Georgi Rykovanov

Dr. Georgi Rykovanov and Dr. Evgeny Avrorin Return to Institute for More Meetings

WASHINGTON-On September 23-24, The Eisenhower Institute once again hosted Russia's premier nuclear weapons scientists, Dr. Georgi Rykovanov, Director of the Zababakhin Russian Federal Nuclear Center (VNIITF), and Dr. Evgeny Avrorin, Scientific Director of VNIITF, for another round of meetings on the Institute's project, "Safeguarding the Atom: Engaging Leading Russian Nuclear Decision-Makers on Urgent Nonproliferation Issues."

In April of 2002, the Institute and VNIITF signed a Memorandum of Understanding that established a framework for cooperation. During this visit, the Institute hosted a workshop at its offices with a small group of former Congressmen, former Administration officials, and international scientific experts to discuss a variety of urgent nonproliferation issues. The goal of the meeting was to further define the agenda that the Institute and VNIITF began developing during consecutive meetings in Washington this last spring, and then Snezhinsk, Russia during the summer.

In the workshop, some of the topics that were covered included the development of proliferation-proof nuclear power solutions for the world's expanding energy needs. In addition, talks focused on ways to improve US-Russian cooperation on some of the so-called Nunn-Lugar threat reduction programs, as well as the prospects for expanding those programs from Russia's perspective.

Following their meetings in Washington, Dr. Avrorin and Dr. Rykovanov participated in another set of seminars at the University of Maryland, which focused on the future of the commercial nuclear power industry in Russia. These seminars were led by Institute Senior Associate and University of Maryland Distinguished Professor of Physics, Dr. Roald Sagdeev.

Dr. Rykovanov and Dr. Avrorin are Russia's two leading nuclear scientists and are frequently called on to advise Russian President Vladimir Putin. VNIITF is located in a closed city the heart of the Ural Mountains in Snezhinsk, Russia. During the Soviet era, Snezhinsk was only a "mailbox number," but after the end of the Soviet period it was given the unremarkable label of "Chelyabinsk-70." Both during the Soviet period and today, it is regarded as Russia's top nuclear weapons design facility.