Leonid Ramzin
Encyclopedia
Leonid Konstantinovich Ramzin (1887—1948) was a Soviet thermal engineer
, and the inventor of a type of flow-through boiler
known as the straight-flow boiler, or Ramzin boiler. He was a laureate of the Stalin Prize First-Class, which he received in 1943.
of the Russian Empire
on 27 October 1887 (14 October O.S.). His parents, Konstantin Filipovich and Praskovya Ivanovna, were teachers at a local school.
. He stayed at the university "for scientific activity", and became a professor there in 1920. He worked closely and was influenced by professors K. V. Kirsch and V. I. Grinevetsky, and after five years of collaboration, he was often cited along with them. For ten years, he headed the academic departments for "Fuel, furnaces and boilers" and "Thermal stations."
. Thanks to his professional qualities, Ramzin was recruited to work on the development and carrying-out of the GOELRO plan
. He performed missions to the United States, Germany, Belgium, the United Kingdom and Czechoslovakia to gain working experience and to purchase heating and thermal-engineering equipment. He was also one of the chief organizers of the All-Russia Thermal Engineering Institute, and he served as director from 1921 to 1930, and from 1944 to his death in 1948, he was the "scientific coordinator" there.
. His witness testimony
, in which he described in detail the activity of an alleged secret engineering organization, became the basis for arguments against him and the others accused in the trial. He was sentenced to be shot
, substituted with ten years of imprisonment
.
.
In 1934, Ramzin was made head of the OKB
("Experimental Design Bureau") which headed the construction of Ramzin boilers, organized as part of the ninth State Political Directorate
administrative group. This bureau, in which the arrested engineers worked, became one of the first so-called "Sharashka
's".
In 1943, he, along with academic Andrei Sheglyayev, founded the power-machine building faculty
and the academic department
for boiler building in the Moscow Power Engineering Institute
. Since 1944, Ramzin himself headed the boiler building academic department at the MPEI.
Leonid Ramzin died in 1948. He was buried at the Armenian Cemetery
in Moscow.
Thermal engineering
Heating or cooling of processes, equipment, or enclosed environments are within the purview of thermal engineering.One or more of the following disciplines may be involved in solving a particular thermal engineering problem:*Thermodynamics*Fluid mechanics...
, and the inventor of a type of flow-through boiler
Boiler
A boiler is a closed vessel in which water or other fluid is heated. The heated or vaporized fluid exits the boiler for use in various processes or heating applications.-Materials:...
known as the straight-flow boiler, or Ramzin boiler. He was a laureate of the Stalin Prize First-Class, which he received in 1943.
Life
Leonid Konstantinovich Ramzin was born in the village of Sosnovtsy in the Tambov GovernorateTambov Governorate
Tambov Governorate was the administrative unit of the Russian Empire, Russian Republic, and later the Russian SFSR with the center in the city of Tambov. The governorate was located between 51°14' and 55°6' of north latitude and between 38°9' and 43°38' east longitude...
of the Russian Empire
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was a state that existed from 1721 until the Russian Revolution of 1917. It was the successor to the Tsardom of Russia and the predecessor of the Soviet Union...
on 27 October 1887 (14 October O.S.). His parents, Konstantin Filipovich and Praskovya Ivanovna, were teachers at a local school.
Studies
In 1898, Ramzin entered the Tambov Men's Secondary School. He was taught mathematics by the renowned mathematician Igor Alexandrov. In 1914 he graduated from the Imperial Moscow Technical School, now known as the Bauman Moscow State Technical University, where he received a doctorate of technical sciencesDoktor nauk
Doktor nauk is a higher doctoral degree, the second and the highest post-graduate academic degree in the Soviet Union, Russia and in many post-Soviet states. Sometimes referred to as Dr. Hab. The prerequisite is the first degree, Kandidat nauk which is informally regarded equivalent to Ph.D....
. He stayed at the university "for scientific activity", and became a professor there in 1920. He worked closely and was influenced by professors K. V. Kirsch and V. I. Grinevetsky, and after five years of collaboration, he was often cited along with them. For ten years, he headed the academic departments for "Fuel, furnaces and boilers" and "Thermal stations."
Gosplan
In 1921, he became a member of the GosplanGosplan
Gosplan or State Planning Committee was the committee responsible for economic planning in the Soviet Union. The word "Gosplan" is an abbreviation for Gosudarstvenniy Komitet po Planirovaniyu...
. Thanks to his professional qualities, Ramzin was recruited to work on the development and carrying-out of the GOELRO plan
GOELRO plan
GOELRO plan was the first-ever Soviet plan for national economic recovery and development. It became the prototype for subsequent Five-Year Plans drafted by Gosplan...
. He performed missions to the United States, Germany, Belgium, the United Kingdom and Czechoslovakia to gain working experience and to purchase heating and thermal-engineering equipment. He was also one of the chief organizers of the All-Russia Thermal Engineering Institute, and he served as director from 1921 to 1930, and from 1944 to his death in 1948, he was the "scientific coordinator" there.
Industrial Party Trial
In 1930, Ramzin was accused of fabicated crimes as part of the Industrial Party TrialIndustrial Party Trial
The Industrial Party Trial was a show trial in which several Soviet scientists and economists were accused and convicted of plotting a coup against the government of the Soviet Union....
. His witness testimony
Testimony
In law and in religion, testimony is a solemn attestation as to the truth of a matter. All testimonies should be well thought out and truthful. It was the custom in Ancient Rome for the men to place their right hand on a Bible when taking an oath...
, in which he described in detail the activity of an alleged secret engineering organization, became the basis for arguments against him and the others accused in the trial. He was sentenced to be shot
Execution by shooting
Execution by shooting is a form of capital punishment whereby an executed person is shot by one or more firearms. It is the most common method of execution worldwide, used in about 70 countries, with execution by firing squad being one particular form...
, substituted with ten years of imprisonment
Imprisonment
Imprisonment is a legal term.The book Termes de la Ley contains the following definition:This passage was approved by Atkin and Duke LJJ in Meering v Grahame White Aviation Co....
.
Work in the "Sharashkas"
While incarcerated, he continued his work on the construction of his flow-through boiler design. In 1933, the first Ramzin boiler was put to use by the "TETs-9" enterprise under MosenergoMosenergo
Mosenergo is the Russian largest power generating company operating on fossil fuel and the world largest thermal generation company. In addition to electric power it also generates and sells heat for consumers in Moscow and the Moscow Oblast...
.
In 1934, Ramzin was made head of the OKB
OKB
OKB is a transliteration of the Russian acronym for "Опытное конструкторское бюро" - Opytnoe Konstructorskoe Byuro, meaning Experimental Design Bureau...
("Experimental Design Bureau") which headed the construction of Ramzin boilers, organized as part of the ninth State Political Directorate
State Political Directorate
The State Political Directorate was the secret police of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and the Soviet Union from 1922 until 1934...
administrative group. This bureau, in which the arrested engineers worked, became one of the first so-called "Sharashka
Sharashka
Sharashka was an informal name for secret research and development laboratories in the Soviet Gulag labor camp system...
's".
Release
In 1936, Leonid Ramzin was granted amnesty and released from prison.In 1943, he, along with academic Andrei Sheglyayev, founded the power-machine building faculty
Faculty (university)
A faculty is a division within a university comprising one subject area, or a number of related subject areas...
and the academic department
Academic department
An academic department is a division of a university or school faculty devoted to a particular academic discipline. This article covers United States usage at the university level....
for boiler building in the Moscow Power Engineering Institute
Moscow Power Engineering Institute
Moscow Power Engineering Institute is one of the largest and leading technical universities in the world in the area of power engineering, electronics and IT...
. Since 1944, Ramzin himself headed the boiler building academic department at the MPEI.
Leonid Ramzin died in 1948. He was buried at the Armenian Cemetery
Armenian Cemetery (Moscow)
The Armenian Cemetery of Moscow is an Armenian historical cemetery in the city of Moscow, Russia, located in the Krasnaya Presnya district, not far from Vagankovo Cemetery. It is established in 1804, by the initiative of Minas Lazarev, the leader of Moscow Armenian community, who also iniciated...
in Moscow.
Works
- Rational Direction of the USSR Fuel Economy . Moscow, 1930.
- Thermal Power Stations . Moscow, 1930.
- Soviet Straight-Flow Boiler Construction In the collection "Ramzin's Straight-Flow Boilers" . Moscow-Leningrad, 1948.
Awards and prizes
- USSR State PrizeUSSR State PrizeThe USSR State Prize was the Soviet Union's state honour. It was established on September 9, 1966. After the breakup of the Soviet Union, the prize was followed up by the State Prize of the Russian Federation....
first class (1943) — for the creation of the design of the Ramzin boiler. - Order of LeninOrder of LeninThe Order of Lenin , named after the leader of the Russian October Revolution, was the highest decoration bestowed by the Soviet Union...
- Order of the Red Banner of Labor
External links
- Леонид Константинович Рамзин (Russian)