The public could get acquainted with Igor Vasilyevich Kurchatov (1903-1960) only after the XX. Congress of the CPSU. Thanks to his skills and the interplay of coincidences, the talented nuclear physicist and capable organizer took the lead in the Soviet nuclear project during World War II. Initially, the "party and government" approached the nuclear weapon without much interest, but reports from US spies and later the dropping of the first... see more