Anatoly Kitov - Pioneer of Russian Informatics - History of Computing: Learning from the Past - page 82

in mathematical modeling), several hundreds specialists in computer engineering
worked on specialized and universal computer projects.
Under the Kitov's leadership in Computer Centre № 1 such important tasks were
solved as: calculation of orbits of all Soviet space stations and artificial satellites of
the Earth, including space flights of Yu. Gagarin and other first Soviet astronauts;
creating specialized computers for military use, tasks of the Soviet Army including
special tasks of Main Artillery Department, Main Intelligence Department, Strategic
Missile Department, modeling different military combat situations with the use of
tanks, airplanes and artillery, working with large amounts of information, and many
others. In the Computer Centre № 1 Kitov created departments which worked out
central processors, computer memory and storage for new computers, department of
mathematical linguistics, etc. The most important research included theoretical pro-
gramming issues and working out complex computer systems with unique software.
In the Computer Centre № 1 Kitov regularly held scientific conferences and semi-
nars, edited the scientific journal. The well-known Soviet scientist colonel Vladimir
Isaev remembers: "If we make parallels with, very popular then, space researches,
Kitov was in position some half-way in-between academician Mstislav Keldysh (lead-
ing theorist) and academician Sergey Korolev (main designer of Soviet spaceships).
That's my personal opinion. At the Computer Centre № 1 he was the most initiative
one, always generated ideas and formulated problems. So, generally speaking, he was
the brain of the projects".
In the 1950-s the role of this top secret Computer Centre for the development of
Soviet computer science was difficult to overestimate. Taking into account the variety
and complexity of scientific research, number of qualified specialists it was the largest
and the most powerful scientific computer center in the USSR and one of the best in
the world.
Fig. 1. Colonel Anatoly Kitov, scientific head of Computer Centre № 1 of the USSR Ministry
of Defense (1959)