Russian models from the mechanism collection of Bauman University (Q936178)

Prof. A. Yershov published the first Russian textbooks on applied mechanics in 1854 and 1868, and through his effort, the Imperial Moscow Educational Industrial School was established. He also started to collect mechanical models. The first model was an original orthogonal spatial gear transmission from the year 1861. Today the collection includes more than 600 models and descriptions of models of Russian and (some) foreign scientists, such as by Profs. F. Orlov, D. Zernov, N. Mertaslov, N. Joukowsky, J. Smirnov, L. Reshetov, and many other engineers. Prof. Frolov, now rector of the Bauman University, has brought the department of Theory of Mechanisms and Machines (TMM) up to university standards and into modern times, offering electronic tutorials. His textbooks on designing multibar linkages and the dynamics of mechanisms are available as electronic tutorials. Additionally, Prof. Tarabarin has designed an Internet course, see \url{tmm-umk.bmstu.ru}. The book under review will be of great value to everybody interested in the history of mechanisms and machine sciences, and will hopefully re-kindle the interest in completing the classification of and the required maintenance work for some of the models at the Bauman University's TMM department. Great Soviet engineers (S. Korolev, rocket designer, N. Pilyugin, gyroscopic systems of flying devices, A. Tupolev, aircraft designer) and nine cosmonauts-astronauts (as of 2005) were graduates of the Bauman University, and the book, although based mostly on Russian references, should clearly demand international attention. Current members of the department are know in the West through their participation in international events, in Italy, Finland, Romania, Germany, Austria, Greece, and in the U.S.A. A more careful editing of the English language text would have made the reading of this book more enjoyable.