Rem Khokhlov Biography

The first large -scale Pamir expeditions were organized under the auspices of the Academy of Sciences.

The names on the maps are also reminded of this - the ridge of the Academy of Sciences, the glacier of the Moscow House of Scientists, the peak of Schmidt, the peak of Shokalsky and many others. And although mountaineering did not become an intellectual sport, many scientists have visited the mountains. Mountain abstractions and scientific thinking are in contacting fields.

Not far from our camp in the clearing of Suloev was the camp of the expedition of Moscow State University, which included the assault on the peak of communism Ram Viktorovich Khokhlov, vice president of the USSR Academy of Sciences. One day of rest, I went to the neighbors and was immediately mobilized to clean the potatoes. I joined those who were sitting around a large basin, sunbathing and conducting a conversation affecting Moscow official topics.

It seemed to me that Khokhlov, next to whom they allocated a place for me, was burdened by this conversation. He reminded those present that most of them are on legal leave. The discussion gradually faded away, the potato ended, and I decided to ask, as it seemed to me, an innocent, neutral question: - Ram Viktorovich, what do you think about UFOs? His reaction surprised me.

A complacency expression disappeared, he looked at me warily and answered in some official voice:-The Academy of Sciences does not deal with this issue. I felt that by chance I touched the “unmalous” topic. But after a few minutes, the delicate Ram Viktorovich, as if smoothing the excessive severity of the tone, came up to me and started a friendly conversation about the originality of this area.

A few days later, Valery Petiforov and I reached the next “duty” at the peak of communism. Typically, such outputs were made to secure foreign climbers. And although at that moment none of our wards was upstairs, this decision of the head of the branch of Mala - Anatoly Georgievich Ovchinnikov - was not surprised, since the group of Moscow State University was on the way to the top.

When we came to the eastern tip of the plateau to the Tajik biologists tent, we learned that Hokhlov died in the assault camp and fell ill. Having turned on the walkie -talkie, I realized that radio exchange has long been on the air, and that in the base camp it was decided to try to evacuate the victims with the help of a helicopter. The Moscow State University team is proposed to urgently prepare the landing site.

The decision made by the "headquarters" was bold, but real. The technical capabilities of the Mi-4 helicopter theoretically allowed to do this. The matter remained for the performers. However, Mashkov, who was next to the patient Ram Viktorovich, expressed in a radio doubt in the expediency and opportunity to organize an “airfield” in one night. And people are tired, and the texture of snow will not allow him to compact him, and maybe Khokhlov will become better by morning, and he will be able to go on his own.

And then the descent will not take much time. The headquarters in a firm voice of Bogachev insisted that it was impossible to waste time, and said that the pilot and the car were already preparing. And in general, help will be provided on the plateau-there should be a group of a small plus group of Vlasov-and I hear someone adding to the microphone-plus the “Swallow 18” group.

All these three groups represented Valera and I - “Swallow 18” were our radio calls. A stressful discussion was on me, as it were, on two levels: on the air - on a cautious, almost protocol -sustained style - and nearby in a tent of biologists, so to speak, in an open text, where disbelief was expressed in success - and the pilot is unlikely to fly, and the landing platform cannot be done.

And then I thought that this site can be prepared together. We moved from the eastern tip to the center of the plateau. The third also went with us, but then he saved. I really wanted to help Ram Viktorovich, I really wanted to help the pilot, and I remembered that this is my second attempt to build an airfield in the mountains. The first time was unlucky. Maybe lucky in the second.

I crossed the plateau more than a dozen times, I knew the features of the relief and realized that there is a place where it would be possible to organize a runway. And what should this be done by morning. Morning is the optimal time for such a flight: at low air temperatures, the flight characteristics of the helicopter improve and compacts, the snow at the airfield will be lost.

We came to the area of ​​the glacier already in the dark, set a tent, and I headed to the edge of the plateau, where I found a small hill to which there was a convenient flight and which smoothly went down to the cliff. This would allow the pilot to take a rise without gaining heights, accelerating the car under the slope. A similar technique was often used at the start of the glider.

At the glider base in Koktebel, for example, the glider launched from the cliff towards the sea and at the end of the run was in the air, having a large supply of height for maneuver. A similar option was possible here. I designated the contour of the landing circle, then Valery joined me, and we silently started our monotonous path, trampling snow, in a spiral from the periphery to the center.He calculated the area of ​​the circle, the area of ​​the trace from the boot, and taking into account the pace of our movement, it turned out that by the hour by seven or eight in the morning we must have time to do everything.

Having finished with mathematical calculations, in silence and darkness he began to philosophize in order to pass the time. Our movement was like moving a plowman on arable land. It so that the traditional direction of movement - clockwise or against - was different for Western and Eastern civilization. And since we stomped counterclockwise, I received food for thought that at a tense moment I involuntarily preferred the eastern image of action.

My philosophizing was interrupted by the appearance in the middle of the night of people from the team of Moscow State University, who came from above. By this time, half of the work was done. Part of those who came - among them in the dark, found out Nikolai Volodichev and Nuris Urumbaev - joined us, and by dawn we completed the project. Having a time reserve, they even expanded the runway in excess of the necessary minimum.

The headquarters of our readiness reported on the radio, and soon a helicopter that made reconnaissance passed over us several times. He dropped a bag with a note tied to him. There was a coal baby in the bag, and in the note there was a sketch of the site we already made and a request to sprinkle the contours of the circle and the runway with a black mixture, since in the morning light the trampled snow contrasted weakly against the background of the fresh one.

The note was addressed, we complied with the request and received a radio confirmation that the first flight was being prepared for the patient. We were asked to load the helicopter as quickly as possible, and in a lightweight version. A great excitement was felt at the headquarters in the headquarters. It was clear that in the event of an unsuccessful landing, we had to transport from the plateau along the rib of the "Petrel" and the crew of the helicopter.

Finally, two helicopters appear in the sky flying at different heights, and one of them-Mi-4-carefully approaches our circle. The other-Mi-8-controls the situation from above. Then we learned that filming was conducted from him. The roaring helicopter sits in a self-player. Roting blades emit an unusual tonality at an altitude of six thousand meters. Yes, and the helicopter itself looks unusual-the silhouette is changed due to the removable rear-barrel doors, the second pilot is not visible in the cockpit.

The machine applies to trampled snow, and several people almost run to the stretcher with the patient to the open fodder opening of the helicopter. On the left side of the opening is a mechanic who takes a stretcher and with one jerk pushes them to the depths of the body. At this moment, one of the biologists, who came along with the climbers of Moscow State University, tried to use a helicopter as a passing tram, and send luggage with it - his drawer with biological material and experimental mice.

Before he had time to put this box into the right free part of the aperture of the helicopter, as a mechanic throws it into the snow with a blow of the leg, steadily realizing the principle of maximum relief of the machine. All this takes seconds, and the Mi-4, strongly lifting the tail, begins the run under the slope towards the glacier of the glacier. Now everything will be decided.

I did not fail the airfield, and I finally see how almost at the very end of the runway the lumen between the snow and the front wheel of the chassis appears. The lumen increases, and a helicopter on a shaving flight is hidden in the gaze of the glacier. I lose sight of it, but after a few languid seconds, they report that they see a car that is safely entering the valley from below.

And soon we will find out that the pilot Igor Ivanov made a landing in the clearing of Suloev. In our ranks - glee. Congratulations to the headquarters are given to us. The discussion of experts begins: which order will award the pilot and how this place will be called on the plateau will now be called. But the euphoria disappears after the next radio. We are told that there will be no second flight.

This decision did not surprise me - it really was not worth the risk twice in a row. On skiing, turned into a sleigh, we begin to transport Harutyunov’s body to the west. Suddenly a sharp attack falls on the snow of Migulin. We transfer it to the sled. Harutyunov’s body remains on the plateau - he will come for him the next time. There is nothing to carry two, and the strength, apparently, is not the same.

Snow is perxy, the movement slowed down. Only at dusk went down to the base camp. In the most difficult site, Migulin found the strength to go on his own. And at night in the field of Orlovsky and Schindyaykin, he had a saving operation. At one time, the lines of Kipling: day, night, day, night - we go to Africa I perceived as a poetic overkill. Here - not in Africa - everything was so: day, night, day, night.

Then, already in Moscow, when I watched the frames shot by Paty Paters from above from the second “control” helicopter, I was surprised at what a rather correct geometric circle I marked in the dim light of the stars about this high -rise expedition of Moscow State University Alexander Alexandrovich Kuznetsov wrote the book ascent.The eccentricity of conflicts, the interweaving of destinies and the complexity of human relations became probably the reason that the author diplomatically brought out participants in the events under others - albeit recognizable - surnames.

And only two surnames mentioned in the book were not changed - Petiforova and mine. Obviously, Valery and I did not give a reason for uncertainty.