Translation. Region: Russian Federal
Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –
Gennady Barykinsky, graduate Physics Department of NSU 1977, dedicated his life to science. Working in the field of laser physics, he always wanted to learn new things. Now, in retirement, he is engaged in historical research, studies genealogy and creates films. In an interview, he spoke about his difficult student years, the path to obtaining a diploma, the principles that helped him along the way, and why he believes that life should be filled with meaning.
— Tell us why you decided to apply to NSU?
— In my thoughts, I always went back to two episodes of my life that radically influenced my choice. The first episode, oddly enough, was military service in the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany. Here I was appointed commander of a platoon for controlling a radar guidance station. At that time, I did not understand not only electronics and radio engineering, but also many elementary concepts of physics. The officers literally shoved textbooks on radio engineering at me and demanded that I master all of this. After demobilization, I was constantly tormented by the same thought: “How is this possible? If I was able to master such complex technology in the army, then surely I will not be able to master higher education,” says Gennady.
The second episode was the purchase of a directory-catalogue of all higher educational institutions in the country. Through selection, Gennady determined that he liked not a narrowly specialized education, but a more universal one – university. He decided that he was not up to Moscow, Leningrad and Kiev were too academic, but the “youth and elegance of Novosibirsk” was just right.
— I came for the entrance exams. I was placed in the sixth dormitory in one room with three other applicants. In a few days, I heard such words as limit, derivative, integral and many others from these guys for the first time. I finally realized that I had nothing to do at the entrance exams. However, I still went to the first exam in written mathematics for a bad grade. After the exam, going down to the first floor of the university, I saw an announcement inviting applicants who had failed the exam to an interview at the dean’s office of the full-time preparatory department (PD) of NSU, — Gennady recalls.
The next two semesters of the school year passed in a state of great emotional tension. Gennady actually had to master almost the entire high school curriculum in five exam subjects in 8 months. Therefore, the school day lasted from dawn to dusk. In addition to in-person classes and mandatory homework, Gennady studied at least four hours every day. Therefore, out of 25 exam points, he scored 23, as it turned out, passing points and was still enrolled in the university.
— What do you remember about studying at NSU?
— I have never experienced so many emotions in my life as at the beginning of my student years. The first lectures. The first seminars. And in general, many firsts. Somewhere in my soul there is a feeling of pride that all this happened. One of the warmest memories was left by the deputy dean for our course, candidate of physical and mathematical sciences Vasily Vasilyevich Murakhtanov. In my life, I have never met a person who possessed, to a greater extent than Vasily Vasilyevich, a whole set of such qualities in relation to the interlocutor as: intelligence, modesty, tolerance. One day he came up to me and said: “Gennady Mikhailovich, the dean’s office has an offer – you to lead a group of fourth-year physicists on a summer exchange trip to Poland to the University of Krakow, for almost a month.” I agreed. Half a month passes, he approaches again: “Excuse me, but the university administration insists that you head the student construction teams of the university, and instead of a trip to Poland, we will then organize a trip to another, more interesting country for you.” He persuaded me again. Everything happened just like that, I didn’t even regret it, because I managed to go to Cuba, but that’s a completely different story, – Gennady said.
Gennady calls the path to his diploma work thorny, since he spent a long time choosing a department and tried himself in different scientific institutes: theoretical and applied mechanics, automation and electrometry, thermal physics, chemical kinetics and combustion.
— This almost led to the fact that I did not have time to submit my fourth-year coursework to the dean’s office. But fate decreed otherwise. My friend Boris Bondarev, an active leader of the student club “Quantum”, advised me to try myself in laser physics. That’s how I ended up in the Laser Physics Department of the Institute of Semiconductor Physics under the supervision of Viktor Vasilyevich Lebedev. I remember him with great warmth — thanks to him, I dedicated my life to laser physics and I do not regret it. My diploma defense was successful — on June 2, 1978, my work was rated “excellent”. Later, its materials were published in the journal “Quantum Electronics”. This experience taught me that persistence and perseverance always bring results, even if the path turns out to be more difficult than expected, — the graduate recalls.
During his entire period of study, Gennady only once received a bad mark on an exam. It was thermodynamics. Now Gennady is 76 years old, he has been retired for a long time, but he really likes to do research work on studying the history and genealogy of his family. He also creates texts, articles and videos with interest.
— I am working on the design of my memories and some other topics in films that I have learned to create myself. I never thought that making films is incredibly interesting. A monograph is not excluded! Currently, several films about NSU are in the works: “A Big Film about the NSU SSO in the Period 1976-1979”, “A Film about the First Congress of NSU Graduates, the Creation and Functioning of this Union”, “The Second Part of the Film “NSU in Faces”, “A Film about the Problems of Graduates — Young Scientists”. I want to wish the graduates of 2025 to live by the meaning and essence, and not by the color of the packaging,” Gennady concludes.
Some of Gennady Barykinsky’s films can be viewed here:
HTTPS: //vidio.ru/video742583021_456239616
HTTPS: //vidio.ru/video742583021_456239606
HTTPS: //vidio.ru/video742583021_456239596
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