People & Events| Igor Kurchatov, (1903 - 1960) Andrei Sakharov
once described Igor Kurchatov as a man whose most pronounced
trait was his fascination with "grand" science. The physicist
who headed the Soviet nuclear program from 1943 until his death
in 1960, was also remembered by the scientists who worked for
him as a man with a robust sense of humor; a warm and loyal
friend who took great care of his subordinates; and an extremely
organized administrator. He was nicknamed "boroda" (the beard)
by those who were close to him after he stopped shaving during
the war--he said he would only get rid of the beard once the
Germans were beaten. In fact, he never did. The shaggy facial
hair made him look like an orthodox priest. Kurchatov was born
in the southern Urals in January 1903, the son of a surveyor and
a school teacher. In 1920 he entered Tauridian University. He
graduated a year early, and wrote his first scientific paper on
the radioactivity of snow. In 1925, he received an invitation
from the distinguished