Artem Mikoyan
From Sanahin to the age of jet aviation
Artem Mikoyan, born Anushavan, was a Soviet Armenian aircraft designer. Born in Sanahin in 1905, he progressed from factory work and technical education to aircraft engineering, eventually leading a major design team.
His collaboration with Mikhail Gurevich, established in 1939, gave rise to the MiG aircraft line. The name combines the two designers’ surnames. Under Mikoyan, the bureau helped make the transition from piston engines to jet and supersonic flight, with aircraft such as the MiG-15 and MiG-21.
These developments required coordinated advances in aerodynamics, engines, materials and flight testing. Mikoyan died in 1970, while the bureau bearing his name continued its work. His career illustrates the relationship between an engineering vision and the collective expertise needed to turn a design into an aircraft.