Nikolai Egorovich
Zhukovsky
1847-1921
Nikolay Egorovich Zhukovsky was a Russian and Soviet Scientist, corresponding member of the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences (1894), RAS (1917), founder of modern hydroaerodynamics, «father of Russian aviation». He had been physics teacher at the 2nd Moscow Women’s Gymnasium since 1870, mathematics teacher since 1872, associate professor at the Department of Analytical Mechanics at the Higher Technical School (VTU, now it is Moscow Higher Technical University) since 1874, professor, had taught theoretical mechanics at Moscow University since 1885. In 1900 he was nominated as a candidate for full academicians, but withdrew his candidacy because he did not want to leave Moscow University and VTU. In 1902 he supervised the construction of one of the first wind tunnels in Europe; in 1904 – the creation of the first Aerodynamic Institute in Europe in the village of Kuchino (near Moscow). In 1905 he was elected president of the Moscow Mathematical Society. In 1910-1912 he gave a series of lectures «Theoretical foundations of aeronautics»; since 1913 he had taught at the courses of pilot officers at the VTU and there he created an aviation calculation and testing bureau that developed methods of aerodynamic and strength calculation of aircraft structures. During the First World War of 1914-1918 he worked on the issues of bombing and ballistics. He had become one of the organizers of the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI) and the Institute of Engineers of the Red Air Fleet (since 1922 – the Military Air Engineering Academy named after N. E. Zhukovsky) since 1920. He was the author of fundamental works and textbooks for universities on various problems of theoretical and applied mechanics, astronomy, mathematics, hydrodynamics, hydraulics, etc.
Address: Moscow, 2nd Baumanskaya str., 5, p. 1
