Lev Melentev

Born Dec. 9 (22), 1908, in St. Petersburg. Soviet scientist in the field of power engineering. Academician of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (1966; corresponding member, 1960); Hero of Socialist Labor (1969). Member of the CPSU since 1947.

After graduating from the Leningrad Polytechnic’Institute in 1930, Melent’ev became active in engineering and teaching. Between 1945 and 1960 he was head of a subdepartment at the Leningrad Institute of Engineering Economics; from 1945 to 1951 he was also the institute’s deputy director. From 1942 to 1960 he was a senior research worker at the Power Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. From 1960 to 1965 he was chairman of the presidium of the East Siberian Branch of the Siberian Division of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, and from 1961 to 1966 a member of the presidium of the Siberian Division. In 1960 he became director of the Siberian Power Institute of the Siberian Division, and in 1973 a division head at the Institute of High Temperatures of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. In 1965 he was appointed deputy academician-secretary of the Division of Physicotechnical Problems in Power Engineering of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR.

Melent’ev’s scientific works deal with the development of the foundations and optimization methods for structuring fuel and power management and with the application of mathematical methods to the optimization of the development of large power systems. A number of Melent’ev’s works deal with the development of steam power plants and heating systems.

Melent’ev was a deputy to the sixth and eighth convocations of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. He has been awarded two Orders of Lenin, two other orders, and several medals.