issues in the Russian Federation. Russia has joined the elite club of the few countries that have the scientific, technical and economic potential to develop and implement maglev systems on a large scale. With its entry into the elite of maglev research, Russia may be in a position to play a major role in defining technical standards for the application of maglev technologies, including those related to specifically Russian requirements.
In the following year 2019, an international workshop was organized in Dresden in February 2019 to examine technical issues and economic requirements related to Maglev projects in Russia. Among the 20 participants of this two-day workshop were several members of the PGUPS science team, some professors from Russian universities, and international experts on magnetic levitation technology and its application.
In April 2019, the International Maglev Board organized a Russian-German follow-up meeting in Munich. At this meeting, it was decided to study and evaluate the technological aspects of maglev for urban and high-speed maglev systems. The meeting, which lasted several days, was characterized by intensive discussions, during which Anatoly A. Zaitsev repeatedly emphasized the Russian specifics of maglev deployment. The results of the meeting led to the definition of decision criteria and primary relevant use cases for Russia. And as intense and interesting as the technical discussions were, as joyful and beautiful were the joint dinners and celebrations afterwards, where all participants enjoyed Anatoly’s refreshing sense of humor.
Anatoly Aleksandrovich in Munich, 2019, together with IMB team professionals (Roland Kircher, Eckert Fritz, Martina Hekler et. al.).
A more detailed definition of the topics and content of the Munich results then took place in the following n workshop in May 2019 during the 7th International Scientific Conference «Maglev Transportation Systems and Technologies» (MTST) in St. Petersburg. Here, too, intensive discussions took place in an open, cordial atmosphere. The German experts of the International Maglev Board sat down with Anatoly and the experts of his Russian team from PGUPS and MIIT and specified the parameters and assumptions for several Maglev projects in the Russian Federation. Once again, the focus was on the St. Petersburg – Moscow route – but also on the prospects for using Maglev systems in regional transport as well as in cargo transport.
Due to the Covid 19 pandemic, the next meetings in 2020 had to be held as online meetings. Although this was an unsatisfactory solution, it nevertheless made it possible to continue contact in a trusting, productive and even cheerful manner despite the great physical distance. Thus, the cooperation with Anatoly and his team remained intense and full of joy.
Due to the Covid 19 pandemic, next meetings in 2020 had to be held as online meetings. This was an unsatisfactory solution, but it still allowed the contact to continue in a trusting, productive and even joyful way across the great physical distance. Thus, the collaboration with Anatoly and his team remained intense and was full of joy.
In February 2020, a team from the International Maglev Board celebrated Anatoly Aleksandrovich’s 80th birthday. It was celebrated at the IMB office in Munich and toasted to his achievements, well-being and good times: «Long-distance-Cheeeeers!». Due to the pandemic situation, we could not travel to see him – and he could not come to Munich in these months either…
Anatoly Aleksandrovich has been advocating for the Russian Federation to become a major player in the development and use of maglev railroads. He was very successful in this endeavor: He laid the scientific and systems engineering foundations for a forward-looking transport development in the Russian Federation, which had already been working successfully on the development of maglev systems itself since the 1970s.
The team of scientists Anatoly has gathered around him from the PGUPS and MIIT universities is, in the IMB’s view, among the Russian Federation’s academic elite. Anatoly’s commitment has been able to bring these scientists together and motivate them. With the dedicated members of his working group in St. Petersburg, Anatoly has succeeded in making Russia a potential player in the maglev market.
The trustful cooperation with the great Russian patriot Anatoly Aleksandrovich Zaitsev was always touching, intense and joyful for all scientists of the International Maglev Board.
It should be in the spirit of Anatoly Aleksandrovich to continue peaceful international cooperation in sciences and to further advance technologies serving peaceful transportation of people and goods.
Even though the international situation is now sad and confhctual at the time of this publication, the International Maglev Board hopes and wishes that Anatoly Aleksandrovich’s team can receive all the necessary support from home and abroad to continue to seize the opportunities Anatoly has opened up for his homeland.
Лёвин Б.А,
президент Ассоциации вузов транспорта, президент Российского университета транспорта (МИИТ), доктор технических наук, профессор
С Анатолием Александровичем Зайцевым судьба впервые свела меня в 1997 году на выборах ректора МИИТ. Выборы эти были примечательны: впервые руководитель крупнейшего транспортного вуза не назначался административным решением, а избирался трудовым коллективом.
К этому событию Анатолий Александрович, в то время министр путей сообщения, отнёсся с повышенным вниманием: пообщался с каждым из четырёх кандидатов, присутствовал на выборах.
После их окончания он встретился со мной как с избранным ректором, проявил неподдельный интерес к результатам моей работы во главе Российской академии путей сообщения (РАПС), ознакомился с положением дел в МИИТ, которое, откровенно говоря, с точки зрения состояния материально-технической базы и внебюджетных доходов было близко к критическому.
Анатолий Александрович очень быстро вник в суть проблемы и, что было несколько неожиданно, предложил рассмотреть вопрос о вхождении в состав МИИТ Российской академии путей сообщения, руководство которой, в отличие от университета, уверенно освоило новые механизмы хозяйственно-экономической деятельности. Время показало, насколько дальновидным было это предложение. Удалось не только укрупнить структуру МИИТ, но и успешно применить
