Heroes of Belarus. Mikhail Vysotsky. Scientist ahead of his time

The Minsk Times project is dedicated to people awarded the highest Hero of Belarus title

The name of Mikhail Vysotsky — the Hero of Belarus, academician of the National Academy of Sciences, and outstanding design engineer — is forever inscribed in the annals of domestic mechanical engineering. He is credited with the creation of the first Belarusian automobiles bearing the Minsk brand. Under Mikhail Vysotsky’s guidance, half a thousand models of Belarusian trucks were designed. He was hailed as Person of the Year in Great Britain, while the United States included his name in the list of scientists who made the most significant contribution to the advancement of global science in the 20th century.

Awards

• By Decree of the President of the Republic of Belarus No. 135 dated  March 1st, 2006, academician Mikhail Vysotsky was awarded the Hero of Belarus title in recognition of his exceptional contribution to the socio-economic development of the Republic of Belarus, his personal input in the establishment and development of the national automotive and bus manufacturing industries, the Belarusian scientific school of mechanics and integrated design of mobile vehicles, as well as for conducting fundamental and applied research, and training scientific personnel.
• Order of the Red Banner of Labour
• USSR State Prize 
• Order of Lenin 
• BSSR State Prize 
• Honoured Worker of Industry of the USSR 
• Order of the Fatherland 3rd class 
• Korolev Gold Medal 
• Order of the Fatherland 2nd class 
• Honorary citizen of Minsk 
• Order of Honour 

Mikhail Vysotsky was born on February 10th, 1928, in the village of Semezhevo, located in Kopyl District of Minsk Region. He commenced his professional journey as a worker at the Minsk Automobile Plant (MAZ), and after graduating from the Minsk Auto-Mechanical College, he continued his career as a design engineer, simultaneously studying at the All-Union Correspondence Institute of Machine Building in Moscow, which he completed in 1955. In his graduation thesis at college, Vysotsky proposed a project for the first assembly line for MAZ automobile production. The creation of special trailers, from which the world’s first artificial Earth satellite was launched, marked the initial triumph of the young lead design engineer at MAZ — Mikhail Vysotsky.
The Minsk Automobile Plant became a kind of alma mater for our hero; it was there that Vysotsky ascended from a worker to the chief designer — head of the chief designer’s department at the production association BelavtoMAZ, which encompassed all automobile plants in the country. Subsequently, he became the director of the Research Centre for Machine Mechanics Problems under Belarus’ National Academy of Sciences (NAS) set up on his initiative, later serving as the general director of the Scientific and Engineering Republican Unitary Enterprise Belavtotractorostroyeniye under Belarus’ NAS, and then as the general director of the State Scientific Institution Joint Institute of Mechanical Engineering under Belarus’ NAS. Within a few years, he transformed this institute into a major research centre, where experts deliberated on prototypes of not only future trucks but also MAZ buses, BELAZ quarry dump trucks, and BELARUS tractors. All of these constitute a source of national pride today.  
Vysotsky was the first in the USSR to create new-generation articulated trucks that rivalled the best global counterparts, earning a gold medal at International Fair Plovdiv in 1988. Under his leadership, and at the behest of the Soviet Government, designs for dump trucks were developed for the Kama Automobile Plant, which were recommended for mass production by the State Commission in 1973. In 1974, Vysotsky was awarded the Order of Lenin for his creation of a new type of road transport — heavy-duty articulated trucks. He also made history as the only Belarusian to be bestowed with the Honoured Worker of Industry of the USSR title.
A remarkable achievement of design engineer Vysotsky was the creation of the renowned modular design for the MAZ-2000 articulated truck, dubbed Perestroika. That experimental vehicle with a fundamentally new layout was recognised as the vehicle of the 21st century, receiving a gold medal at Paris Motor Show in 1988 and patented in five countries.

Famous MAZ-2000 Perestroika articulated truck

Mikhail Vysotsky was half a century ahead of global automotive engineering. In Great Britain, he was once named Person of the Year, while the United States included his name in the list of scientists who made the most significant contribution to the advancement of global science in the 20th century.
Vysotsky’s name is inextricably linked to the development of a fundamentally new design for heavy-duty vehicles, known as cab over engine, which gained worldwide adoption. Vysotsky was one of the initiators of establishing large-scale domestic bus production at MAZ, overseeing the creation of the first models in collaboration with Germany’s Neoplan. This laid the foundation for modern production of unified buses, aimed at meeting the needs of Belarus and facilitating exports. It can be stated that without Mikhail Vysotsky, MAZ would be an entirely different enterprise today.
Vysotsky engaged in extensive and fruitful research, organisational, academic, and community activities. Most significantly, he transcended the boundaries of pure science by integrating it with production. He is the author of over 450 scientific works and 145 copyright certificates and patents, the majority of which became the foundation for the creation and enhanced competitiveness of new types of automotive and tractor machinery. He mentored six doctors and 18 candidates of science, establishing the internationally recognised Belarusian school of mechanics and integrated design of mobile vehicles, which laid the groundwork in the country for the theory of design and accelerated testing of high-speed heavy-duty articulated trucks. The welfare of his Motherland was the guiding principle of Mikhail Vysotsky’s life up until his final hour. He passed away aged 85 after a prolonged illness. However, the memory and legacy of this great man continue to live.

Hero of Belarus Mikhail Vysotsky

At a solemn event at Belarus’ NAS celebrating Mikhail Vysotsky’s 85th birthday, his audio address to friends, associates, and fellow countrymen was played. He could not be present in the hall, as he was gravely ill.

“With all my heart and soul, I am with you in spirit. I am happy because my ten-million-strong country has the right to be called a powerful machine-building state, producing its own automobiles, heavy machinery, tractors, combine harvesters, and buses. I am also happy that my endeavours — along with the teams of plants decorated with honours, the legendary directors, design engineers, and workers — have contributed to the achievement of our common goal.
I take joy in visiting my native village of Semezhevo. I rejoice at high yields that increase every year, at the new look of this agrotown, the flourishing towns of Kopyl and Slutsk, where I have many friends. Every spring on Victory Day, I was honoured to march in the front line of veterans alongside the President of Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko, and his sons. I remember the President’s visit to our institute and the much-needed support during difficult times, which we justified. I received the highest award of our Motherland — the Star of the Hero — from his hands. Please convey my gratitude to the President for the congratulations and let him know that I am proud of him, as if he were my own son. I can now afford such an informal expression.
I can only imagine how much our scientists will achieve during their long creative lives, which I wish for each of them. My dear ones, live long, happy, and productive lives. I take with me — as a gift from fate — your words, smiles, and good wishes. How glad I am to have heard them while I am still alive. Thank you!”

Memory

• In his small motherland, the native village of Semezhevo, a house museum dedicated to Hero of Belarus Mikhail Vysotsky was inaugurated.
• A memorial plaque in honour of Mikhail Vysotsky is placed on the building of the Joint Institute of Mechanical Engineering under Belarus’ National Academy of Sciences.
• In 2014, Vysotsky’s name was bestowed upon the Minsk State Auto-Mechanical College.
• One of the streets in Minsk is named after academician Mikhail Vysotsky.

By Svetlana Yevgenyeva