On April 12, 1961, the first satellite spacecraft with a human on board was launched into Earth’s orbit. Since then, this day has been celebrated in Russia as Cosmonautics Day, and around the world as the International Day of Human Spaceflight.
In keeping with tradition, on this day, the observatory at KubSU is open to all who wish to touch the stars.
However, there is another special date this year. March 9 is the birthday of Alexander Ivanov, the head of the Kuban State University Observatory. This year, he celebrated his 60th anniversary.
The activists of the Student Scientific Society organized a special event dedicated to Cosmonautics Day. They intended to celebrate not only the international holiday but also Alexander Ivanov’s anniversary. The event was attended by Mikhail Sharafan, Vice-Rector for Research and Innovations, Diana Mukozheva, Chair of the SSS, and the university’s students.
Throughout his outstanding professional and scientific career, Alexander Ivanov has amassed a treasure trove of experiences and stories, many of which were captured in photographs. Selecting 12 photos from the family archive, he spoke about the events of the past years: youth, military service, scientific path, the formation of the observatory, and much more.
Alexander Ivanov is a graduate of the Physics Faculty of Kuban State University. In 1978, he organized the first astronomy club in Kuban and has been leading it to the present day. Since 2010, he has been in charge of the Astrophysical Optical Observatory at the Faculty of Physics and Technology of Kuban State University.
Alexander Ivanov was the creator and driving force behind the first astronomy club in Kuban and devoted his work and creative life to the study and popularization of astronomy, astrophysics, geography, and the history of his native country and region. However, his work did not always take place in specially equipped laboratories and observatories. At the meeting, he shared how he observed an astronomical phenomenon:
«Once we needed to observe the passage of Mercury through the solar disk. The whole meeting took place in a garage. On the wall, I was showing the planet’s first contact. Journalists also arrived there. Many telescopes were placed on the roof. That’s how we watched Mercury pass through the solar disk.»
Alexander Ivanov is also the author of many books, scientific papers, and a star atlas of 107 selected zones for the epoch of 2000. His career as an astronomer began in his teens. He told us about the beginning of his journey at the event:
«I was 16 years old. We went to an area near the city of Goryachiy Klyuch, and for the first time, I observed celestial bodies. In my hands, I held one of Dmitry Maksutov’s telescopes. It’s an amazing device! You see, when the war ended, something had to be done in schools to distract the kids from the post-war chaos. Dmitry Maksutov gathered Komsomol members and offered them to assemble some telescopes after hours. These telescopes were made out of leftover 70-millimeter shell casings. That was when I first saw the opposition of Mars. With this telescope, I have been observing the sun every day for 20 years since 1978. The telescope remains in working condition: you can still observe the sun with it.»
Throughout his life, Alexander Ivanov took part in a large number of expeditions. His professional activity allowed him to meet many famous people. For example, in 2013, pilot Gennady Padalka became a guest at the KubSU Astrophysical Observatory. Alexander Ivanov shared his memories of the Perseus 89 expedition at the meeting:
«It was a large expedition in which many school graduates, schoolchildren from 7th and 8th grade, as well as university students, took part. The result of the expedition was the discovery of the Perseid double maximum, with the determination of its exact radiant. But the coolest thing is that with this research, our guys took 3 first places at the international conference in Obninsk the following year!»
Alexander Ivanov is not only a talented astronomer and teacher but also a very kind and sincere person. With joy and a smile on his face, he told us about his pet:
«That’s my boy! Dodge is my favorite dog, the most loyal dog. Of course, he didn’t accompany me on any expeditions, but he spent a lot of time with me in observatories.»
At the end of the event, Vice-Rector for Research and Innovations Mikhail Sharafan once again congratulated everyone present on the Day of Cosmonautics, and Alexander Ivanov on his anniversary. The students, in turn, gifted the head of the observatory with a commemorative photo album containing the most important photos from his life, accompanied by congratulations and best wishes.
by KubSU Media Center «VCUBE»
