After all, we are friends with you!

My first meeting with A.M.Baldin was 45 years ago, in autumn, 1971. I was 25 years old and Alexander Mikhailovich was 45. He was already Director of LHEP and at that time, I was a graduate student at ITEP in Moscow.

At the initiative of A.M.Baldin, the advanced PHOTON facility at that time began to be developed in LHEP. Employees were needed for this job. Over my colleagues, I received an offer to take part in this new project. They gave me A.M.Baldin's phone number and told me that he wanted to talk to me. I hesitated for a while and then called. I was struck by the young and perky voice of Alexander Mikhailovich. We agreed that I would drive up to his house in Dubna on Lesnaya Street.

A few days later, I got out to Dubna and met with Alexander Mikhailovich. This meeting is still in my memory. He spoke with such enthusiasm and energy about the tasks facing the Laboratory that he could not help but believe it. I was also struck by his sparkling gaze that seemed to radiate powerful energy and at the same time some kindness. He spoke about science, about everyday problems and much more. He asked about my affairs, asked about my parents, other relatives, about work. And it wasn't idle curiosity. He listened to my answers with interest and was very attentive. In short, his charm dispelled all my doubts about moving to Dubna and I gave my consent.

Active work on developing a new facility started and I plunged headlong into it. Alexander Mikhailovich was constantly interested in the course of affairs. The staff always felt his support. As a result, the PHOTON facility was developed in a short time and started operating with a beam of synchrophasotron.

I had a closer conversation with Alexander Mikhailovich when I was elected to the Trade Union Committee of the Laboratory and instructed to head the housing commission. Alexander Mikhailovich weekly hosted the laboratory staff on housing issues together with the heads of Trade Union and party organizations. I also participated in these receptions, where I learned about many problems of employees. The main desire of Alexander Mikhailovich was to help to meet these problems, especially if they concerned active and qualified employees. Alexander Mikhailovich called it the principle of maximum favor. It did not mean that the issues were met for a person, just he was provided with the maximum possible support and in most cases, the problem was met. Alexander Mikhailovich was very careful to people, always gave them to speak, without interrupting and not rushing.

A.D.Kovalenko, A.I.Malakhov and A.M.Baldin

The third stage in our communication began with the fact that he persuaded me to participate in the election of the secretary of the party committee of the Laboratory and I was elected to this position. It happened in 1985, when "perestroika" began in the country. I will not tell in detail what I suffered then. But it should be emphasized that it was at this time that active work was carried out in the Laboratory to develop Nuclotron. A.M.Baldin managed to mobilize the Laboratory staff for this work with the active support of party and trade union organizations. He also welcomed establishment of a union of users of the accelerator complex. Alexander Mikhailovich often spoke to employees at trade union and party meetings and to the labor collective. He carried out rounds of the Laboratory together with the representatives of public organizations. Regularly (once a week) there was a director's meeting that was attended by leading executives and representatives of the public of the laboratory and all vital issues were discussed.

In 1992, we participated in an international physics conference in Dallas, USA, later, visited Newport News, where the construction of a new accelerator centre started; at the invitation of Nobel winner C.Young, we visited Brookhaven, where the construction of the RHIC nuclear collider was completed. During this business trip with frequent moves, I was struck by the highest performance of Alexander Mikhailovich. Despite the large time difference between the United States and our country, he was cheerful. In all centres, he conducted seminars and participated in heated discussions. Despite the age difference between us at 20, I struggled to overcome a sleepy state, he always looked cheerful.

During this trip, we developed truly friendly relations. True, I realized it a little later. Alexander Mikhailovich greatly appreciated the warmth of human communication. On the title page of his report that he gave me in the United States, he wrote: "Alexander Ivanovich Malakhov is a very reliable companion, with gratitude for all possible help." Alexander Mikhailovich was very fond of painting. He loved the paintings of N.Roerich. But he also admired the paintings of D.Velazquez that we managed to see at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

We cooperated quite closely with Alexander Mikhailovich when I became Deputy Director of LHEP for research. This appointment itself is of interest. It happened in a few minutes. Alexander Mikhailovich invited me to his place, said that there was a vacant position of deputy director, immediately invited me to take it and immediately to start fulfilling it, which I objected to that an order was needed that would be issued for at least a week. I did not have time to come to my senses when A.M.Baldin called V.G.Kadyshevsky that was at that time Director of JINR, told him something and a few minutes later, I was introduced by phone to the order of my new appointment and asked to go to the personnel department and to sign the order. Alexander Mikhailovich completely trusted his deputy and never canceled his decisions. He was easy to work with, he was never distracted by little things. He was always ready to help and to support the council.

When, partly on the recommendation of A.M.Baldin, I was elected Director of LHEP and he was appointed Scientific Leader, we talked a lot. Our offices were united by a common reception and we often went to each other. We talked about a variety of topics. They concerned science, laboratory problems, the situation in the country and the world, philosophy and much more. Alexander Mikhailovich was a very interesting interlocutor. He had great erudition, excellent memory and the ability to look at the problem widely. He was not afraid of difficulties and liked to say, "The more complex is the task, the more interesting it is." In recent years, Alexander Mikhailovich was sick and joked about it with regret, "I used to write formulae in the morning but today, I put out pills." However, he was still full of new ideas and continued to "write formulae".

I want to complete this short and of course, very incomplete story about A.M. Baldin with such an episode. Once, in one of the last meetings, Alexander Mikhailovich told me, "After all, we are friends with you!" From surprise, I did not find what to answer and said only, "Thank you!" Now, I understand what these words meant. Indeed, it was the most friendly relationship, which I am very grateful to him for!

Professor Alexander MALAKHOV,
February, 2011