The Computer History Museum, the world’s leading institution exploring the history of computing and its ongoing impact on society, and RVC today announced the launch of a project to take high-definition video oral histories of pioneers of Russian semiconductor science from the mid-20th Century. The oral histories will become part of the Museum’s permanent collection for future research by historians and scholars around the world.
The project is being undertaken by the Museum’s Semiconductor Special Interest Group (SemiSIG), which collects archives and builds exhibitions around artifacts and oral histories related to the global semiconductor revolution.
The Russian project has received major support from RVC, a Russian government $1B fund of funds and development institute promoting the growth and investment of Russian venture capital in high technology.
“Dr. V.P. Tsvetov, chief specialist of Svetlana Semiconductor, is among the 10 Russian semiconductor pioneers participating in the project, and Dr. Tsvetov has provided substantial help organizing the project,” said John Hollar, Museum President and Chief Executive Officer. “We are particularly grateful to Dr. Tsvetov, and to RVC CEO Igor Agamirzian, for their help and support.”
“We are excited that the Computer History Museum is engaging in this project. Russia has always been at the forefront of technology and this project will present Russia’s substantial contribution to the history of computer development and showcase Russia’s innovative abilities to continue as a leader in this field, among others”, says Axel Tillmann, CEO of RVC-USA.
Among those also participating by in the oral history project are Dr. Z.I. Alferov, winner of the 2000 Nobel Prize in Physics, and Dr. I.V. Grekhov, prolific researcher and author in semiconductor science. Both Dr. Alferov and Dr. Grekhov are Fellows in the Russian Academy of Sciences (RAS).
The Computer History Museum (CHM) 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 an acclaimed speaker series, dynamic website, docent-led tours and online exhibits.
The Museum’s signature exhibit on the history of computing is “Revolution: The First 2000 Years of Computing.” Other exhibits include “Charles Babbage's Difference Engine No. 2,” “Mastering the Game: A History of Computer Chess,” and “An Analog Life: Remembering Jim Williams.”
For more information and updates, call (650) 810-1059, visit www.computerhistory.org, check us out on Facebook, and follow @computerhistory on Twitter.
RVC is a government fund of funds and a development institute of the Russian Federation, one of Russia's key tools in building its own national innovation system.
RVC was established by Russian Government on June 7, 2006 (Order No. 838-r). Its mission is to encourage Russia’s own VC industry and boost capital of VC funds. RVC’s role is that of a government fund of venture capital funds channeling public incentives to venture capital and financial support to the hi-tech sector, and of a Russian VC industry development institution. Learn more at http://rusventure.ru/en/.
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