Brief chronicle of the Programming Department

Below we present the most important events of the Programming department history.

November, 1, 1958 – the Programming department was created in the Institute of Mathematics of the Siberian Branch of the USSR Ac. Sci.

January, 1, 1964 – the Programming department became a part of the newly created Computing Center of the Siberian Branch of USSR Ac. Sci. (Now Institute of Computational Mathematics and Mathematical Geophysics).

The laboratory of system programming (headed by I. Pottosin) and the laboratory of theoretical programming (headed by A. Ershov) were organized in the Department.

1969 – on Ershov’s initiative, Design Office № 1 (KB-1 in Russian) was created on the basis of the department. This Design Office was intended to be a "software factory" aimed at constructing programming systems on indusrial basis. Later it was renamed to the System Programming Design Office (KBSP).

1972 – some of KBSP staff members came to the newly created Novosibirsk branch of Lebedev Institute of Precise Mechanics and Computer Engineering headed by V. Katkov.

1973 – the Artificial intelligence laboratory headed by A. Narinyani, a former Ershov’s postgraduate, was created in the Informatics department (former Programming department).

1975 – the laboratory of computational processes was created and V. Kotov, a former Ershov’s postgraduate, was its head.

1976 – VCKP Laboratory headed by L. Efros and the Laboratory of All-Union State Technology and Design Institute of the USSR Central Board of Statistics (later Separate problem laboratory of the Severodonetsk NPO) headed by E. Kuznetsov were ogranized for designing Shared Multiaccess Computing Center for institutes of Siberian Branch.

1979 – a Research group on theory and methods of compilation was created and headed by V. Kasyanov.

1985-1988 – Provisional Scientific and Research Group START.

1988 – Organization of InTech company that later, in 1991, was reorganized into the Novosibirsk branch of Russian Research Institute of Artificial Intelligence (Moscow). The director of RRIAI was A. Narinyani, the director of its Novosibirsk branch was E. Kandrashina, then I. Shvetsov, and recently Yu. Zagorul’ko.

1990 – the Institute of Informatics Systems of the Siberian Branch of RAS was established.

Main software projects of Programming Department

ALPHA Project
A system for automatic programming ALPHA was based on the Input Langiuage – a certain Algol 60 extension. Multi-phase compilation, mixed programming strategy and application of formal optimizing transformations allowed attaining high quality of executable code.

ALPHA-6 system for BESM-6 computer

The Multilanguage Optimizing Programming System BETA

MRAMOR project
MRAMOR is a multifunction workstation developed in the framework of "RUBIN" project for "Pravda" newspaper.

RUBIN Project
RUBIN data-processing system was aimed at providing integrated tools for automated text processing and information services increasing the efficiency of the whole newspaper publishing cycle - from the incoming data processing to production of page printing plate originals.

EPSILON and SIGMA projects
A symbol manipulation language initially named "SIGMA" was later renamed "EPSILON", while "SYGMA" became the name of another project - a symbolic generator and macroassembler.

AIST-0 project
The Automatic Informational STation (AIST) is a set of computer systems connected by communication lines with a large number of information sources and consumers; the connected systems are continuously engaged in joint information processing, sharing the time and memory of the central processing unit among all users currently connected to the station.

SAPPHIRE Project
A System for Automated Preparation of PHototypesetted edItions with Resources for Editing.

VCKP Project
Multiaccess Computing System for shared use by institutes of the Siberian Branch of the USSR Ac. Sci.

SHKOL’NITSA system
Application package SHKOL’NITSA for school educational process automation