Petr Fedorovich Papkovich

Born Mar. 24 (Apr. 5), 1887, in Brest-Litovsk (now Brest); died Apr. 3, 1946, in Leningrad. Soviet scientist and naval architect. Corresponding member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (1933); rear admiral of engineers.

After graduating from the St. Petersburg Polytechnic Insitute in 1911, Papkovich helped design and build warships and passenger vessels. Beginning in 1916 he lectured on structural mechanics at the Leningrad Polytechnic Institute, where he eventually became a professor (1925–30). From 1934 to 1940 he was a professor at the Leningrad Shipbuilding Institute, and from 1934 at the Naval Academy.

Papkovich’s major works dealt with the structural mechanics of ships. He developed and refined design methods for ship components. His works on the theory of elasticity are of great importance. He investigated the general theorems of elastic system stability and developed and substantiated experimental methods for the study of ship strength. Papkovich is the author of the textbook The Structural Mechanics of Ships. He was awarded the State Prize of the USSR (1946), two Orders of Lenin, two other orders, and various medals.