On 22 September 2021, in the territory of the Frank Laboratory of Neutron Physics on F. L. Shapiro Alley, a monument to the founders of the laboratory was opened: laureate of the Nobel Prize in Physics, Academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences Ilya Mikhailovich Frank and Corresponding Member of USSR Academy of Sciences Fyodor Lvovich Shapiro.

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Ilya Mikhailovich headed FNLP for many years, from 1957 to 1988. He received the Nobel Prize in Physics together with P. A. Cherenkov and I. Ye. Tamm for the discovery of the Cherenkov effect. This discovery led to the creation of a new method for detecting and measuring the velocity of high-energy nuclear particles. This method is of great importance in contemporary experimental nuclear physics.

Fyodor Lvovich was the Deputy Director of FLNP JINR. The concept of “ultra-cold neutrons” is associated with his name in world science. It was he together with colleagues who observed such neutrons in a physical experiment at the IBR reactor.

FLNP JINR Director Valery Nikolaevich Shvetsov said in his welcoming speech, “Ilya Mikhailovich and Fyodor Lvovich laid the foundations of the Laboratory: they laid the spirit, the attitude to science and research, and the attitude to colleagues. They laid the foundation for real scientific friendship, cooperation, partnership, and joint work. Our Laboratory has been keeping these principles for more than 60 years“.

JINR Director Grigory Trubnikov added that these two outstanding scientists known all over the world for their works made a huge contribution to the formation of not only the laboratory but also the Institute and Dubna

“We are very passionate about monuments and memorials established in our city,” he said. “It is a good tradition that monuments to our outstanding scientists are designed in such a way that you want to come up and talk to a person.

Today, by opening this monument, we are giving a very correct signal to the younger generation of laboratory employees showing how to treat properly those generations on whose shoulders we stand. All achievements of the Laboratory, its successes are associated with these two outstanding people.“

The JINR Director noted that Ilya Mikhailovich Frank spoke of his deputy and friend with warmth and piety saying, “I am just the director, and Fyodor Lvovich is in charge of the whole science in the laboratory. FLNP works according to Fyodor Lvovich’s ideas not because he is the closest person to me, not because we communicate a lot, but because among all suggested ideas his ideas are brighter than others.“

Grigory Trubnikov expressed gratitude to Valery Shvetsov, veterans of FLNP, and authors of the monument for maintaining the memory of the great scientists and keeping their traditions.

Evgeny Shabalin made a remark in his speech about the meaning of the umbrella above the heads of the bronze scientists, “The umbrella is a symbol of the nuclear safety of our facilities.“

JINR Scientific Leader Victor Matveev, FLNP Scientific Leader Victor Aksenov, an FLNP Leading Researcher Evgeny Shabalin, Advisor to the FLNP Directorate Albert Popov, Ilya Mikhailovich’s son – an FLNP Сhief Researcher Alexander Frank, and authors of the monument sculptors Elena Muns and Galina Shilova, and an architect Andrey Muns made speeches at the festive opening ceremony of the monument.

JINR Weekly Newspaper about the opening of the monument

Photos by Elena Puzynina