Letter to the editor

In the previous issue of TrV , an interview between Mikhail Gelfand and Academician Zhizhchenko was published . I want to express my point of view on an issue that hurt me personally and, probably, hurt a hundred times more than the person who was given the worst insult in our circle: accused of lack of professionalism. All of us, TrV readers, understand this very well. A hint of non-standard sexual preferences is better than a public accusation of lack of competence and ability.

So, let me, colleagues, express my point of view on this interview, or more precisely on the part of it that concerns Academician Zhizhchenko’s assessment of the capabilities, abilities and professionalism of Vasily Velikhov’s team (the coincidence of names is not an accident). I personally have been working closely and very closely on many projects - both international and Russian - with V.E. for more than ten years. Velikhov and his team. For example, the team he led literally pulled us out several years ago by developing the Russian part of the European project OASIS, a system for combating natural disasters and catastrophes that is still operating in Europe.

When I need top-class IT advice, I always turn to Vasily, and there has never been a time when he didn’t help me. He is truly a specialist of a very high level, there are only a few of them in our country, at least I don’t know any others. I have known Alexei Borisovich Zhizhchenko since my student days, when he helped me decide on my future profession.

In the past, he was well known as an excellent mathematician, a specialist in algebraic geometry, but with all due respect to him, I can say with complete confidence that he understands practically nothing in the matter that he is now trying to do. This is a different profession, different education, different training, different professional history. Don’t judge what you don’t understand, Alexey Borisovich, because this is an axiom for every professional!

With respect, Alexander Kuleshov