Russian Virtual Computer Museum. → Hall of Fame → Koryagin Dmitry Alexandrovich
Koryagin Dmitry Alexandrovich
Author: E. Lukhovitskaya.
Translation: Alexander Nitussov
D.A. Koryagin
Dmitry Alexandrovich Koryagin was born on the 5th of June 1935, in town of Ussuriysk in the Soviet Far East (russ. “Primorsky Kray”). His father was an air force pilot and served there in an aviation unit. However, soon after Dmitri's birth the father was promoted and received new appointment at the Moscow Zhukovsky Air Force Engineering Academy. Later he participated in battles of the World War Two; after the Victory returned to the Academy already holding a rank of general.
Dmitry Koryagin decided to follow his father's “professional pattern”. First he graduated from the secondary school in which a general introduction to aircraft theory, as well as some of its basic problems, were taught additionally to main curriculum. After that he continued education at the Zhukovsky Air Force Academy. He graduated from it in 1959 and received appointment at the famous Scientific Research Institute – 4 (SRI-4) of the USSR Ministry of Defense.
It was in March-April, but after scarcely a month – on the 3th of May, he was sent for a time to other organisation – the Institute of Applied Mathematics at the USSR Academy of Sciences (AS-USSR, IAM), to its programming department. The purpose of his work there consisted in studying and mastering the software for -then- new and very popular digital computer M-20.
Dmitry Koryagin always remembered; “Till the end of my days I'll keep gratitude to my first chief, Dr. V.D. Yastrebov, who had given me that scientific errand”.
He was greatly impressed with high scientific inspiration and enthusiasm of the institute collaborators, and with generally friendly, democratic atmosphere there; and immediately joined the work. Soon, initially planned time of his stay was extended and he became full member of the institute's TA-2 translator development team. TA-2 was the first translator from the programming language ALGOL (full version) into M-20 machine code.
By the time when the work was completed Koryagin already possessed solid professional experience, high enough to write dissertation “Translator from programming language ALGOL for computer M-20”. In 1965 Koryagin successfully defended it and received degree “Candidate of Technical sciences” (Ph.D. in Engineering Science); E.Z. Lyubimskiy was his scientific supervisor.
Lyubimskiy and Koryagin (years after) - “life-long friends”.
His next work at the IAM was concerned with development of the system software for computer BESM-6.
As Koryagin graduated from a military academy and was a collaborator of the institute from scientific branch of the state defense structure he himself was an army officer. By that time - already a major. However, later in 1971, when he was promoted to colonel rank he left military service for a position of divisional director at the academicals -civil- IAM. He always demonstrated outstanding organizational and executive talents, what was a great help in work with colleagues.
At the new place Koryagin concentrated on promising subject field “Packages of Applied Programs” (PAP). Then, there was a strong need for such products in the USSR. PAP are complexes of programs composed and organised in such way that they could be efficiently applied in specified subject field. The subject area modules and system means were combined in the unified architecture, what was a notable advantage of the new method, developed by Koryagin and his scientific team. Those system means provided user with various services during preparation and (computer) processing of the given problems.
Creation of programming package “Safra” was a big success. It was intended for wide class of mathematical physics problems, in particular, the problems of laser controlled thermonuclear synthesis. Implementation of “Safra” significantly simplified solution of computer simulation experiment problems. The latter was especially important for the specialists performing such computations.
“Safra” system was successfully implemented at the institute (IAM) and then distributed among some dozens other organisations. In 1984 Dmitry Koryagin was awarded doctorate (degree – Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences), in 1985 he was promoted to the department's chief position.
Beside that development Koryagin was working on the problem of machine-building elements design and manufacturing automation. One of the first such projects was “KAPRI” system made for I.V. Kurchatov Institute of Atomic Energy. The system was successfully implemented and that formed basis for emerging of another project “IRBIS” (integrated development of big engineering systems), which was performed in cooperation with the leading institute of the Ministry of Atomic Energy – Scientific Research and Design Institute of Energetic Engineering (SRDIEE). Appearing and usage of IRBIS significantly improved organization of the design and calculations of the nuclear reactor pipelines.
In the beginning of the 1990s he headed works on development of computation and information processing network for the IAM. Then, more than 200 PCs and servers were operating on two remote sites of the institute. Results of the work reflected in development of Grid-technologies, incorporating joint usage and operation of network resources and realization of distributed computations. That Grid-project was performed in cooperation with Russian as well as foreign partner organizations.
In 1992 Koryagin received the position of IAM deputy-director on scientific problems. In parallel with work at the IAM he was teaching at the Faculty of Computational Mathematics and Cybernetics of the Lomonosov Moscow State University. From 1987 he was a professor at the System Programming chair, where he lectured on “Packages of Applied Programs” course.
He has been scientific supervisor of ten doctoral dissertations, and author of 110 scientific articles and publications.
Koryagin received numerous awards for his scientific achievements. He was decorated with 11 State medals and with “Order of Friendship” (2004), became a laureate of the “USSR Council of Ministers Premium” (1986), and bearer of a honourable title “Merited Scientist of the Russian Federation”.
Dmitry Alexandrovich Koryagin died on 23.06.2009.
Despite a heavy illness he was working until his last hours: he was always in course of the latest scientific news and events, maintained contacts with colleagues, headed seminars and meetings.
Numerous friends and collaborators remember him not only as scientist but also as a man who was always ready to help them in times of troubles and difficulties.
