Leonid Brekhovskikh: The man and the scientist

L. Brekhovskikh was one of the main founders and a first Director of the Acoustics Institute (AI) of the USSR Academy of Sciences (1954). He contributed a lot in the selection of young gifted scientists and engineers as AI staff, formation of the main branches of research in AI, construction of new buildings and experimental setups, and promoted a new approach to design and construction of the research vessels Sergei Vavilov and Petr Lebedev. The active creative work of L. Brekhovskikh in AI (1963–1980) became even more intensive after he left the director’s position. It relates to new theoretical achievements, fruitful and numerous experiments in the ocean, organizing the famous Zvenigorod conferences on ocean acoustics, and publishing the fundamental treatise ‘‘Acoustics of the Ocean.’’ Brekhovskikh possesses the personal features that facilitate his achievements in science. He is a very gifted, amicable, benevolent, reserved, purposeful, concentrated, and rational person. Sport exercises and yoga practice have considerably supported his creative efforts for decades.