А. А. Зайцев. Человек, инженер, ученый, министр…

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.