Engineer-turned-minister who led the modernization of Soviet communications infrastructure
When the Ekran direct satellite broadcasting system went live in 1981, viewers in the remotest corners of Siberia and the Far East could watch Moscow television with nothing more than a simple antenna. Shamshin received the Lenin Prize for the achievement.
A communications engineer by training, Shamshin played a key role from 1965 in developing Orbita, the world's first satellite TV distribution network, and Ekran, the world's first direct satellite broadcasting system, earning the Lenin Prize in 1981 for the latter. As USSR Minister of Communications from 1980 to 1989, he oversaw the creation of the Unified Automated Communications Network (EASS), expanded the national backbone cable network, and laid the groundwork for digital switching. Under his tenure, 98% of the Soviet population gained access to one TV channel and 95% to two. After leaving government, he continued contributing to Russian telecommunications as chairman of the board of Rostelecom.
Career Timeline
- 1949Engineer, lead designer, and senior researcher at NII-100, Ministry of Communications
- 1958Laboratory head at NIIDAR, contributing to the ultra-long-range ballistic missile detection radar system
- 1965Deputy Director for Science, NII Radio (NIIR) — led development of Orbita and Ekran satellite systems
- 1968Deputy Minister of Communications of the USSR
- 1976First Deputy Minister of Communications of the USSR
- 1980–1989Minister of Communications of the USSR
- 1992–1997Chairman of the Board, Moscow Long-Distance and International Telephone (OJSC)
- 1997–2009Chairman of the Board, Rostelecom