(SANITIZED)UNCLASSIFIED CECH PAPER ON DIGITAL COMPUTERS IN THE SOVIET UNION(SANITIZED)

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80T00246A016600280001-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 9
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 14, 2011
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: May 31, 1962
• Content Type: REPORT

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DIGITAL COMPUTERS IN THE SOVIET UNION
V. Czapla
The following is a survey of the manufacture and use of
digital computers in the Soviet Union. At the end of the
article a tabulation of the specifications of various Soviet
computers is given.
Construction of Large Computers
Construction of large computers was begun in the Soviet
Union in 1948. The first small electronic computer, MESM,
was completed at the Mathematical Institute of the Ukrainian
Academy of Sciences in Kiev, under the direction of
Academician S. A. Lebedev. At almost the same time, Academician
Lebedev built a large electronic computer, the BESM, at the
Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union in Moscow. This
computer belongs to the same class as the IBM series 700
computers. The BESM was completed in 1952. A few months
later, in 1953, in the Laboratory of the Construction Bureau
of the Ministry for Machine-Building and Automatization of the
Soviet Union, a second large computer, the STRELA, was com-
pleted under the direction of Professor Yu. Ya. Basilevski.
The principal difference between the BESM and STRELA is that
BESM is about 2 times faster than STRELA. However, STRELA
has the bigger memory capacity.
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Construction of Medium and Small Computers
In the Laboratory for Switching and Controlling Systems
of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union, a small
electronic computer, M-1 (Machine No. 1), was built in the
Spring of 1952 under the direction of corresponding member of
the Academy of Sciences, I. S. Bruk. In December 1952 a second
machine, this one a medium-sized electronic computer was com-
pleted, and became operational toward the end of 1954. It was
at that time also modernized and brought up-to-date. In 1953
in the Laboratory for Switching and Controlling Systems of the
Academy of Sciences, a medium-sized computer called the Digital
Electronic Machine, CEM-l, was completed. This computer serves
for the solution of mathematical problems of the laboratory in
which it was built. In 1954 in the Laboratory of the Scientific
Reeearch Institute of the Ministry for Precise Mechanics, a
small electronic computer, URAL, was completed under the direc-
tion of engineer D. I. Rameyev. Since that time, up to 5 per
month have been manufactured in series production. In 1957
in the Laboratory for Switching and Controlling Systems of the
Academy of Sciences, a small computer, M-3, was built in coop-
eration with the Scientific Research Institute for the electro-
technical industry. Up to 5 per month are now being produced.
In the Computing Center of the Academy of Sciences of the
Ukrainian Soviet Republic in Kiev, a modern electronic computer,
KIEV, was comp?eted in 1959. This is a multi-channel computer
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on which several problems can be solved simultaneously. Its
control, memory, and arithmetic units are completely independent
of each other and work on different frequencies.** The computer
occupies a apace of 40 square meters and is capable of deciding
the optimal control of sequence operations. It serves to
solve large scale mathematical problems, as well as to direct
and control technological processes in the metallurgical,
chemical, oil industry, etc. The computer is equipped with
2,000 miniature tubes and belongs to the class of medium-sized
machines. The second KIEV machine has been installed in Dubna
near Moscow for the purpose of atomic research in the nuclear
power station. In the capital city of the White Russian Soviet
Republic, two computers, MINSK-I and MINSK-II, are being built.
Young graduates of the Moscow University and young scientific
members of the Energetics Institute built a small computer in
1957. This computer is named after the small Setun river near
Moscow, and became operational at the end of 1959. It is now
in the Computer Center of Moscow University. Input and output
are decimal, but a subroutine translates the decimal numbers
rom the surrounding material, the machine described here
io clearly the general-purpose KIEV machine built by V. M.
Glushkov and colleagues and seen in 1959 by the computer del-
egation. So far as is known, the KIEV'had no facility for multi-
programming. However, some visitors to the IFAC in 1960 reported
a machine also called KIEV, but intended to be a process control
computer. The two sentences which reference this footnote suggest
that the two machines may be one and the same, and there has been
confusion in the reporting. Alternatively, there may be two -
machines and the author of this article has mixed his facts. Ed.
. **This means that the machine is asynchronous. Ed.
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into base-3. This means that levels +1, 0, and -1 are used.
The Soviet Newspaper, Krasnaia Zvezda of 26 March 1960 stated
that the computer M-20 had been completed; as the number 20
indicates, it does 20,000 operations per second. To support
punched card machines, a computer, EV 80-3 is being built.
The number indicates that this is a machine for 80-column
punched cards and is model 3.
Class 1 (Large)
BESM
STRELA
M-20
Class 2 (Medium sized)
M-2
CEM-1
KIEV
(Small)
MESM
M-1
M-3
URAL
SETUN
The computer URAL at a rate of 5 per month since 1955, and the
machine M-3 at the same rate since 19579 are being built in
series. One can assume that by the end of June, 1960 about
350 URAL computers, and about 150-200 M-3 computers have been
completed. Including other machines, such as the BESM and
STRELA, the total number of computers in the Soviet Union can
be estimated at around 600 machines.
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Modernization of Soviet Computers
With advancing techniques and technology, all computers
become antiquated within 2 or 3 years and have therefore to be
modernized. In the Soviet Union the following computers have
been modernized. In the BESM the cathode ray tube memory has
been replaced by a ferrite memory. The vacuum tubes have been
partially replaced by semi-conductors. The speed was thereby
increased and is now 10,000 operations per second. The computer
STRELA also has experienced many changes and one speaks now of
a STRELA-11. Nearly every user of a STRELA computer has effected
certain changes. The most significant modernization, however,
has been made with the computer URAL. This computer originally
had a very low speed of 100 operations per second. Now it has
5,000 operations and the URAL-k, which is to be completed in
1962, is supposed to have a speed of 10,000 operations per
second.* In most of the computers input and output equipment
was increased.
Special Computers in the Soviet Union
Beside the general-purpose computers, several special
computers have been built in the Soviet Union. The purpose of
many special computers is evident from their names. For
instance, the computer KRYSTALL serves for the calculation of
molecular structures; the machine GRANITE, for the tabulation
of statistical results of mass calculations, and the computer
The URALM computer also has been completed and has a
speed of 5,000 operations per second. Ed.
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P000DA, for the tabulation of meteorological predictions. In
the laboratory of the Mathematical Institute of the Ukrainian
Academy of Sciences in Kiev under the direction of the
Academician S. A. Lebedev and the scientific collaborator
Z. L. Rabinovitch, a special electronic computer, SESM-I, was
completed. It serves for the calculation of complicated hydry-
dynamic and hydro-technical buildings and construction. This
is the first computer in Europe on which linear algebraic
equations with up to 400 unknowns can be solved. In an 8-hour
shift, the computer SESM-I replaces the work of 20 mathematicians
working with mechanical calculators. The SESM-I, compared to a
general-purpose computer, has only about one-tenth of the
technical equipment and occupies an area of 8 square meters.
One engineer and a technician are used for maintenance and
operation. For optical tabulations, the computer LUCH (RAY)
was built. Recently the Soviet Union was divided into 105
economic districts which have been equipped with their own
calculating centers which will have punched card machines,
and computers. Also, individual academies of sciences and
universities own computing centers equipped with BESM or STRELA
or other machines. The tabulating center of the Academy of
Sciences in Tiflis, Georgia is now building a big computer
which will be installed In a special building.* The Academy
of Sciences in Tashkent built for their own tabulating center,
a computer fashioned after the URAL. In the capital city of
s s believed to be a BESM-Il. Ed.
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Armenia, Yerevan, there exists a research institute for math-
ematical machines with facilities in which computers are being
built. Also in Rozda, a computer is In the process of being
built.
Automation of Technological Processes
In the Soviet Union great care and attention is being
given to the automation of technological processes. For
instance, a tabulating center is being built for the petroleum
industry, and the chemical industry, also for the machine tool
industry of Baku which is equipped with digital and analog
computers. In a scientific research institute in Tiflis,
Georgia, a special computer is being built which is intended
to be used for the automation of steel furnaces. The switching
and controlling machine MARS 300, is equipped with an analog-
to-digital converter for the regulation of technological processes.
In the Soviet Union there exists very many computers for the
control of machine tools. Various linear interpolators and
differential analyzers are used for this purpose. The
Lichachev works built an electronic computer with about 3,000
tubes which will have the name ERA and which is intended for
the automation of technological processes. In 1961, twenty of
these computers are supposed to be built and later on, one or
two hundred are expected to be used every year.
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SOVIET COMPUTERS
4-)
Memo
Q)
a)
.-4
0
0
U
0
go
4.)
04
CL
F-4
4)
wq
10
Machine
Year
Q
KW
Q
x
A
3
BESM-II
1952
4000 T
35
3
P
2
39
8000
2047
FK
LS
1958
5000 D
10000
10240
MT
MB
200000 Fe
120000
MB
SD
STRELA
1953
6000 T
147
3
P
2
43
2000
2047
Wi
LK
25000 D
3000
200000
MB
M-2
1952
1676 T
29
2
P
2
34
F
2000
1024
MT
'LS
1954
5000 D
50000
MB
URAL-II
1954
800 T
8
1
SP
2
40
G
5000
2048
FK
LS
1959
3000 D
8192
MT
SD
100000
MB
10000
'LS
CEM-1
1953
1900 T
14
2
S
2
31
230
4096
MT
LS
495
496
Hg
M-3
1957
770 T
2
P
2
Al
1200
2048
MT
LS
3000 D
1500
max.
FK
KIEV
1959
2400 T
25
3
P
2
41
F
2000
24486
MT
LS
1024
FK
SD
SETUN
1957
300 Tr
P
3
9
F
4000
162
FK
LS
1959
300 T
2000
MT
FS
3800 D
FK
M-20
1960
3
P
2
45
G
20000
FK
LX
M-50
50000
T = Tubes G = Floating Decimal Pt. LS = Punched Tape
D = Diodes P = Parallel
Fe = Ferrite cores FK = Magnetic Cores
TR = Transistors FS = Teletype
F = Fixed Decimal Pt. Hg = Mercury Memory
LK = Punched Cards
MB a Magnetic Tape
MT = Magnetic Drum
SD = Hi.Speed Prtr.
SP = Series Parallel
Wi = Williams Tube
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