The initial graphite-moderated reactors developed by Nikolay Dollezhal produced the plutonium required for the Joe 1 nuclear test in 1949. As a central figure in Soviet engineering, he transitioned from designing nitrogen production facilities and heat engines to spearheading the development of the industrial nuclear power infrastructure that defined energy production for the USSR throughout the twentieth century.
Early Education and Industrial Engineering
Born in 1899 in Omelnyk, Dollezhal entered the Bauman Moscow State Technical University in 1917. During his studies, which concluded in 1923, he focused on thermodynamics, heat engines, and refrigeration. Following his graduation, he contributed to the rehabilitation of civil engineering and transportation systems in Moscow. In the 1930s, he worked at the First Kyiv Machine-Building Plant and later managed various nitrogen production factories as a chief design engineer, drawing upon talent from the Leningrad Polytechnic Institute.
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In 1946, Nikita Khrushchev assigned Dollezhal to Laboratory No. 2, marking his entry into the nuclear sector. His early work involved designing Type A and AI reactors for plutonium production. He subsequently founded NIKIET, where he developed the Type AM reactor, which served as the core for the world's first nuclear power plant in Obninsk, commissioned in 1954. He further refined his designs to create light water submarine reactors and pioneered the concept of the pressurized water reactor.
Evolution of Civilian Power
Dollezhal oversaw the implementation of dual-use facilities, including the Type EI powerplant in 1957, which generated both energy and weapons-grade plutonium. His engineering firm was responsible for the architectural lineage of subsequent Soviet reactors, including VVER and RBMK models. His career, spanning the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union, and Russia, concluded with his death in Moscow in 2000 at the age of 101.
Fast facts
- Born: 1899, Omelnyk
- Died: 2000, Moscow
- Education: Bauman Moscow State Technical University
- Key Affiliations: NIKIET, Uralhimmash, Gidromash
- Major Awards: Order of Lenin (1949, 1959, 1969, 1979), Stalin Prize (1951)
- Professional Role: Professor and engineer
- Burial Site: Kozino
Questions readers ask
What was the significance of the Type AM reactor?
Although originally intended for marine propulsion, the design proved impractical for ships but successfully served as the foundation for the first nuclear power plant at Obninsk.
Which organizations did Dollezhal serve?
Throughout his career, he worked with Gidromash, SVERDNIIHIMMASH, the First Kyiv Machine-Building Plant, Uralhimmash, NIKIET, and the Bauman Moscow State Technical University.
Achievements
- Affiliated with First Kyiv Machine-Building Plant, Gidromash and Uralhimmash
- Educated at Bauman Moscow State Technical University
- Worked as physicist, nuclear physicist and engineer
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