Background
Tokaev, Grigorii was born in 1910 in Ossetia in the Northern Caucasus. Son of a peasant.
professor author Rocket and space scientist
Tokaev, Grigorii was born in 1910 in Ossetia in the Northern Caucasus. Son of a peasant.
Educated, 1930, at the Rabfak (Rabochii fakul’tet) 2- year courses for young people from proletarian backgrounds. Graduated from the Zhukovskii Air Force Academy, 1937.
Moved to Leningrad, 1929. Regarded as a highly gifted mathematician. Entered and graduated from the elite MVTU in Moscow (the Bauman Higher Technical School), 1932.
Worked first as an aeronautical research engineer, and was soon promoted to head of the Aeronautics Laboratory, 1938-1941. Worked on top-secret military projects throughout World War II, which automatically relieved him from active military service. At the same time, lecturer in aerodynamics and aircraft design at the MVTU, the Moscow Aviation Institute, and the Moscow Energetics Institute.
One of the first Soviet rocket scientists, 1944. As such, and with the rank of lt.- colonel, sent to East Berlin to inspect captured German secrets, and probably interview captured German rocket-scientists. In 1947, defected to the British Zone and was flown to London.
For the next 7 years, still distrusted by the British and the Americans, plunged into a condemnation of Stalin’s USSR. Told how he was once arrested, beaten up and severely injured for telling anecdotes about Stalin and Molotov. Wrote 3 political books: Stalin Means War, 1951, Betrayal of an Ideal, 1954, and Comrade X, 1955, a personal account of the underground opposition to Stalin in the USSR. Gave a series of lectures to British students and specialists. Worked at several secret military establishments in Britain, 1948-1952.
Naturalized British citizen. Taught aeronautics at Imperial College in the late 1950s. Became involved in the Apollo programme, 1956-1968.
Reader in Aeronautics and Astronautics at the Northampton College of Advanced Technology, 1960-1961. Head, 196175, and professor, 1967-1975 at the same college, and at City University. Visiting professor at universities in the US, Nigeria, Iran, Turkey and Holland.
Lives in England.
Religion is bad because it stops people thinking in a rational and objective way.
Marxism–Leninism as the only truth could not, by its very nature, become outdated.