
Experts are convinced that lack of education is not a hindrance to the quality of inventions. “Even a non-professional can come up with something brilliant. If a person has a talent for invention, then it comes not from the institute, but from nature,” explained the chairman of the Moscow city organization of the All-Russian Society of Inventors and Innovators to NI. Dmitry Zezyulin. — Nowadays, it is self-taught people who come up with more than 50% of inventions. There is nothing wrong. We strongly support talented guys who bring new and interesting ideas. If their work meets the requirements, it will be patented and can be put on the market.”
