IT and Society: Day of Computer Science in Russia

Since 1998 the date of December 4 has been celebrated in Russia as the Day of Computer Science, while a birthday of the Russian Computer Science falls on December 4 1948.

Computer science in Russia, in the Soviet Union originated from the works of I.S. Brook, corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences of the Engineering Sciences Division. In August 1948 together with his fellow young engineer B.I. Rameev (later a prominent computer constructor, creator of “Ural” computers) he came up with a project of an automatic digital computer. In October 1948 they submitted elaborate suggestions related to organization of a laboratory at the Academy of Sciences for development and construction of a digital computer machine.

On December 4 1948 the State Committee of the USSR Council of Ministers for the introduction of advanced engineering in a national economy registered a device of I.S. Brook and B.I. Rameev (№10475) — a digital computer.

This is the first officially registered document related to the development of computer science in Russia. This day has been rightfully called a birthday of Computer Science in Russia.