By Ilya Magid
2003

PLANT 33

Outline

Introduction
1. How I enrolled in Plant 33
2. My Job in the Plant 33
    Construction Division
    Volkov's Laboratory
    Technical Design
    Pass Equipment to Military MembeR
    My Attempt to Work in another Laboratory
    Problem with the Lateral Petal in the Antenna
    Trip to Air Field
    Problem Creating Paul's Flight
    Problem with AAS
    About my Articles
    Small Receiver
3. Dismissal
Vignette

Editors: Stiven Seagol and Lucille Mc Melon

PLANT 33

(My Working Experience in the Soviet Union, City of Leningrad)

In the Soviet Union I changed jobs 3 times.

In 1951 I was graduated from the Leningrad Polytechnic Institute with a specialty in 'Electronic Engineering'. I was assigned by the ministry of Moscow to a secret Electronic Research Institute (ERI), the ministry of industrial communication ZIP 732a. The non-secret name was plant #34. After three years I was fired from the plant because I was a Jew. By law as a young specialist they could not dismiss me before. *

* In a different time of the Soviet history the Government (KGB) through the Personnel department of the plants had a different policy with respect to Jews. After 1947 it was strong by anti-Semitic.

After some time I was enrolled in my second job the Scientific Research Institute ZIP 188, plant 33. I write below about working in that institute.

In 1962 I resigned and enrolled a third job in the enterprise ZIP 629 which later joined with the Scientific Industrial Union 'Leninez', where I worked until I retired in (1984).
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1. How I Enrolled in Plant 33

When they fired me from plant 34 I could not find another job although in the Soviet Union there was always a shortage of manpower. All personnel departments sent me away because when I showed my passport, my nationality was indicated as 'Jew'.

My father-in law helped me to enroll in that plant. At the time of the war my father-in-law's institute in Leningrad evacuated him and other coworkers (high specialists) to the city of Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, because that was far away from the Germans who were close to Leningrad.

They organized military production there for the front. After the war they returned again to Leningrad. The ministry ordered them to organize scientific research institute 33. They developed a system for landing aircraft.

My father-in-law, as a big television specialist, enrolled in the Electrical Technological Institute named Ulianov (Lenin) where he organized the television department.

My father-in-law invited one of his coworkers from Krasnoyarsk to our home. He was a Jew, a leader of the main team in the Institute and leader of the division, Vexlin.

At our home we had dinner, drank vodka, and discussed my situation. As a result, I was enrolled in the construction division of the institute. I didn't like the construction job because I wanted to work in the laboratory, but that was impossible, because although there was no anti-Semitic policy the officials acted anti-Semitic secretly*.
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*My acquaintance Ivan Grigorievich (Russian), a respected man in our plant, arrived also from Krasnoyarsk, asked the Assistant to the Director of the Personnel Department N.N. Efimov to accept his wife, (my wife's cousin) for unskilled work. He answered, "No problem, let her come". When she went, he didn't accept her because she was a Jew.
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2. My Job in Plant 33

In plant 33 there were about 3,000 workers

I worked in plant 33 for 7 years and some special events, stand out in my memory.

On workdays I spent more than one hour taking a train to my job but all that time I read popular scientific literature usually translated from English.

Construction Division

In the construction division my leader was a Jew. He also came from Krasnoyarsk. I had a good relationship with him. I remember I constructed a magnetic cover from a special lamp. I was surprised that one Jew liked this construction job. He prepared maybe 10 special papers for the design of one piece of equipment and he admired those designs. I heard that later he changed his job and went to the airplane plant.

After three months I was moved to the Vexlin division in Volkov's laboratory, the laboratory of receiver equipment. I felt happy.

Volkov's Laboratory

The leader of the laboratory was Volkov, an administrator and member of the party. The scientific and technical leadership in the laboratory was put into effect by Epshtain, Abram Borisovich (Jew).

*Volkov's wife Zepkina was a technical worker in the laboratory. She was not a typical woman. She liked cats, which were fed from the leftovers of our meals from institute's dining room. Very soon there were very many cats. The leaders of the plant called a special service: the special car came and removed all the cats. That service killed them and the skins were processed in the government plants. (The Soviet economy was very rational). At that time Zepkina felt very bad and took a tranquilizer. Then more cats returned.

In 1952, when there were the most anti-Semitic government companies, many Jews were dismissed from their jobs. This was the time when the Soviet officials accused some Jewish doctors of their treatment not curing the members of the Soviet Government. The doctors were called 'Killers in white robes'. Later after Stalin's death, some Jews were in rehabilitation. The Personnel Department of our plant sent Zepkina to visit those Jews and invite them back to work.

Technical Design

When I came to Volkov's laboratory there was an ongoing project of a system of landing airplanes. The project was located in a special, separate trailer. There were stages of technical design. (First came planning, second technical design, and third implementation. Then the stage of mass production would follow. At each stage we had to show our program to the military members).

For a technical design it was necessary to create much technical documentation. I remembered we had maybe 20-30 books about radiolocation issued by MIT (USA), translated into Russian language. The scientific level of books was very high. The teacher from the Academy, a Jew, as an adviser came to us. I wrote many pages for those books for technical documentation

Understanding the parameters of the system became very difficult. Sometimes they were out of norm. Once the military checked the parameters. One of them was out of norm. To distract the military inspectors and to allow the engineers to correct the equipments, Vexlin began to demonstrate to the military members his own percussion watch. He threw it onto the floor. Of course it broke, but during that time the engineers covertly corrected the equipment.

At the end of the technical design a sample of the system was taken for demonstration in Moscow. On the road they met the car of the British ambassador. In the Soviet time all events were secret. Maybe somebody called the British Ambassador and they took a photo of the equipment. (It was special military lorry).

Pass Equipment to Military Member

At another time I received an order to show a military person 20 pieces of equipment for an airplane communication system, which indicated whether airplanes were ours or foreign.

Before, our division, created the terrestrial version of that equipment (located on the ground). I had to check each piece of equipment: check all parameters under different climactic conditions, jolting, etc. I spent a lot of time. After I had checked all the equipment, the military rejected any need for it. All equipment was demolished but I received gratitude for my workbook and our plant premium. At that time I was promoted to the position of senior engineer.

My Attempt to Work in another Laboratory

I tried to change my job in the institute but it was impossible. My father-in-law had contact with another laboratory in our institute. He referred me to the leader of that laboratory. The leader of the laboratory signed a paper for the chief engineer of our plant, in which was written, "Chief of the personnel department: find replacement for engineer Magid in one month and he may go to the new laboratory at that time".

I waited one and a half months and nobody called me. I went to Efimov, the leader of the personnel department, and asked him about my situation. He told me, "I lost your paper."

Problem with the Lateral Petal in the Antenna

Systems of landing airplanes include radar (beacon) on the airfield. In the plane there was a special receiver that directed the plane to the airfield. There was a big problem. The form of radiation from the radar consisted of a head petal and lateral petals (see picture 1)

In the receiver on the plane there was special equipment, which isolated the head petal. They made an automatic adjustment to strengthen the signal (AAS) but it reacted within definite limits.

Close to the radar, the form of petals in the receiver was as in the example (see picture 2) and we couldn't determine the direction of the airfield. In that situation a pilot has to fly with visual control.

In our institute there was a special laboratory creating AAS. The leader of the laboratory was Russian; other members of the laboratory were one highly educated Jew (PHD) and some Russian Engineers.

Our laboratory tuned those receivers with their AAS.

Trip to Air Field

Maybe for one half year I accompanied that receiver on the air filed. I was in the group of workers from our institute. I set up receiver on the nose of the plane with help of a special ladder. We accomplished landing (without real landings) on the airfield many times. Workers from that group expected to receive much money. I did not receive much money because they very often did not include me in the flight's list.

Problems Creating Paul's flight

As I understand now, it was the time before Paul's airplane crashed. That American pilot flew on a special plane very high. The Soviet rockets could not attack him. The system of steering rockets was defective. He flew across the whole Soviet country. We, workers, knew nothing about that flight. In our institute there were business trips to Baikonur, Kazakhstan.

They checked out the apparatus connected with those problems. Many people took that trip. They received much money, but it was a hard job. After a month they came to the plant and after some days they went again to Kazakhstan. They had trips for many years. I think many plants were connected with that project

They did not send me on one of those trips. Maybe Vexlin deleted me from the list of business trips. Maybe Vexlin shamed my father in law, who knew him. I heard they led a life without responsibility. The leaders shot at a herd of antelopes from the car and committed other offenders.

I understand they rearranged the equipment. I think there was radar on the ground, a special object in space and a rocket, which had to strike an object. The radar sent a radio signal, it reflected from the object; the rocket had a special receiver, which directed the rocket to the object. The reflecting signal of radar has a lateral petal, receiver of the rocket, which has to give off radiation from the head petal. There was a system AAS. But close to the object it did not work. Maybe at that moment a heating detector controlled the rocket. (It accepted the radiation of the engine of the airplane).

Problem with AAS
(A Search for the Defect)

As I understand it, in checking the system of steering the rocket in Baikonur, there was much difficulty. Maybe there were discussions and they decided, "The system of AAS did not work so well."

When I tuned the receivers with AAS I was surprised when I saw an oscilloscope line fold back. It formed a curved line and the signal was destroyed. (There was a special signal head and lateral petals on the entrance of the receiver). I decided to put into line the fold back some condenser and applied a constant level of voltage. The leaders decided to change their AAS in accordance with my modification. They did not tell me about that and did not suggest that I accompany that receiver to the research center in Baikonur. When the equipment arrived in Baikonur, there were changes. The result of replacement was of old with new (my) equipment negative. The receivers were returned back to the institute. We reinstalled the old equipment and worked in the laboratory during the works days and evenings. The assistant of the minister from Moscow rushed us. Nobody said us that I was responsible for detecting the problem. (I was a very small person but my leader certainly knew who was guilty).

I could not understand why their AAS worked better then mine. I many times asked the engineers of that laboratory, what is the reason. Once one Russian engineer from that laboratory showed me a scientific journal 'The Success of Physical Science' in 1945, which explained the situation. I was surprised, how their own ambition had influenced them than the Government's concern. After they showed me that article I did not insist on my opinion. I could not behave in a manner to harm America or Israel.

About my Articles

Our ministry (maybe Chief Directorate of the ministry, part of Ministry) issued a technical journal, with remarks 'for official use'. That journal was about the ideas of the directorate of the Ministry. The scientific level of the Journal was no so high. Somebody, very often, published his articles in that journal because he wanted too received a PHD and it was necessary to have printed articles.

Our technical leader Epstain would try to receive a PHD. (It would mean a big monthly salary). I published with him two small articles (about technology), I did not remember about what. I tried to write articles about the process of an antenna seeing other objects. Vexlin signed that article for issue. After some months the editor deleted it. Right now there is no great value to that articles.

Once I read a book translated from English about radiolocation. I showed there an expression about radiolocation information depending on the attitude of signal/noise. The expression was very complicated and difficult for me to understand. In using radio-locating information there were two types of mistakes: 'miss object' and 'false alarm'. When I considered the case of a big attitude signal/noise the 'miss object' was small, when I considered the case of small attitude signal/ nose there were created many 'false alarms'. The expression about radiolocation information generally represents a combination of two types of mistakes: 'miss object' and 'false alarm'.

I decided to send a letter to the all-union Journal 'Technical Physics'. I asked the Jew from the laboratory AAS to check my letter. After I sent it in a private way to that journal. Usually that kind of letter was sent from an organization. That was impossible for me. I waited maybe one year. I sent the editor many letters. Then he answered me back: "it is not interesting".

Small Receiver

I tried to reduce the size of the receiver (maybe somebody told me about it). It was suggested that the receiver would work only 15-20 minutes before the landing of an airplane. I reconstructed a used receiver (used small electronic lamp, etc.). The administration sent to me many delegations to see that receiver. The director of the plant ZIP#629 with their engineers once came to us to see my receiver. The director of the plant suggested that I come to his plant.

Really that receiver worked maybe half an hour and later it became overheated and the lamp blew out. After that the construction bureau made the design to prevent overheating. The receiver became slightly larger and was O.K.

3. Dismissal

There were many reasons why I was dismissed from the job and went to another plant including this plant was close to my home.

Some time before my dismissal my leaders gave me a new job, to produce and install the receiver for direct intensification, (diapason 3 centimeters). That was metallic construction. I gave tasks to the mechanical workshop. I began to prepare to dismiss myself from the plant.

It was necessary to fill in a pass paper. There were many positions. I did not have problems with the positions except for the library. The librarian (Jew) many times before told me that I did not indicate a return of a brochure on my card. But that brochure was with remarks 'for official use'. That was not a secret document, which was saved for the first (secret) division, taken to the job and given back after work. I can't change my brochure for another book. Maybe I left the brochure on the library desk and then went out, but he did not sign it with a library card. I had big trouble and headache. I was in a panic.

At last I was connected with a Jewish friend who worked in another secret institute. She took that brochure from her institute's library. I broke down that brochure into parts. We did not have copy services in Leningrad. We could make copy only in the plant, but it also controlled the secret division. Secretly in our plant a workman did copy that brochure and I collected it. That was a spy's job in the Soviet time. At last I gave it to the librarian. He signed on the line in my pass note.

When I wanted to leave the plant in our laboratory there was organized a laboratory meeting (maybe the leader ordered it), There they condemned me because I did not turn in the receiver, which would be produced in the workshop. One Russian coworker privately told me, "We never organized a meeting when somebody was dismissed from the laboratory".

All workers knew the situation about Jews, but they did not say anything. Once one of my coworker told me privately, "Your father-in-law shakes in his job".

When I went to the leader of the Personnel Department, Efimov, to receive the working book, he told me, "You are a very important person; the head engineer Spirov told me (later Spirow became director of the plant). We could increase your income". That was a game. I agreed. He told me nothing.

After one day I received a letter at my home. The librarian of the plant wrote me they found the lost brochure. I think that the Jew, who worked in the library, maybe was an engineer. He was jealous of another fellow's good fortune. For me, it was interesting to know where he lives now.

Later I heard that a receiver for direct intensification was turned over to another person.


Vignette

a) My coworker, a woman from our laboratory once told me, "You will emigrate but I will remain here. That time was at the end of the 1950's. I could not even dream about this.

b) I remember one Russian Cossack, (solder of electronic scheme) in our laboratory that wrote a letter to the Chairman of the Presidium of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. He was Ural's Cossack; he argued that the territory in Kazakhstan, where he was born, belongs to Russia*.

*In the czar's time Cossacks lived on the border of Russia. They guarded the territory from an invasion of nomads and colonized the new territory. In the Soviet time Cossacks were persecuted because they at the time of the civil war (1917-20) fought with the czar.

For me that was strange, because Russia and Kazakhstan were included in the Soviet Union, and Russia dominated there. The leader of the laboratory deprived him of the quarterly bonus. After the break up of the Soviet Union Kazakhstan became an independent state, and I understand that right now Cossacks have many problems there.

c) The laboratory was located in the room, where there were many tables. Each engineer had his own table. The leader of the laboratory, Volkow had his own cabinet. The situation of the laboratory was that engineers spoke with other engineers about different things that are normal, but if somebody read technical books, other engineers looked at him with suspicion.

d) I liked to go to the reading hall of the library (it was on upper level). There were special journals, translated from English to Russian. They informed about latest technical news, and achievements of military and science. There was much information, which you could not see, usually in the Soviet time.

e) At one time if engineers could pass an examination with knowledge of a foreign language, they could receive a 10% increase in their income. I passed an examination with knowledge of technical English. Our technical leader in laboratory, Epshtain, passed two exams in English and German and received 20% additional incomes.

f) The daughter of our technical leader Abram Borisovich Epstain studied in the evening division of the Electro technical institute where my father-in-law worked. He helped her transfer to the day division. For a Russian that was not such a big problem, but for a Jew it was big.

g) I had not yet worked in the plant but I heard that Efimov, the Assistant to the Director of the Personnel Department, was moved in the position of leader of the scientific division in the institute.

I understand he worked in the KGB (that is military). He became a military retired citizen after 25 years of service. He may be 45 years old. He had a military pension and an income as leader of the division.

At that time that was the usual practice. I knew many of the same cases.