Complicated and tragic personality
On the 31st of October we celebrate 165th birthday of Nikolay Ivanovich Kibalchich (1853-1881), revolutioner and inventor.
The 27 years biography of our countryman’s is fulfilled with episodes of scientific searches and discoveries, endless struggle with Russian autocracy.
Life brings a young man from Chernigov land, the town of Korop, to Pietersburg. Nikolay Kibalchich decides to become an engineer, but after a year of studding he becomes a student of medical surgery academy. His revolutionary ideas and aspiration to improve life of the people makes him a member of a
Secret people’s organization “Narodnaya volya” (People’s will)
Performing the assignments of “Narodnaya volya”, Kibalchich learns thoroughly the theory and practice of explosive materials and in short term he becomes a great specialist in this area.
Creating of explosive projectile – is just a certain stage to solving the main problem of his life. The brain of a scientist worked tirelessly trying to find the principles of movements of the aircraft for interplanetary communication.
“Being in custody, - Nikolay Ivanovich writes, - couple of days before my death, I write this project… If my idea, after thorough consideration by scientific-specialists, will be recognized as feasible, I will be happy with the fact that I would make my motherland and humanity a huge favor”.
Kibalchich was judged and executed on 3rd of April 1881. The relatives of “Tsar killer” were offered to change their last name, but they refused. The family of the terrorist has undergone a squall of repression. This also influenced Kibalchich’s countrymen: by the decree of the killed Tsar’s son, the town of Korop was forbidden to expand, and inhabitants were ordered to build a church and pray for the sin of their countryman till the end of their lives.
The libriary recommends: Minutko, I.A. Three lives: Kibalchich/ I.A. Minutko. –M.: Molodaya gvardiya [Young guards], 1986. -239 p.
More information:
- Prominent figures of Ukraine: Kibalchich
- Korop. Memorial Nikolay Kibalchich museum
- Nikolay Kibalchich. Genius and villains of passing epoch.
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