Veterans of our Institute

Irina Grigorievna Pokrovskaya is 90 years old

The 90th anniversary of Irina Grigorievna Pokrovskaya, secretary and irreplaceable assistant to three prominent scientists of our Laboratory is celebrated on 24 May.

She was born in 1932 in the Crimea, the village of Koreiz, Yalta region, in the family of professional dramatic actors Grigory Georgievich Polikarpov and Evgenia Afanasievna Polikarpova. In September 1941, Irina Grigorievna's father volunteered for the Red Army. In November of the same year, defending the Motherland from the fascist invasion, he died in the battles near Kerch. Only at the cost of incredible efforts did Evgenia Afanasievna manage to save her daughter's life during the German occupation of the Crimea. Despite the severity of the post-war period, Irina went to study in Moscow and entered the Higher Central Shorthand Courses of the Ministry of Higher Education of the Soviet Union. She graduated from these courses with the specialty of a highly-qualified stenographer.

In June 1955, she was appointed to the post of secretary of Director of the Institute of Nuclear Problems Mikhail Grigorievich Meshcheryakov. In June 1956, the Institute was reorganised into the Laboratory of Nuclear Problems of JINR, and Irina Grigorievna was transferred to the position of Secretary of the Laboratory Director Venedikt Petrovich Dzhelepov. She was his permanent assistant until his death in 1998. Only then, in 1999, she left her job at the Institute (she was awarded the Medal "Veteran of Labour" in 1987).

From 1955 to 1993, Irina Grigorievna at one time acted as an assistant secretary to Bruno Maksimovich Pontecorvo. She widely helped him to prepare the papers of Enrico Fermi for publication and was also one of the editors and compilers of the selected papers of Bruno Pontecorvo. For 45 years, I.G.Pokrovskaya has continuously executed the documentation of the Doctoral Council for the defense of dissertations, meetings of the Committee of Plenipotentiaries and the JINR Scientific Council. At the invitation of the State Committee for the Use of Atomic Energy, Irina Grigoryevna more than once took part in the activities of the IAEA Conference Service Group in Vienna.

Professionalism and a high level of self-organisation allowed Irina Grigorievna to perform a large amount of work in various fields. At the same time, she is always benevolent and steadily fulfills any obligation she has undertaken. Irina Grigorievna has appreciated the respect of the Institute's staff, regardless of their ranks and positions and has always sincerely sought to help anyone who needed her help. Thanks to these qualities, Irina Grigorievna has gained great authority and deep respect not only in the staff of the Laboratory of Nuclear Problems of JINR, but also among scientists from many nuclear centers in Russia and abroad. For successful work, her photographs have been more than once placed on the Honours Board of the Laboratory and the Institute. Irina Grigorievna was also awarded an Honorary Diploma for services to the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research.

On the day of her anniversary, the colleagues and friends of Irina Grigorievna cordially wish her health and a festive mood!