DV home


My memories
by Stalina Ivanovna Volkova

-         Where was he assigned?

-         After finishing the post-graduated course according to the assignment of the Ministry, and he came to Priozersk which is not far from Leningrad for summer holidays at the cottage, and we spent the summer together.

-         How did he get from Leningrad to Kharkov?

-         This story is rather complicated, as he studied in Leningrad 4 years, as well as his colleagues Stepanov, Fomin, Baryakhtar, Peletminsky. In 1951 they were suggested to move to Kharkov; they were just finishing the University, they were one of the best. They were suggested to work at nuclear physics, and this department was being created in Kharkov University, it was secret, that is why they were assigned there, because they were the best. They studied the last University year in Kharkov

-         And why were they assigned there?

-         They were assigned there, because Leningrad University was considered to have no proper conditions for the creation of such department. It was 1949, famous for the so-called "Leningrad affair" as the result of which many leaders of the city and party leaders were arrested and shoot, as well as professors, including the rector of the University, Vosnesensky, It was considered that under such conditions no secret research can be carried out. They say, that it was the order of Stalin. But these were simply stories, and not documents about this existed. Well, they came to Kharkov and graduated the University here, got the diplomas and Dmitrij Vasilievich got a recommendation to the post-graduate course and stayed in Kharkov University at the post-graduated course., which he finished and got an assignment to Kharkov physico-technical institute. 

-         Thank you. Stalina Ivanovna, tell me please when did you get acquainted with Dmitrij Vasilievich and under what circumstances?

-         We got acquainted with Dmitrij Vasilievich in 1953. The meeting was unusual, because our mothers introduced us to each other, they had known each other beforehand; and as the question about our summer vocations aroused, they wanted to spent summer together at the cottage, and in 1953 they suggested us to go to Priozersk, not far from Leningrad. It was just here where we got acquainted not to leave each other any more.

-         Why did he want to be transferred from Tomsk to Kharkov?

-         He did not go to Tomsk, because the direction of physics which scientists in Tomsk worked at, elementary particles physics, needed no additional specialists. That is why he stayed at the physico-technical institute and was assigned the chief of institute laboratory. 

-         Was it true?

-         Yes, elementary particles physics at that time did not coincide with its future development and was not taught in Tomsk University. Such was an official answer. It was the ground for him to stay in Kharkov. 

-         With you?

-         No, I came later.

-         Were you in Leningrad?

-         Yes, I was in Leningrad, I finish the post-graduate course earlier, when we met he was at the first course of the post-graduate course. We lived three years separately. He was at his post-graduate course I was at mine. 

-         Tell me, why didn't he work with Akhiezer

-         It is difficult to say. Maybe he was interested in elementary particles, but Alexander Ilyich suggested to him to work at plasma physics. Both Dmitrij Vasilievich and Petr Ivanovich Fomin refused to work in this direction. Dima considered that everything can be counted in plasma physics, but elementary particles physics gives a way for deep creative research. That is why he was interested in it. 

-         And when did he defend Doctor thesis?

-         A bit later. To my mind it was 1968, and then on elementary particles theory he collected practically all the material, which he had been working at during all those years. And he received the Doctor Degree.

-          Any why his Doctor and Candidate thesis differed so much? 

-         It was not an accidental difference, because his candidate theses was suggested by Alexander Ilyich as his post-graduate student leader, Dmitrij Vasilievich was not satisfied with it just from the very beginning, and he even thought to leave the post-graduate course (he told me about it when we met), his thesis and this theme did not interest him. And the sensible reason won and he finished the post-graduate course.

-         The theses was not defended at once, there were certain difficulties, because Alexander Ilyich gave Dmitrij Vasilievich and Vitaly Alexin identical themes, and when they presented dissertations there were complications. But he still defended the theses and them he started to work in the world of high energies, elementary particles and worked in this direction till his last days. This theme satisfied him, it has many aspects, every time he found some new directions, but the basis was the same. And them he came to supersymmetry. And I think it was rather logical. All his thoughts and all his work led him to his discovery, to this conclusion. Maybe when he first published his works it was not completely clear for him what resonance it would give. But however he considered his contribution was rather great, and at last it came true.

-         We suggested him to the idea of such research? How do you think?

-         It is difficult to say, but he highly appreciated Lipa Natanovich Rosentsveig, but he had no possibility to communicate with him much, he led the seminars at the university. At that time many publications connected with elementary particles appeared. And Lipa Natanovh often preferred to discuss some new publication instead of some programs or topics. And Dima said that he was greatly interested in it. And then he started to get interested to the publications too, tried to read additional materials, worked much, thought in this direction. 

-         And to your mind when did he come to supersymmetry?

-         As for supersymmetry, I can't say exactly what year it was, but I know for sure that the years 1970-1971 were very difficult for us. He fall ill. These years were poignant for him. On one side there was his creative activity and on the other – physical suffering, his fibrillary arrhythmia appeared in an acute form and brought him much suffering, he sometimes suddenly lost his conscience, that is why long trips were very dangerous for him.

-         But at the same time he was in the era of discovery. He felt many surprising things. I think that just these years opened him the way to supersymmetry.

-         And can you remember exactly in what year did he make the discovery? 

-         As far as supersymmetry is concerned I cannot say it for sure. Indeed, at the end of 60s and the beginning of 70s there was a case, when at the middle of the night he said "How beautiful!" It was something unusual. I cannot confirm, that it was supersymmetry, but I remembered this phrase. And I understood that there were some lightnings us which allowed him to see the world not in a usual way. That is why I think, that maybe it was such a lightening connected with supersymmetry, though I am not sure.

-         And who from his pupils came to him? Why? Who directed these pupils? 

-         The case with his pupils was very difficult. First of all, the Physico-Technical Department of the University was not arranged at that time and it was difficult to assign the collaborators there. It was a certain casualty in staff choice. But to his laboratory the students came purposefully. For instance, Volodya Akulov came, he was recommended by the Scientific Secretary of the institute, he was his relative. Sasha Zheltuhim has just finished the University and was assigned there. Then Slava Soroka came, I think not in a usual way. Well, people were different. And to create such a laboratory such a community was rather difficult. Dima was a very kind person by nature, and he considered all these people very successful, very good, very clever, as it seemed to him at first. But then it was found out that the sphere of physics they were working at demanded great talent and abstract thinking, and this abstractness was too difficult for some of them. And at the result he could not help all of them, give them knowledge, that is why he not always got back connection, back result. However they made a mutual work with Volodya Akulov, though Dima got into the hospital at that time and could not do all the formalities, he employed Akulov to do all this work....

-         How long did it take?

-         The formalities lasted long enough. About half a year, I think. Besides, after that there was more work, because the Institute was secret. And before the work was published, they had to get a permission of the First Department; the work had been in the Institute for a long time, when they allowed to publish it. That is why I think, that it was published too late

-         How late, do you think?

-         I think, that for a year. 

-         Well, it could be published in 1971?

-         I think so. To be more exact I am sure, because this question have already been discussed, there was a coincidence, an incident in years, dates, that the work could not had been presented earlier, then I appeared in reality. 

-         Did he speak about this work in Moscow or Kiev sometime? 

-         I am not sure, but I know, that in 1968 he made a report at a special seminar in Kiev, then the preprint on the work appeared. But I am not sure that supersymmetry was discussed in these materials in details, because there is an official work, published in 1971, which was later referred to

-         The work of 1971?

-         That's right.

-         Was he offended with this? Did he discuss this problem with you?

-         You see, I cannot say that he was offended. He was really vexed, because this year played a grave role in his life. In one side there was this discovery, which gained wide acknowledgement, in the other side, there was his illness which brought him much suffering. And it affected all these events greatly. And of course he discussed all this. And if he was not ill he could have done all this earlier. His disease took too much time, he was in the hospital which made all the things too complicated. 

-         Did he know that he invented supersymmetry or did he understand all this later, in 1973?

-         You know there were little contradictions as for this item, taking into account all his publications till 1994, when he went to CERN; just at that time Dirac, Ferrara, Neuwenhuizen and Friedman receive the Prize for supergravity. 

-         But it is well-known, that he was also nominated, Dmitrij Vasilievich Volkov? 

-         He was nominated for the Prize in supersymmetry, Ogievetsky suggested him. But it had been earlier, but I don’t remember in what year. Ogievetsky received this Prize, but Dmitry Vasilyevish did nor agree then to take part in this nomination, he considered it necessary to include Golfand there. 

-         And why Golfand was not included?

-         The thing is that Golfand went to Israel then, that time it was considered nearly a crime, that's why he could not been nominated. 

-         What year was it?

-         I think it was about 1980. .

-         Tell me about his being in correspondence with Friedman, Neuwenhuizen and Ferrara.

-         They exchanged letters much later, but in 1994, when he came to CERN he found out that the Dirac Prize was received by Americal scientists; and he met Ferrara just there in CERN, and they spoke about that the main questions of supergravity discussed in the works by these scientists had been published earlier in the works by Volkov and Soroka. This question was spoken about, everybody know this, but Ferrara did not agree.

-         Why?

-         He had his own claims as for some facts or calculations, it is difficult to say now, but the fact is that they as if did not mention this work, the work by Volkov and Soroka. And just at that time, being in CERN, Dmitry Vasilyevoch spoke with Veneciano, who was the director of Theory CERN Institute at the seminar, dedicated to Cartan (it was just his 100th anniversary), that Dmitry Vasilyevish was going to make a report, because the roots of this invention go to Cartan. Dmitrij Vasilievich made such a report. He wanted Ferrara to listen to him and that they come to a certain conclusion, but Ferrara ostantiously did not come to the seminar. Well, Dmitry Vasilyevi made a report, the scientists from Russia were present there. The repost satisfied everybody, they said that it had been done perfectly. After that he was invited to the Conference in Sicilia, Erice, and the Conference was dedicated to discoveries and inventions of the 20th century; Dmitrij Vasilievich was present at this conference and made a report, as he was assigned as a reporter, just on supergravity till 1976. He chose this topic himself and not accidentally, because he understood that just the invention of supergravity and its role in the general context of this research progressя, especially its sources are muddled up. 

-         What happened in 1976? 

-         He understood that it is impossible to present the story of supergravity in such a short time, given to the reporter, and after 1976 the flow of publications began, and there were too many scientific groups working in this direction, that it became impossible to show their role. That is why he bounded himself with 1976.

-         The work by Fridman, Neuvenhouzen appeared in 1976.

-         May be it was a boundary, but I am not sure. Ogievetsky sent him a letter then and said that in his report Volkov had not mentioned the role of Ogievetsky in the invention of supergravity, but Dima explained to him that all this was later, but his task was to speak about supergravity till 1976, that is why he did not mention those people, who took part in it later. But Ferrara showed ill-will, when he found out that the report by Dmitrij Vasilievich was included into the program of physical conference and he sent a letter to Zichichi, as a director of this conference and the copies sent to Dmitrij Vasilievich, where he expressed his point of view and even objected this report to be presented at the conference. Zichichi read the letter, but did nothing, the letter was not discussed nobody but him read it. Dmitrij Vasilievich made a report and Ferrara wrote the answer, where he expressed his positions as for the items in Dmitrij Vasilievich's report which he agrees with. And after that all communication with this scientist was stopped.

-         And no more letters? 

-         No. the thing is, that is was the second half of 1994, then – 1995, when Dmitrij Vasilievich made a report in Paris at the conference in SUSY -95.

-         What did he speak about at the conference?

-         He said that this conference was rather impressive, was well-organized in Paris. He was paid much attention, he was received there as an inventor of supersymmetry, and it was stressed by everybody, and he felt it, and I felt it (I went there with him). It was one of the best events in his life. 

-         And how did you feel that? 

-         They were very attentive, taking into account, that I cane to Paris for the first time in my life. Though the conference took place at the University, which was located far from the centre, they decided to lodge Dmitrij Vasilievich in a small hotel in Latin District, just near the Luxemburg Park for his wife to be able to visit the best places of Paris. And I managed to use my time there as much as possible. I visited the Opera, the Notre Dame. It was unforgettable.

-         Were there those scientists with whom he had argued in CERN? 

-         The case is that soon after this conference Dmitrij Vasilievich died, and the review of this conference was published only after his death. The director of the conference sent me his condolence and the letter informing that they decided to dedicate this conference to Dmitrij Vasilievich memory, they made a photo on the title page with the kind text. And there in this edition all present at the conference are enumerated; so, we can state if Ferrara and Neuvenhouzen were present, but we did not talk about that. 

-         What about his impressions, his discussions in the family. In fact, nothing special happened there in Paris that touched him so much. 

-         No, every time we met (as for me I spent much time getting acquainted with Paris, and he was at the conference all the time, at the meetings, discussions) he was very tiered, but satisfied with interesting meetings with people, with communication with people, which he had not had in Kharkov. That was what we discussed.   

-         When did he first go abroad?

-         In 1960-s he first went abroad, it was an International Conference in CERN.

-         What year was it? 

-         He went to CERN in 1965. It was very difficult. I was surprised too, but he was a young scientist. But, I remember, his first visit to America had been earlier. It was a Conference in elementary particles in the UAS in 1959 and he was included into the delegation. 

-         But it was "f cold war", how can you explain it?

-         It is difficult to explain, maybe the connections between the scientist played a particular role.

-         How old was he then? 

-         About 30.

-         Was he connected with scientists?

-         This question is spoken about in his biography. In a small essay he wrote an article connected with parastatistics, because of which he was included into the delegation. He was the only representative from the Ukraine. Most scientists were from Moscow, he was still unknown. Later on Baldin and Shirokov wrote that when the Americans met the delegation, there was a woman among then, Japanese by nationality, madam Lie, had a conversation with the head of the delegation (it was Markov); when he asked about the news, he answered, that it was she, who would like to ask about the news, and first of all who Volkov is. It caused some embarrassment among the delegation. They did not know who Volkov was. 

-         But at that time he invented parastatistics.

-         May be that was the reason, and maybe some deeper roots. When de defended the theses, Baldin came here from Moscow and noted that Volkov gave great hopes. 

-         Doctor theses is defended without opponents, only candidate theses is defended with opponents. What year was it?

-         Well, the opponents were present, I am sure.

-         What were his connections with Dubna?

-         There were conferences, seminars, they took place in Moscow. He met with Landau, he was in friendly relations with Blochintsev, Baldin, Solovyov, who was the director of Serpuchov Institute. 

-         What can you say about his relations with Landau?

-         It's difficult to say. DV respected his greatly as a scientist, he know his works perfectly well due to Achieizer, as he had creative relations with Alexander Ilyich. But when he came to Moscow he could not closely contact with Landau because he was at the conference in a crowd of people 

-         What year was it? 

-         It was at the end of 50-s.

-         What did he say about his meeting with Landau?

-         He had no personal contact with him. 

-         But he met him, didn't he?

-         Well, Landau wanted to talk to him, because he had some questions to discuss, as the problems they were working at were similar. Maybe Landau had his personal interest. It is difficult to say.

-         And what about his meeting with Gelman, did he say anything in the family about this meeting? 

-         The meeting with Gell-Mann was fantastic… 

-         What year was it? 

-         About 1968. it was in CERN, it was an international conference, and DV was invited there. The thing is that Kharkov elementary particles Institute practically was a leader in the Soviet Union in topics and branches, which were presented everywhere, but DV was paid attention to because he was the leader in many questions. And naturally he was invited to the international conference, I am not sure what problem they discussed together, but there was a publication. It was mutual, Gell-Mann presented his work and DV presented his work too.

-         When did he enter the Communist Party? 

-         The party is the question which can be talked about for a long time. He was a patriot, especially after the War, he wanted to help his country, this problem was very important for him, because he always wanted to do something useful. When Stalin died, there was a call to the Party, the so-called Stalin call. And he wrote an application. It was 1953. he prepared attentively, but his candidature was put aside, motivating that his father had been lost during the War; if such facts appear in the biography, these people are not usually admitted. He was very upset, but some years later (when I came to Kharkov, in 1957-58), he got the recommendations and wrote another application.

-         What was the situation lake in the Institute then?

-         There were some difficulties, but it is a special question. The party leaders of the institute were changes. And the young people from his laboratory wanted him to be in the Party because they respected him greatly, he was a well-known scientist. And he wrote an application for the second time. And again he was not admitted. The motivation was unclear. It seemed to him that they simply did not like him, these Party leaders, being in the Committee, those who had a talk with candidates. According to his answers they understood that he was not the person who could… Well he did not admit his candidature.

-         Was he upset? 

-         Very much! Because his relation to all this was rather sincere. It was a great moral shock. I don't remember what year it was, Yevgeny Vasilyevich was the Secretary of Party Bureau of the Institute, they were friends since the students years, he insisted on DV's writing the application for the third time. And only then he was admitted. When he became a Party member, he had a great Party load, he was in the Party Bureau of theoretical department. 

-         Did he gain any post? 

-         No, he had no post, Sasha Zheltuhin was the Secretary of their department Party Bureau. But practically, Dima had to do many things among which the contacts with the youth, braiding of young scientists in the Institute, the relations in the department, he leaded the library activity, he pas the Chief of the Library department of the institute. He did much to fill in the Fund of the Library with foreign journals bought on currency, it was very difficult then to subscribe on foreign journals. 

-         Where did he get them?

-         At first he did it officially, he achieved the institute to give money for subscription, which went through special editions, then he used his personal connections, the journals were simply sent on his name, and thus the Institute received good editions due to him. Well, later there was a hard time concerning the "socialist competition", it was necessary to decide who can win in this competition, the questions connected with money, how to enlarge the wedges of the collaborators. I have the documents, protocols of the meetings, all this can be found in his archive. For instance there aroused a question what to do to enlarge the wedges of the collaborations of his own laboratory due to the funds, the laboratory had. And then Dima, and Tkach, and even Akulov suggested to shorten their wedged to enlarge the Pashnev's wedges and someone else…

-         Tell me please, has he ever been the Party Orgasnizer?

-         No, they wanted to elect him the Party Organizer, but he was ill, and Alexander Alexandrovich Zheltuchin was elected the Party Organizer, who holt this post two terms, about 5 years, because of this he had difficulties as for dissertation, social activities took much time, but later he defended his thesis. But DV was not a Party Organizer.  

-         Did he want to write a book about supersymmetry? 

-         The thing is the DV did not like to write, neither formulas nor letters. He had an active mind, it was always in action, he wanted something new, and as soon as he had new ideas, there appeared publications, preprints, articles. To write a big book in supersymmetry was not his idea, the biggest edition he write was his big work in quarks. 

-         Phenomenological Lagrangians. 

-         And this too. As it is known Alexander Ilyich had very many monographs, which were accurately prepared and are of great importance. But DV did not posses such ability.

-         And who write articles he himself or his pupils?

-         As for the articles, they were written by him.

-         What did he need his pupils for then?

-         He himself used to write the texts. But the formulas and calculations were performed by his pupils. 

-         Did he repeat the formulas or created them himself, did he talk about it at hime?

-         There were some things which we used to discuss, there is one thing about which I would prefer not mention, but once happened, that he gave to one of his pupils the materials for calculation. The weeks past, but he did nothing, and at last DV calculated the results, such was their mutual work. 

-         What is your attitude to the edition of Supersymmetry Encyclopedia?

-         As for the Encyclopedia, I think, that it is a great event, which gained such a development recently and is presented in different branches of physics and mathematics, it deserves all the material to be collected together as a review material, as it will be of great help to scientists work and the work of specialists. 

-         Did you look through this Encyclopedia?

-          Yes, I did and I consider it a fundamental edition. 

-         What surprised you in it or maybe you would like to add something? 

-         From the critical point of view I can say nothing as I am not a specialist. Besides I am sure, that the brief review gives little information, to understand it well to be able to appraise it, it is necessary to study it attentively, but I am sure, that it is surely useful and unique.

-         And what did DV's pupils talk about him?

-         They said, that due to DV they became scientists, but all this was pronounces at home, let them say this in public, openly.

-         And why are they not together? I mean the laboratory of DV? 

-         It is a very serious story. The case is, that all this coincided with hard times. There was a disruption, the youth got their money and quickly got used to it. Dima went to Italy. He was already known at that time. Then his collaborators began to get Grants. DV was Soros expert, when first Grants came. 

-         Did he get a Grant?

-         Yes, he did. We lived on this. He got the Grant, Dima Soroka was included into the group, there were all of them, except Tkach.

-         Why?

-         And again, human factor is the most difficult thing, it turned out that Dima told Volodya Tkach, with admiration, that he is an intelligent, educated, kind person, but in fact the attitude to Volodya in the laboratory was just the opposite, because he practically did nothing. He began to teach at the extra-mural polytechnic institute, he had his own business. And as it turned out, that Tolya Pashnev even felt hurt at DV for this attitude to Tkach, which was too admirable. In fact Volodya did noting during the discussions, and DV had to do everything himself. He was not a leader by character, and he could not refuse anybody, he was too intelligent and too kind. You know, it is rather difficult to judge the measure of somebody's participation. But, as I understand, Tkach did everything possible to make the attitude to him negative. 

-         And who else was out of laboratory body?

-         It was Lazarenko, who left. He gave no production at all, and it was clear that he simply could not do it. Dima helped him to start working at Polytechnic Institute as a teacher. 

-         Was is not the level of personal relations?

-         No, it was rather painful. With Lazarenko it was in 1980-s. 

-         Who else was his post-graduate student?

-         Kuraev, but then he left. Guryev defended his thesis and now he is working at Sorokathe elder. But these relations were hidden inside the laboratory, but when Dima was there they used to discuss these problems, but it was rather difficult for him. And it turned out that when he died the question arose, who would lead the laboratory?

-         Yes, the question is interesting.

-         Well this is a common question for the situation when the chief dies.

-         And what happened?

-         There was a disruption of the laboratory to old and young. The fact was that the young were well-provided financially, they got various Grants and they had connections, and they started to argue, that it was necessary to divide the laboratory into two parts.

-         And how did they do this?

-         At that time such possibility appeared at the Institute, considering that the governors changed and the seemed to be anarchious. The collaborators were allowed to solve this problem themselves. Dima Soroka, Bandos, Nurmagambetov decided to join Bolotin.

-         And who stayed?

-         Sasha, Soroka, Gershun remained. Tkach went to Mexico

-         But he is here not, he has come back

-         No he hasn't come back, he has a free year for 5 years of work. He worked 5 years at Mexico University. 

-         Does he live there? 

-         Yes. He does. He has a free year of rest, as after 5 years of work he gets a paid rest time. 

-         Well only two men remained here from the laboratory, didn't they?

-         Well, Nurmagambetov went to Boloyin, Gershun is here, Sasha went to Sweden, but he is still the Institute collaborator.  And he works with Lipnitsky, i.e. the Volkov's laboratory does not exist at all. We have much spoken about it. But by now everything remains like this.

-         Well, how are you going to hold him in remembrance?

-         Now we are talking about two memorial conferences, the memorial board was organized, I think that it is due to the collaborators, especially due to Sasha Zheltuhin who helped so much, due to Reckalo, Alexey Petrovich played a great role. I think that it would be very difficult to do this memorial board now. 

-         Financially or bureaucratically?

-         Bureaucratically.

-         Why?

-         Now the choice is more strict, strong…

-         Stronger, than Party?

-         I think, that something like this. For instance the question about Sinelnikov had not been solved yet, who was practically the director of the Institute since the moment of its creation. There was a petition for calling the street after Sinelnikov, but there was no result.

-         And what about the street named after Dmitrij Vasilievich Volkov?

-         They wanted to recall the Pavlick Morozov street after his name, such a small street, and no result as well.

-         Did you yourself address?

-         No, it was the Institute which wrote the petition, this cannot be done personally.

-         And why, what is the ground?

-         I cannot say, the City executive Committee has its own ground, instructions, according to which they solve problems, but as for Sinelnikov, it is really a nonsense.

-         How do you thing, was DV a lucky man?

-         I think, yes. Though his life was hard, not easy, a large period of it was really poor, will he became a Doctor, Professor; of course happiness is understood personally, but from his point of view happiness was to consider himself a performed personality. 

-         What do you mean?

-         He realized himself, his abilities. Ha had a happy coincidence of talent with natural abilities in the sphere, which he had chosen for himself. Well, it is that he has never made effort over himself. It was like to breath for him. And as for his personal life, it appeared, that everything was all right too, we understood each other perfectly well.

-         Did he discuss everything with you or did he leave the right to have his personal point of view?

-         I consider this question incorrect. Every person has his own corners of soul, memory, feelings, which he has a right not to open for anybody, not because he does not want, but simply because it is the need of any human being. 

-         I don't mean the scientific life. I mean the conference, some reports, some conflicts at work…

-         We did not talk about it. Once there was a difficult problem, the question about his participation in the Lenin Prize. He was sent the article for testimonial of the work presented for the Lenin Prize. It was also connected with the problems DV was working at. 

-         Who was the author?

-         There were some authors. Tavhelidze, Baldin and some others. But when he received the monograph of this article, he realized, that for the Lenin Prize it was too weak. And then he was suggested to include his works into that material to be included into the list of people, nominated for the Lenin Prize. 

-         It was a kind of trade, wasn't it?

-         This moment was rather difficult. It was the beginning of 80-s. Well and the only word sent for testimonial remained. The difficulty was that if he was suggested to include his works before the work was sent for testimonial and to be nominated together, it would have been quite another thing. But as he received the suggestion after he had given the negative testimonial, it was strange, we talked much about it. I said, that if he agreed he would never been understood. And nobody know if he would have this Prize that time.

-          Well as I see you were against, weren't you?

-         Yes, I was against.

-         And what about him?

-         Him, too. As the result he refused. Many years passed, and thinking about it I am sure that he was right. Of course, his relations with Baldin were spoiled, and it was very sad, because there were nearly friends. But at the same time that variant you – for me and me – for you had a bad smell. And I think that he was right. .

-         Tell me, please, was there a question about which you had different points of view?

-         It is difficult to say.

-         What was the most prominent problem you were arguing at, not accounting your marriage?

-         we argues, of course, but not at serious problems. There were routine problems. I, like a woman considered, that everything must be convenient, concerning, for instance the flat repairing. He did not like it and suffered greatly because of this. He considered, that it was not the time. When we moved to Pyatichatky, a piece of sailing fell down …

-         Did he not repair? 

-         No, he has never done anything like this. And then his mother told me: "Stalya, if you want repairing, do it when Dima goes to the business trip". She was always on his side, and sometimes we had some conflicts. Any life together needs some probation. 

-         And can you remember of the case when you had to choose the way, but your opinions were different? 

-         By the way our opinions usually coincided, I cannot remember sharp, strained moments. Because he was always loyal. Even if we argued sometimes. It was not for a long time, we always came to consensus and could not be in conflict for a long time. 

-         And what was an approximate percentage of conversations about science and daily routine

-         We never spoke about routine, but we could not ignore it, it was always with us and sometimes hard enough, but we were interested in life, connected with new knowledge, new interesting people, excursions, trips, we traveled much. We often went to Karelia. He liked Karelia very much, he liked to go to the Karpathian and abroad. And then I was asked why he went abroad very little latelt, the case was that that the doctors did not allow him, they did not give him the permission. In the 90-s we had 2 happy years, when we went abroad, I had left the work by that time already. Then nobody asked the doctors. And he was yappt. He went to Paris, to Geneva, to Padova, to Venice. 

-         Who was his favorite writer?

-         As for writer, it should be mentioned, that he was very young when he went to the front, found himself in this Underworld of war, and he had to get education himself. He read much and thought much, he has many notes of various writers. He had many periods of favorite writers, each period had its own writer, not especially favorite but the writer who satisfied him at that period of time.

-         Which book could be found tattered near his bed?

-         At the very beginning, when we got acquainted he liked Anatol France very much. He read him much, then there were books connected with war, the books by Bykov, Boris Vasilyev, classics, naturally, he read Tomas Mann much, Strinback. In his last years he preferred to read the books in English, because of his trips abroad. He learned the language himself, practically on recordings. There were no special courses then. His first trip abroad showed, that he could not go there without knowing the language. That is why he had to learn. Later he know English perfectly well, not excellently, but rather well. 

-         Were these lessons?

-         There were also lessons as well as literary texts. Because to improve the language, and also literary language, he preferred to read the literature in the original. 

-         Do you remember what?

-         There was Litman, O'Henry, modern English writers there, not only them. He also read other fiction. There appeared the so called "self-editions" of Bulgakov, who was not published officially, "White dresses" by Udintsev. 

- Did he recite the verses from English texts? 

-         Yes. Sometimes we had evening readings together, as a rule we read to each other in pieces. 

-         Who was his favorite composer?

-         Though he said that he had not a good ear for music, though his mother was a pianist, she graduated from a special educational establishment and dreamed her sons to play too. But father and mother so to say "divided the boys", Dima was his father's son, his younger brother Leva, who had early died at the front, was a poet, his poems were even published in some magazines. Dima was different 

-         Did he often remember the war?

-         No, he did not like to remember that period, it was a shock for him. He had so many terrible sights in his mind, that he did not want to return to them, especially lately when open TV programs began about war, many moments were presented differently, and sometimes he believed in them/ for instance, he said that he had been shocked in Japan, or rather in Manchzhuriya, when the war had been over, but it had been continuing there, in the East, once when his unit had been bombed, it was found out that the wrong information had been given. At that time the soldiers did not know that, and could not understand what was happening. He did not share his reminiscences about the war, he preferred to thing it over with himself, sometimes his friends called him "insinuator". When he was among his friends, someone told an anecdote, but Dima kept silent, but from time to time,he could say something, breaking the scheme of conversation. His daughter is like him.

-         Was he interested in modern politics?

-         Yes, sure. He know everything about my family, he know, that my father was arrested in 1938, ma mother was excluded from the Party, I had a hard childhood. He used to repeat that his family was not touched with it. They did not know the repressions.

-         I am not talking about repressions, I mean modern situation?

-         The life turned out to help him to think it over spontaneously. His attitude was very serious when he entered the party, when there were meetings at the institute. He discussed everything actively, he was interested in the situation in the country, even when he left the Party.

-         And when did he leave the Party?

-         It was 1993. He thought much about it, because there was time when he had problems with entering the Party. But he left the Party himself.

-         If DV pupils were here, what would you tell them?

-         When we remembered Tolya Pashnev, whom DV liked very much, we began to remember some details. There were some collisions with foreign countries, his worked were not apprehended abroad, then he became popular. But everything was not easy enough. I would like those who worked with DV, who appreciated him as a scientist and as a person, whom he influences somehow, to say what was the real place of DV in this Pleiades of scientists, to say about this branch of science in which he made his great contribution. I would like them to do it but not the contemporaries who did not even know DV and never communicated with him. Because in this case it looks like fantasy. I have already told them all this. I would like his pupils to do it. There were several men, Tkach, Soroka, Gershun among them, who spoke about the emblem of the Institute. 

-         How do you think, will supersymmetry be found experimentally?

-         There is opinion among those who go to CERN, that 90% are for the fact, that it would be found. 

-         Who will be given the Noble Prize, what is your opinion?

-         The Noble Prize will be given to the one defined by the Noble committee. To be exact, to my mind, it should be given to those, who were the first to discover it and to work at it actively. In fact, I think they will be people from abroad, not our people. It's for the God to decide. 

-         Thank you very much, Stalina Ivanovna, for your Interview.

-         Thank you too.

Translated into English by Tatiana Kudryashova 


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