Their names are in the history of the Institute

"And only memory is eternal"...

A.N.Sisakyan would have turned 80 on 14 October. They say that one of his favorite quotes was the Eastern wisdom - a person lives as long as he is remembered. And in the case of Alexey Norairovich, the bitter subjunctive mood "would have turned" is highlighted by the surprisingly warm memories of people that he was surrounded by, that worked and communicated with him, interviewed him. A unique case when a person was not only the head of a large and complex scientific staff and therefore, made tough, unpopular decisions, but was also a benchmark for the spiritual attitude to his mission, knew how to unite people with higher values, inspired and supported them.

Today, we publish several excerpts from our weekly, books, poetry collections, in order to become familiar with an incredibly talented person once again, to relive the minutes of good communication once more.

Every person is a bit of writer.
Life dictates its story to him.
And he indulges in memories, refracting reality with his imagination.
Memories are common to everyone.
Both to adults and to children.
There is something original and human in them...
If I am asked what distinguishes a person from the rest of the living world,
I will answer with three words: MEMORY, FRIENDSHIP, CREATIVITY.

Alexey SISAKYAN

"Facing the middle of the century"...

(From an interview with Anna Girsheva, No. 39, 1994)

Our interlocutor came to Dubna in 1966, being a senior student of the Physics Department of Moscow State University, to prepare his diploma thesis at the Laboratory of Theoretical Physics of JINR. Today, 28 years later, having passed almost all the stages - from a research intern to Vice-Director of JINR, Professor Alexey Norairovich SISAKYAN celebrates his 50th birthday.

Alexey Norairovich, first of all, I would like to congratulate you on the opening of the International University, because you were among the initiators of its establishment and organizers, and you have been elected Vice-President of the University. What, in your opinion, is needed for Dubna to become not only a scientific, but also a university centre and for the new university to be truly international?

- Today, success of the case depends on how the university routine goes. I think, the students will remember the holiday, it demonstrated our desire to support in every possible way all the undertakings of this youngest educational institution of Dubna, Russia and probably, of the world. Of course, at present, we are still far from the ideal that the university organizers draw in their imagination.

Vice President of the University, Vice Director of JINR A.N.Sisakyan, 1994, photo by Yury Tumanov

I would like to remind you that the University has two "wings". One, quite strong, is the JINR University Centre. It has existed for already four years and continuing more than 30-year traditions of the Moscow State University branch, feeds our research staffs with talented young people. We are not going to abandon the accepted system of departments, divisions of Moscow State University, MEPhI, MIPT that exists here. Moreover, new departments have been organized and during this academic year, we are going to consider ways for opening a full-time department of the UC in Dubna, where training in physics and mathematics specialties will be held from the 1st year...

The departments that can be considered the second "wing" of the University, were established under the auspices of the Academy of Natural Sciences with the support of the city and regional administration, taking into account, first of all, the needs and interests of the region. Here, the international character will initially be expressed in the use of foreign teaching techniques. In this regard, development of the cooperation with the University of Aalborg in Denmark, which JINR has an agreement with, as well as with the universities in Germany and the assistance of teachers from the American state of Wisconsin are essential.

We hope that both "wings" of the International University will work in a coordinated manner, the teaching staff from the AEN will be able to provide the educational process at the UC in a number of areas and in turn, the JINR staff will be the core of the departments where physics, computer science, programming will be studied... Of course, we should not rush with the final selection of the teaching staff. This year, it was constituted on a contract basis. Our university has several features. Its goal is to achieve the unity of nature, society, man in education, to give knowledge in a complex...

This triad is included in the name of the University. Students of natural science specialties will be provided broad humanitarian knowledge and vice versa. And we would also like to prepare specialists not "for export"...

But the most important thing is that we will strive to ensure that young people with the appropriate level of education and very importantly, of culture, cross the threshold of the University. Therefore, we need to take care of continuity, prepare applicants from school. And certain steps have been taken in this area: the University already has a school for gifted children, although I don't really like this name for all children are naturally gifted, it's all about whether they are lucky with their parents and teachers...

It is known that your mentor in science was Nikolay Bogolyubov. Who else can you call your Teachers?

- Probably, fate gave me a huge gift: even before I got to the Bogolyubov school, my first Teachers had been my parents, whom I always remember with gratitude. They were and are my mentors, although today, I can communicate with them only in my thoughts. My parents were scientists: my mother was an agrochemist, my father was a biochemist, I was brought up in a scientific environment from an early age. My mother, Varvara Petrovna, was from Tver, she carried the wisdom of a Russian woman through her life, giving all her efforts to her family - her husband, children, grandchildren... I would like to write about my mother, as well as about my father, everything that will forever remain in my soul.

Please, tell us about your father and the characteristic episodes of his scientific biography.

- My father headed the Department of Biological Sciences of the USSR Academy of Sciences for several years during one of the most difficult periods for biology (late 1950s - early 1960s). One of the older generation of physicists told me that my father just saved many talented biologists and thus, the scientific areas that they developed. It was very difficult for him to head biologists in the 1950s, yet he succeeded to keep composure, demonstrating wise diplomacy.

I remember how tense and sharp was his conversation with Lysenko, whom we encountered after the festive November demonstration. Much later, I understood the meaning of the words that I heard from my father then: "In science, any hypothesis has the right to exist. And only in development and in comparison with experience, sometimes, after many years, an idea proves its rightness or wrongness. People that do not understand it, are not able to perceive the new and often slow down progress, preventing others from working and proving the scientific validity of their area. And such a struggle in science becomes completely unfair if influential and powerful people suffer from a lack of understanding"...

I can talk endlessly about my father, about my teachers but now, I am ready to return to the topic of our conversation that was agreed upon in advance: about the ways to stabilize the position of our Institute.

This question is really the most pressing one right now. So, how can we ensure JINR to be an island of stability in future? True, this phrase has already become commonplace, but nevertheless, many scientists from different countries call Dubna and our Institute exactly this way.

- Of course, there are a large number of "internal problems" the solution of which should result in the desired stability at the Institute. But let me consider one external problem. JINR Directorate makes efforts to attract the scientific community and leaders of Western countries to a partnership on a permanent basis. Since, apparently, at the present moment, this is the only real opportunity to achieve economic stability for the Institute and its full participation in the world physics community. An example is the cooperation with Germany...

International cooperation. This is the best answer to the question of what can help science in Russia, in the countries of the eastern region. There is no equality in the wide range of cooperation yet. There are many restrictions in the large orders for major scientific projects in the industry of the countries of the eastern region. There are also political restrictions that scientists do not share. If all this is overcome, then it is possible to powerfully support science, including, in the JINR Member States.

I would like to conclude our rather lengthy conversation about science and not only about it with a personal question. Scientific, administrative, teaching work, business trips leave practically no free time. But if you had more of it, what would you most like to do?

- As I understand it, this is a traditional question about hobbies. If I had more free time, I would probably devote it to poetry, literature. At one time, I even published my poems in "Moskovsky Komsomolets", "Moscow University", "Molodoy Tselinnik" and in honor of Yury Gagarin's flight, I composed an entire ode! Today, my favorite activity during my free time is playing with my daughter Nastya, walking with her and my wife Natasha around Dubna and the surrounding area. But unfortunately, there is very little time left for it. Well, I also like to cook different dishes and treat my friends...
 

"Choosing the right points for increase"

(From an interview with Evgeny Molchanov, No. 39, 2004)

Alexey Norairovich, in recent years, at sessions of the JINR Scientific Council, it has been increasingly stated that the Institute experiences a period of relative stabilization; the seven-year development plan has defined the prospects for the main areas of its research activities. But life without problems, as we know, does not happen. What problems seem to you to be of primary priority today?

- Despite the fact that recent years have been quite difficult for the Institute, we have succeeded not only to survive, but also to stabilize the situation in and around the Institute to a significant extent. But for each given moment, it is fundamentally important to choose the right points for increase, based on the realities of the time. And here, we have a certain complex task - to estimate properly how the Institute can develop most efficiently in the interests of the Member States, in the interests of science as such and of course, focus should be on the interests of the staff, that is, social tasks.

JINR Vice-Director Professor Ts. Vylov (Bulgaria), JINR Director Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences V.G.Kadyshevsky, JINR Vice-Director Professor A.N.Sisakyan, 5 March, 1992, photo by Yury Tumanov

In recent years, a certain triad has been developed in the scientific programme: fundamental research, applied developments and an educational programme. Considering the trends in Russia and in other Member States, it is obvious that this is the right area for development. And today, we should find out what fundamental scientific tasks we can meet first of all based on our real economic capabilities. I think that it will be a whole series of tasks in the traditional areas of nuclear physics, high energy physics, condensed matter, radiobiology and information technology. That is, our programme, as before, will be implemented both "at home" and "on the road". And applied developments should be carried out to ensure the implementation of the results of fundamental research in the field of technology, to find additional jobs and to feed this applied research, as well as to provide some support to fundamental research that has given rise to applied developments.

At the same time, of course, it is very relevant to understand that for an institute such as JINR, infrastructure is very important, both engineering and social. Moreover, in recent years, this infrastructure has been supported with great difficulty and this infrastructure needs to be strengthened. This is, indeed, a great asset that helps the Institute to be a good platform for international cooperation. After all, cooperation is based not only on unique basic facilities and they should be developed, of course, but also on infrastructure. It includes jobs and opportunities for recreation, sports, cultural leisure and much more. Therefore, in any case, in the coming years, priority should be given to the development of the Institute's infrastructure and we have the means to meet these tasks. Of course, the most important of the social tasks (and I consider it a single task) is caring for the older generation and the youth. You understand that if you do not pay attention to veterans, then the youth will feel even at a subconscious level that nothing good awaits them in the future...

How do you and your colleagues develop priorities and criteria when making decisions?

- Every time, we make a decision, we should take into account the opinion of the scientific community - the people immersed in science. The entire scientific world is busy with developing priorities in their daily scientific work, at conferences, in discussions and scientific articles. We should project these priorities onto our Institute. The priorities in the JINR scientific programme are not some kind of independent task, separate from the processes that are in the global scientific community. In a sense, this is both simpler and more complex...

How does your working day go? We read in almost every newspaper about your meetings, visits, but how much time is left for creative, scientific work?

- I came to the conclusion quite a long time ago that although state plans have been cancelled, you still need to plan your workday. I have a weekly plan, a monthly plan, even a yearly plan and I schedule every day. At times, I make adjustments, because otherwise, I would have to give in to the whirlwind of work routine and in that case, there would not be enough time for anything, not to mention some modest scientific work, some creative impulses, not only for personal hobbies, but also simply for fulfilling my direct official duty. I try not to let anything knock me out of this work plan. Although it happens that some circumstances prevail. Then, I have to strain myself additionally.

But in principle, I try not to think about the fact that there is not enough time. And I usually take on everything that seems interesting and promising to me. Without thinking about the fact that I may not have enough time for it. And as a rule, there is enough. True, today, to be honest, it has become quite difficult with days off, I have to plan some meetings on weekends, most often with my graduate students, colleagues, or prepare for scientific reports... In general, everything is like for many of my colleagues...

What do you read at present?

- Oh, that's a good question! I usually read on the road that happens quite often. Detective stories are always easier to read, but I'm a little tired of them. In recent months, I've read several writings by Ulitskaya, Polyakov, Tatyana Tolstaya... I often open poems: Joseph Brodsky, Evgeny Rein, Tatyana Bek... I have discovered with interest that women predominate in all genres of literature in our country. It used to be difficult for women to enter literature. Maybe this is some sign of the approaching matriarchy?..

In our time, when we studied, there was only one girl in our group. And today, in any department of the physics faculties, at the same Dubna University, there is a noticeable "faction" of girls.

It seems to me that this is a joyful and bright phenomenon, if only this tendency would touch big politics... It's about time! What's your dream?

- For some reason, I am increasingly preoccupied with one question... Look, new times are coming. New generations bring new ideas. Will it result in a revision of those moral values that we consider traditional, in this case, for Russia or for humanity as a whole? I would like it not to. I would like to believe that the Lord God or Nature, as you wish, created all this so that the moral principle inherent in us should not be transformed.

In general, I try to develop a calm attitude towards history and the moment we are living through. Of course, we live in a turbulent time, maybe even paradoxical. Unexpected turns. About 20 years ago, we could not even foresee much of what happens today, right? Time flies so quickly... Still, apparently, the role of each generation, each person is to carry a kind of baton from ancestors to descendants. This is a simple truth, but it is necessary to feel it in order for humanity to survive and to exist as the best part of Nature and to fulfill its universal mission...

Vice-Director of JINR A.N.Sisakyan, Chief Engineer of JINR V.P.Sarantsev, Director of FLNR Yu.Ts.Oganessian,
1993, photo by Yury Tumanov

* * *

Alexey Sisakyan is a pure lyricist by his human nature. An absolutely sincere, inspired, wide open lyricist - and this openness is in two existential-creative hypostases. On the one hand, the poet is extroverted, as simple-minded as in childhood, completely devoid of pretense and falsehood, as they say, all wide open without concealment... On the other hand, he is fundamentally not closed (and thank God, he is simply incapable of closing himself off!) from any external phenomena, encroachments, impressions, which he could say in Pasternak's lines about: "I am defeated by all of you - and only in it my victory is". The poetic victory of Alexey Sisakyan, revealed in this preliminary final book, consists in the organic nature and unity of his inner and outer world, in his hardy defenselessness, in kindness, in honesty. In the verses of the book, not just someone's personal lyrical hero as a literary sharpened "ego" screams and mutters, rejoices and sobs, joyfully celebrates other people's births and powerlessly buries the very closest ones, but - much more! - an accurately recreated peer, fellow mourner, contemporary akin to the author. Therefore, not just a self-portrait is before us but a generalized image of all of us.

(Tatyana BEK, from the preface to the book "Bush on the heating main")

* * *

Bedrocks

In me two powers are merged:
Birch sap and grapes
And the gray stones of Ararat
Washed by the Volga waves…

They brought me into the world - "Create!"
But I broke away not from the darkness -
From the dilapidated domes of Tver
And from the khachkars of Ashtarak…
Those bedrocks are infallible,
And I would not stumble, for…
Wise peaks, thank you,
And Volga, my mother, thank you…
1980s

Veil

On my day, autumn leaves
Are nailed to the chilled pavement...
The holy veil is always a cover.
How right you were, Mom,
Having named the baby Alexey -
A defender, so that he would sow good...
I sowed - the shoots (where are they?)
The future days will show.
13-14 October, 2004

Scientists

They have proven it unequivocally,
That even if it shines in a billion candles,
But our Nature is not transparent
Even for cosmic rays.

They have proven that Matter itself
Is equal to pitch darkness (perhaps!),
All of Nature (weather we believe them?)
Is only five percent visible to us.

And then do we need proof?
Trust me in my word and sin no more...
Even the most illustrious lordship
Has too little light for the soul...
4 July, 2005

Dubna

The bustle of provincial life
Cannot be compared with the bustle of the capital:
The joy of a wedding, the cry of a widow at a funeral feast -
In the villages the thread of kinship is stronger...

But we are not a city, not a village -
A small scientific town...
Here poems are composed more melodious
At the crossroads of fates and roads.

Eternal doubts tear us apart
Our people are neither small nor great,
Here you can hear the heartbeat of the Earth,
You can see the face of my Russia.

December, 2004. From the collection "Smile of Thought"

I pray for the departed...

To dad

2006. From the collection "Friendship. Creativity. Memory"