Medical Radiology and Radiation Safety. 2025. Vol. 70. № 1

OLEG ANATOLIEVICH KOCHETKOV

On January 15, 2025, Oleg Anatolyevich Kochetkov, a leading scientist and organizer of science, turned 90 years old. He is a leading researcher at the Laboratory of Radiation Safety of Personnel of the State Scientific Center of the Russian Federation – the Federal Medical Biophysical Center named after A.I. Burnazyan.

In 1959, after graduating from the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute, O.A. Kochetkov was sent to work at the Institute of Biophysics of the USSR Ministry of Health (now the A.I. Burnazyan Federal Medical Biophysical Center), where he rose through the ranks from engineer to deputy director for science. For over 40 years, he headed the department and laboratory for the development and solution of scientific and practical problems of radiation safety at nuclear industry enterprises.

A major role in the development of O.A. Kochetkov as a scientist from the very beginning of his practical work was played by close creative communication with such famous scientists and specialists as L.A. Ilyin, S.M. Gorodinsky, A.D. Turkin, E.E. Kovalev, I.B. Keirim-Markus, R.Ya. Sayapina and others.

Already in the first years of work at the IBP, O.A. Kochetkov demonstrated a high professional level, organizational skills and personal courage. He took direct part in studying the radiation situation on the first nuclear icebreaker "Lenin" and on the first generation nuclear submarines. Under his leadership, a set of works was carried out to assess the dose from gamma-neutron irradiation of submarine personnel, as well as the radiation consequences due to the presence of leaks in the primary circuit of the nuclear reactor and the development of emergency situations. These studies were carried out in the conditions of autonomous submarine voyages. For participation in the first voyage of the nuclear submarine K-3 to the North Pole in 1963, O.A. Kochetkov was awarded the Order of the Red Star.

Since the early 1970s and for many years, O.A. Kochetkov, having headed the laboratory, and then the department, devoted the main attention in his scientific and creative work to solving radiation-hygienic problems in the process of introducing new technologies into the nuclear fuel cycle. Thus, a large volume of research was carried out to study and evaluate the conditions for using mixed uranium-plutonium fuel (MOX fuel) in nuclear power engineering. Sanitary and hygienic requirements were substantiated in the case of a two-zone layout of equipment placement in the production of MOX fuel, in contrast to the three-zone layout adopted in the nuclear industry.

The Chernobyl accident in 1986 led to a rethinking of the attitude of both the public and specialists to the problems of developing nuclear energy, and the work carried out to eliminate the consequences of the Chernobyl accident demonstrated the high level of specialists responsible for solving the problems of ensuring radiation safety. Among the specialists headed by Academician L.A. Ilyin was O.A. Kochetkov. He had to carry out responsible work as part of the Government Commission during the most intense period of work to eliminate the consequences of the Chernobyl accident (June-July 1986). For several years, he headed a set of works that were carried out by the Institute of Biophysics directly in the Chernobyl area to study the radiation situation, control personnel exposure, and zoning of the contaminated territory around the Chernobyl NPP. A number of standards and requirements were developed for the implementation of work to eliminate the consequences of the Chernobyl accident, and a number of documents were developed for the first time.

In the 90s. In the last century and at the beginning of the 2000s, there was a revision towards tightening the main dose standards. This required specialists in radiation safety and radiation hygiene to pay great attention to the development of new regulatory and methodological documents. With the participation of O.A. Kochetkov, and in most cases under his scientific supervision, more than 50 regulatory and methodological documents were developed to solve radiation safety problems at nuclear industry and energy enterprises. Among the most significant are NRB-1999, OSPORB-2000, SPORO-2002. In 2001-2004, 5 collections of methodological documents were published, which were updated and republished in 6 collections for 2016-2019. This work was carried out as part of the activities of the Methodological Council for Ensuring Radiation Safety, which was formed in 1997 in the system of the Ministry of Atomic Energy of Russia and functioned on the basis of the Institute of Biophysics of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia. O.A. Kochetkov, as Deputy Director of the Institute for Science, was the scientific director of the Methodological Council.

A large volume of regulatory and methodological documents was developed under the leadership of O.A. Kochetkov on issues of regulating radiation safety in the nuclear weapons complex.

As Deputy Director of the Institute, O.A. Kochetkov headed the work and took an active part in the preparation and publication of a number of monographs that presented the scientific potential of the Institute's scientists in the field of the main problems of radiation safety and radiation hygiene. These are "Plutonium", M., Izdat, 2005, "Technogenic Irradiation and Human Safety", M., Izdat, 2006, "Radiation and Dosimetric Aspects of Eliminating the Consequences of the Chernobyl Accident", M., Izdat, 2011 and others, more than 10 monographs in total.

For many years, O.A. Kochetkov has been a member of the Russian Scientific Commission on Radiation Protection (RSCP). He regularly delivers problematic reports on current issues of dosimetry, standardization and other aspects of work.

We sincerely congratulate Oleg Anatolyevich on his anniversary and wish him good health and many years of successful scientific work in the field of ensuring radiation safety of personnel.

Management of the Federal State Budgetary Institution State Scientific Center Federal Medical
and Biological Center named after A.I. Burnazyan of the Federal Medical and Biological Agency of Russia,

Editorial Board of the Journal

"Medical Radiology and Radiation Safety".

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