Biography of
N.Ye. Zhukovsky
Father of Russian aviation

Nikolai Yegorovich Zhukovsky

“Man has no wings and is 72 times weaker than a bird in relation to the weight of his body to the weight of his muscles… But I think that he will fly relying not on the strength of his muscles, but on the strength of his mind”. These words were spoken in 1898 by Professor Nikolai Yegorovich Zhukovsky in Kiev at the 10th congress of naturalists and doctors. A little time has passed and the power of man’s mind has lifted him high into the sky, and he now reigns as undividedly in the air as he does on earth.

The merits of this outstanding scientist for our homeland and especially for Russian aviation are difficult to estimate. It is enough to remember his activity in development of theoretical and experimental bases of aerodynamics, where he obtained fundamental results for all subsequent development of aviation; establishment of the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute TsAGI, the world scientific aviation center, which he headed for the last years of his life, and the Military Aviation Engineering Academy.

Great scientist’s life

Major milestones

  1. Birth of N.Ye. Zhukovsky

    17 January Nikolai Yegorovich Zhukovsky was born in the village of Orekhovo, Vladimir province.

  2. Entrance to gymnasium

    N.Ye. Zhukovsky entered the 4th Moscow Gymnasium on Mokhovaya.

  3. University entrance

    Spring - graduation from the 4th Gymnasium with a silver medal.
    Autumn - admission to Moscow University.

  4. Graduation

    N.Ye. Zhukovsky graduated from Moscow University.

  5. Beginning of teaching activity

    August 29 - started teaching physics at the 2nd Moscow Female Gymnasium.

  6. Commencement of higher education teaching

    1 January - enrolment as mathematics teacher at the Technical College.

  7. Teaching activities

    Starting as a lecturer at the Moscow Practical Academy of Commercial Sciences.

  8. Work at the Mechanics Department

    Autumn 1874 - Associate Professor in the Mechanics Department of the Technical College.

  9. Getting a degree

    November 4 - defence of his thesis for a master's degree in applied mathematics. The subject "Kinematics of fluid bodies", published before the defence, in the same year of 1876, became the first scientific work written by N. E. Zhukovsky.

  10. Doctoral degree

    Defending a doctoral dissertation in applied mathematics.

  11. Teaching at Moscow University

    Starting teaching at Moscow University.

  12. Air navigation and the theory of flying - a new Zhukovsky's area of activity.

    His work "On Birds soaring" is published, examining the mechanism of soaring with gaining altitude and for the first time estimating possible evolutions of soaring, including "dead loop" (Nesterov's loop, 1913).

  13. Zhukovsky is a Corresponding Member of the Academy of Sciences.

    Election as a corresponding member of the St Petersburg Academy of Sciences.

  14. Otto Lilienthal

    Meeting Otto Lilienthal

  15. World recognition

    Publication of N.Ye. Zhukovsky's work "On the Hydraulic Impact in Water Pipes", which received worldwide recognition and was translated into foreign languages.

  16. Wind-tunnel facility

    Building a wind-tunnel facility at Moscow University.

  17. N.E. Zhukovsky's theorem on the wing lift.

    Publication of N.E.Zhukovsky's work "On Attached Vortices", revealing the mechanism of lifting force formation.

  18. World War I

    With the beginning of World War I, he organized and headed theoretical courses for pilot training (1915 - 1919).

  19. Zhukovsky is the founder of TsAGI.

    The pinnacle of Zhukovsky's scientific organizational activity was the establishment on December 1, 1918 of the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI), the world's scientific aviation centre, at the head of which he spent the last years of his life and was the first Chairman of the Board of the Institute.

  20. Zhukovsky is the founder of the higher military aviation school.

    On September 26, 1920, the Institute of Red Air Fleet Engineers was founded with Zhukovsky as the first rector. The Institute was later renamed as the Military Aviation Engineering Academy.

  21. Genius’ death

    17 March - Nikolai Yegorovich Zhukovsky died

Invaluable contribution to science

Zhukovsky’s works

The merits of this outstanding scientist for our homeland and especially for Russian aviation are difficult to estimate. It is enough to remember his activity in development of theoretical and experimental bases of aerodynamics, where he obtained fundamental results for all subsequent development of aviation; establishment of the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute TsAGI, the world scientific aviation center, which he headed for the last years of his life, and the Military Aviation Engineering Academy.
Photo chronicle

Scientist's life in pictures

The merits of this outstanding scientist for our homeland and especially for Russian aviation are difficult to estimate. It is enough to remember his activity in development of theoretical and experimental bases of aerodynamics, where he obtained fundamental results for all subsequent development of aviation; establishment of the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute TsAGI, the world scientific aviation center, which he headed for the last years of his life, and the Military Aviation Engineering Academy.
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