Alexander Mikhailovich Baldin is 100 years old

26 February marks the anniversary of birth of the outstanding physicist, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences A.M.Baldin.
For about 30 years (from 1968 to 1997), he headed VBLHEP JINR and in 1997-2001, he was Scientific Leader of this Laboratory.
Alexander Mikhailovich participated in the development of the synchrophasotron, supervised the construction of the Nuclotron, he laid the foundations of relativistic nuclear physics at JINR.

A jubilee seminar opened today at VBLHEP. The report of Head of the Department of VBLHEP A.I.Malakhov will tell about Academician A.M.Baldin as a citizen, scientist, organizer of science. The Academician's son, Head of the Department of VBLHEP A.A.Baldin will touch upon some of the relevant ideas of Alexander Mikhailovich in the field of relativistic nuclear physics. Head of the Sector of VBLHEP P.I.Zarubin will talk about the role of A.M.Baldin in the development of VBLHEP in his report "Stages of the long journey". The seminar will end with a report by Deputy Head of the Department of VBLHEP A.O.Sidorin "From Nuclotron to NICA" and speeches by participants.

The scientific achievements of A.M.Baldin were highly appreciated by President of the Russian Federation in a congratulatory telegram in 2001,

"Dear Alexander Mikhailovich!

I congratulate you on your 75th birthday. A major Russian scientist, you have made a significant contribution to the development of high energy physics and the atomic nucleus. Fundamental research carried out by you and under your supervision is of great theoretical and applied importance, contributes to the investigation of one of the most complex and priority scientific areas, the results of your work are at the forefront of modern science, recognized all over the world. I sincerely wish you, dear Alexander Mikhailovich, good health, longevity and all the best."

A.M.Baldin was an excellent organizer and a wonderful person. In relations with people, he was guided by the principle of "maximum favor", as he himself called it. Alexander Mikhailovich was a master of sports in mountaineering and the champion of the country in this sport. He loved painting, poetry. Encyclopedic knowledge allowed him to competently discuss issues on a variety of topics.

In 1997, A.M.Baldin was awarded the title "Honorary Citizen of Dubna".

On the occasion of the 90th anniversary of A.M.Baldin, an article "Alexander Mikhailovich Baldin. Strokes to the portrait" was published in our weekly (No. 9-10 of 26 February, 2016). The last public speech of Alexander Mikhailovich at a seminar dedicated to his anniversary and the memoirs of his colleagues are published in this weekly. In addition, a detailed article on this topic is presented in the book "Memoirs of Academician Alexander Mikhailovich Baldin" that can be found on the website of the JINR Publishing Department https://www1.jinr.ru/Books/Baldin_90_sait.pdf.

In this issue, we are first publishing the speech of A.M.Baldin at the Annual Meeting of the Russian Academy of Sciences on 26 March, 1998 that clearly shows his concern for the future of science, his firm civic position in defending the interests of science.