February 12 is a 75th anniversary of Viktor Nikitovich Mikhailov – an honorary RFNC-VNIIEF Scientific Leader, Director of the Institute of Strategic Stability of Rosatom.
Viktor Nikitovich is a Lenin (1967), USSR (1982) and RF (1997) State Prize winner, Academician of the RAS. Minister of Atomic Energy of the Russian Federation in 1992-1998, RFNC-VNIIEF Scientific Leader in 1992-2007.
After finishing MIFI (Moscow Institute of Physics and Engineering) in 1958 he was assigned to KB-11 (Design Bureau). Working under the direction of Ac. Ya.B. Zeldovich, Viktor Nikitovich immediately demonstrated his shining ability as a theoretician. He obtained very important results which formed the basis for new trends in designing nuclear and thermonuclear charges. For these achievements he was awarded a Lenin Prize. Ideas pursued by V.N. Mikhailov in solving problems associated with overcoming an Anti-Ballistic Missile Defense System still remain the ones of today.
In 1969 V.N. Mikhailov moved to Moscow and joined Scientific and Research Institute of Impulse Technology. In 1988 he was appointed a Deputy Minister of Secondary Machine Building of the USSR for nuclear weapons complex.
For over 20 years Viktor Nikitovich directly participated in nuclear tests conducted at Semipalatinsk and Novaya Zemlya testsites being in charge of the most complex of them. In 1988 he was a scientific leader of a joint US-Russian experiment that made it possible to put in force a Threshold Test Ban Treaty signed as back as 1974.
Changes of the early 90s of the last century bore hard on the atomic industry of Russia. Maintaining its integrity and viability required a big effort from the side of leading professionals. Viktor Nikitovich was one of the most persistent and consistent.
 
 With the first Russian President, B.N. Yeltsin
20 January 1992 a RF Ministry for Atomic Energy was formed and V.N. Mikhailov took over the leadership on March 3. The same year V.N. Mikhailov became a Scientific Leader of RFNC-VNIIEF.
In 1992 Viktor Nikitovich initiated a full-scale work towards maintaining Russian nuclear technologies, solving nuclear non-proliferation problems, improvement of export accountability and control and upgrading of physical protection. V.N. Mikhailov made a considerable contribution into organization and follow-on withdrawal of nuclear weapons from the countries of the former USSR – the Ukraine, Byelorussia and Kazakhstan. This effort was a real step forward in strengthening international security.
In 1996 V.N. Mikhailov was one of the principal organizers of a Moscow summit of the leaders of eight states on the problems of nuclear safety. A persuasive demonstration of a high safety level of entire atomic industry of the Russian Federation was a major outcome of this meeting.
Viktor Nikitovich is convinced: “Nuclear weapons developed by us helped to keep the peace on the globe for half a century. Each time the United States had a new type of weapons we responded adequately which immediately made nuclear attack senseless – the retribution was inevitable”.
In 1997 and to a large extent because of the effort and support of V.N. Mikhailov, non-nuclear explosion tests crucial for up-to-date maintaining of Russian defense technologies were resumed on a regular basis at a Central (Novaya Zemlya) testsite.
The outstanding scientist has repeatedly claimed that he is a peaceful sort of a man though, in his opinion, nuclear disarmament is possible solely on the basis of multilateral international agreements (“not having such agreements in place, nuclear weapons scientists are, ironically, the main peacekeepers and warrantors of parity”).
 
Cover of the first edition of autobiographic book
V.N. Mikhailov can realistically appraise what is going on, find the best ways-out from tightest situations and is never false to himself. It is no coincidence that his autobiographic book is entitled “I’m a Hawk”. It is dedicated to those who gave their talent, vocation and work for defense of the Homeland. He is fully confident that “it is an eternal profession and should be passed by men from generation to generation with the mother’s milk”.
In 1997 V.N. Mikhailov was elected a full member of the Russian Academy of Sciences skipping the level of a corresponding member.
In 1998 at his request V.N. Mikhailov was transferred to scientific work and appointed as Director of the Institute of Strategic Stability of Rosatom. In 2007 he became an honorary RFNC-VNIIEF Scientific Leader.
His credo of an optimist is strongly expressed in one of the interviews: “Even in hardest minutes of life one shall not lose heart and humbly wait for something but shall fight and never say die. That’s the only way to win”.
 
 Colleagues and friends sincerely congratulate Viktor Nikitovich with his birthday and wish him active and successful creative carrier.