The Computer History Museum, the world’s leading institution exploring the history of computing and its ongoing impact on society, announced today the online posting of the Russian Semiconductor Pioneers oral history series. This series comprises transcripts and videos from the oral histories of seven Russian pioneers in microelectronics and computing technology, including Nobel Prize laureate Dr. Zhores Alferov and Lenin Prize winner Dr. Igor Grekhov.
The Museum is pleased to provide public access to the transcripts from these historic interviews on its permanent Collections website.
The project was launched in 2012 by the Museum’s Semiconductor Special Interest Group, which aims to explore, collect, document, and exhibit the global impact of the semiconductor industry on the history of computing. The oral histories took place over the course of a week, with Museum staff traveling between St. Petersburg and Moscow to conduct each of the seven interviews.
The Russian Semiconductor Pioneers oral history series has received major support from the Russian Venture Company (RVC), a Russian government development institute with $1B in funds promoting the growth and investment of Russian venture capital in high technology.
“We are extremely grateful to RVC, its CEO Igor Agamirzian, and Dr. V.P. Tsvetov, chief specialist of Svetlana Semiconductor, who is among the seven Russian semiconductor pioneers who participated in the project and provided substantial help organizing it,” said John Hollar, Museum President and Chief Executive Officer. “This initiative enables us to build on our already established identity as the leading source for the history of computing worldwide.”
Funding for the Semiconductor Special Interest Group oral histories program is provided by Applied Materials, Electronic Design Automation Consortium (EDAC), and Russian Venture Company (RVC).
The Computer History Museum in Mountain View, California is a nonprofit organization with a four-decade history as the world’s leading institution exploring the history of computing and its ongoing impact on society. The Museum is dedicated to the preservation and celebration of computer history and is home to the largest international collection of computing artifacts in the world, encompassing computer hardware, software, documentation, ephemera, photographs and moving images.
The Museum brings computer history to life through large-scale exhibits, an acclaimed speaker series, a dynamic website, docent-led tours and an award-winning education program. The Museum’s signature exhibition is “Revolution: The First 2000 Years of Computing,” described by USA Today as “the Valley’s answer to the Smithsonian.” Other current exhibits include “Charles Babbage's Difference Engine No. 2,” and “Going Places: The History of Google Maps with Street View.”
For more information and updates, call (650) 810-1059, visit www.computerhistory.org, check us out on Facebook, and follow @computerhistory on Twitter.
PR Team
pr@computerhistory.org
(650) 810-1059
