Ukrainian scientist (1918–2020)
Borys Yevhenovych Paton (Ukrainian: Бори́с Євге́нович Пато́н, Russian: Борис Евгеньевич Патон; 27 November 1918 – 19 August 2020[2][3]) was a Ukrainian scientist and a long-time chairman of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. He was appointed to this post in 1962 and held it until his death.[4] Paton, like his father Evgeny Paton, was famous for his work in electric welding.[3]
Biography
Paton was born on 27 November 1918 in Kyiv in the family of scientist and founder of the Paton Institute of Electric Welding in Kyiv, Professor Evgeny Paton.[5] Evgeny Paton was (like his son) famous for his works in electric welding.[3] The first welded bridge in Kyiv, Paton Bridge, was constructed under the supervision of, and named after, Evgeny Paton.[5] Paton junior's mother was a housewife. Paton junior was born in the professors’ residence building of Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, where his father was teaching.[3] In 1941, Borys Paton completed the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute and became an engineer.[2]
During the Second World War, in 1941 and 1942, Paton worked and designed electric circuits at the Krasnoye Sormovo Factory No. 112 in Gorky.[1][3] His designs helped to increase Soviet tank production.[3]
Paton had a doctoral degree in technical sciences after he defended his doctoral dissertation in 1952.[5] In 1952 Paton joined the Communist Party of the Soviet Union.[5] In 1953 he became head of the Paton Institute of Electric Welding.[2][5] (The institute founded and formerly led by his father.[3])
Paton joined the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine on 18 November 1958. From 1963 to 1991, he was a member of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union.[2] Paton was appointed chairman of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in 1962 and held this position until his death.[4] Paton was also offered to head the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union in Moscow, but he refused.[6] He was convinced that he should work in Kyiv, at his parents' Institute of Electric Welding and the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences.[6]
Paton was a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union from 1962 to 1989.[6]
In the early 1970s and 1980s Paton had advised the Soviet authorities not to build the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant.[7][8]
In 1988 Paton was the first person to have been awarded the title of the Hero of Ukraine.[3][2]
In January 2008 Paton was appointed member of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine by a decree of President Viktor Yushchenko.[1] In the 2010 Ukrainian presidential election he was a proxy for candidate Yulia Tymoshenko.[1] In August 2011 Paton was one of the ten signatories of the so-called "Letter of Ten", a letter from Ukrainian intelligentsia figures in support of the policy of President Viktor Yanukovych.[1]
Paton was last re-appointed for another term as chairman of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine in 2015.[4] Paton did not submit his candidacy for the post in March 2020, which signified that he was leaving the position.[4]
Paton never fully denounced Ukraine's past as part of the Soviet Union.[nb 1][6] In 2019 he declared he was against decommunization policies.[6]
Paton died on 19 August 2020 aged 101.[2] He was buried at Baikove Cemetery three days later.[10]
Borys Paton was the author of more than 1,000 publications,[11] including 20 monographs and responsible for more than 400 inventions.
Family
Paton was married to Olha Paton and had a daughter, Yevheniya, who was also a scientist.[6][1] Yevheniya died in 2009 and four years later, his wife died.[6] After the death of his wife, Paton was cared for by his granddaughter, Olha.[6]
Research activities
Paton devoted his scientific research to[12]
- automatic and semi-automatic submerged arc welding
- development of theoretical foundations for the creation of automatic and semi-automatic machines for electric arc welding and welding power supplies
- research for conditions of long arc burning and its regulation
- solving the problems of management of welding processes
- creation of new functional materials
Under his leadership, electroslag welding was created which became a fundamentally new method of welding. Paton led research on the application of welding heat sources for the improvement of the quality of the smelted metal. On this basis a new branch of metallurgy was founded called special electrometallurgy (electroslag, plasma arc welding and electron-beam remelting). He was the first researcher to start intensive research in the field of the use of welding and related technologies in space.[13]
Member of the Order of Liberty
