Abram Alikhanov
Building experimental nuclear physics and scientific institutions
Abram Alikhanov was an Armenian physicist and an important organiser of Soviet nuclear and particle physics. Born in 1904, he began research at the Physico-Technical Institute while studying at Leningrad Polytechnic Institute, initially investigating X-ray scattering.
His interests later extended to electrons, radioactivity and cosmic rays. With his brother Artem Alikhanian, he helped organise high-altitude investigations on Mount Aragats. These activities contributed to the growth of modern experimental physics in Armenia.
In 1945, Alikhanov became head of a newly established Moscow laboratory that later developed into the Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics. It advanced research on nuclear reactors, particles and accelerators. He died in 1970. His legacy includes experimental results, scientific teams and institutions designed to sustain research across generations.