OREANDA-NEWS. On 27 March 2016 Pavel Derunov (1916 - 2001), an honorable citizen of Rybinsk, hero of socialist labor, laureate of the USSR state prize in the field of science and technology, director of the Rybinsk engine-manufacturing company would have turned 100.

On that day in Rybinsk, at the Pavel Derunov square in the very heart of the city, a dedicated meeting took place, while the local public cultural center hosted a gala night. The events were attended by the Rybinsk mayor Denis Dobryakov, NPO Saturn managing director Victor Polyakov, three generations of the Derunov family, and, of course, the staff of today’s NPO Saturn alongside the company’s veterans to whom “the Derunov era” had become an inalienable part of their everyday life in the company.

The festive meeting held on the Derunov square culminated in the flower-laying ceremony to the monument to Mr. Derunov. A subsequent meeting at the Rybinsk public cultural center turned out to be a very warm and soulful reception including a photo exhibition and a documentary presentation dedicated to the life of Pavel Derunov; an address of the municipal leaders and of the city’s major largest enterprise; memoirs of the veterans and a ceremony of presentation of letters of gratitude and certificates for the proactive attitude and participation in the patriotic upbringing of the youth; concerted numbers including a true gift - the sounds of the restored violin that Mr. Derunov used to play himself coupled with the poems recited by a 7-year old great grandson of the renowned director dedicated to his outstanding predecessor… 

The history of NPO Saturn has been linked with the name of Pavel Derunov for over quarter of a century. From 1960 until 1972 Pavel Derunov stood at the helm of the Rybinsk engine-building company. From 1974 until 1986 Mr. Derunov served as general director of the Rybinsk production association of engine manufacturing. 

During his term, the company’s production facilities were drastically renewed. The IT center created back in 1964 allowed to perform the acquisition, processing and storage of production, engineering and economic data at a brand new technological level.

Since mid-sixties the company emerged as a creative lab for knowledge exchange on the process improvement techniques. The system used at Saturn back in the day, rivaled the quality systems now used all over the world allowing the company to deliver a world-class product.

In early 70’s under the active support of the company’s director, NPO Saturn succeeded in landing a very significant production order lasting for many years. Pursuant to the resolution of the Ministry of aviation industry, the company was re-profiled into a manufacturer of the Pavel Solovyev-designed D-30KU/KP commercial engines powering the most widely produced Il-62, Tu-154M and Il-76 aircraft. Sixty percent of the Soviet Union’s population were flying on the aircraft powered by the Rybinsk engines, which were also used for cargo transportation!

During the Derunov service, Rybinsk became the only location in the North of Russia producing snowmobiles. In 1973 the company delivered its first thousand of snowmobiles. The Buran brand proved to be in very high demand.

In 1974, NPO Saturn acquired a status of design and production, and later on, of a production association of engine manufacturing. A decision to merge the design office with the serial production plant was revolutionary back at that time. Derunov had created a powerful design and production base, which allowed to expedite the lead times of design and serial production of new aviation products.

In the Derunov epoch, not only the company but the city as a whole was drastically changing. A system of available housing was set up, residential apartment buildings rose up comprising entire districts, kindergartens were being built as well as an outpatients’ clinic and a resort, a swimming pool, a sports palace, a large stadium, a young technicians’ station, etc. A once-provincial Rybinsk was transformed into a modern city with a developed infrastructure and an impressive social base.

The mayor of Rybinsk Denis Dobryakov: “We have gathered today to speak good words about someone who has done so much for NPO Saturn and the city of Rybinsk, that is Pavel Fyodorovich Derunov. Everyone living in Rybinsk knows our engine-manufacturing plant. The plant of Pavel Derunov, that’s really how it was known in Rybinsk and in Russia. It is symbolic that Mr. Derunov was born in the same year that his company was born, and this year we are celebrating a centennial anniversary of both. The Soviet and Russian airplanes have flown and are now flying powered by the engines manufactured in our city, at our plant. We are proud of that. A great part of this success belongs to Mr. Derunov. To me, personally, the life of this person is the most perfect example of public service, love of one’s occupation and love of one’s country.”

An honorable citizen of Rybinsk, managing director of NPO Saturn Victor Polyakov: “Today, we are celebrating a centennial anniversary of a grand person - a true creator, a true developer of this city and of the industry, Mr. Pavel Fyodorovich Derunov. He had guided our company for 24 years - that means a lot. Mr. Derunov personally was taking part in the selection of the product which paved a solid foundation for a sustainable operation of three generations of the people of Rybinsk, I’m talking about the D-30KU/KP engine series. During his service, up to 50 thousand square meters of residential area were built annually; unprecedented social infrastructure objects were executed. I think that the best acknowledgement of  Mr. Derunov’s exploits is the successfully operating Saturn and the constantly improving city of Rybinsk. Our goal is to make the life of those who work in Mr. Derunov’s company a bit better, a bit wealthier every year while making the company itself even more successful and more advanced.”

Research and production association Saturn [NPO Saturn] (PJSC) is an engine-manufacturing company specialized in the design and development, production and after-market support of gas turbine engines for military and commercial aviation, power generation and gas compression as well as for ships and vessels. The association is part of the Union of Russian Mechanical Engineers, an All-Russian public organization.

NPO Saturn is part of United Engine Corporation (JSC) and is the leader of the Commercial Engines division, a business unit of UEC founded on 09.10.2012 as a result of integration of the following companies: NPO Saturn (PJSC), Aviadvigatel (OJSC), UEC-PM (JSC), Metallist-PM (CJSC), Energetik-PM (OJSC), Motoservis-PM (CJSC) and Zheleznodorozhnik-PM (JSC). 

United Engine Corporation (JSC) (a Rostec State Corporation company) is an integrated organization specialized in the design and development, serial production and after-market support of engines for military and commercial aviation, space programs, the Navy as well as for the oil and gas industry and power generation. One of UEC’s prioritized fields of activity is the implementation of comprehensive programs of development of the industry’s companies by introducing new technologies meeting the world-class standards. In 2014 revenues of the corporation amounted to RUB 199,9 billion.

Rostec State Corporation is a Russian corporation established in 2007 in order to facilitate the development, manufacturing and export of high-technology industrial products of military and commercial application. The corporation comprises 663 companies, which form 9 defense-industrial and 6 civil industry holdings as well as 32 direct control companies. The Rostec portfolio spans such renowned brands as AVTOVAZ, KAMAZ, Russian Helicopters, VSMPO-AVISMA and others. Rostec’s subsidiaries are located in 60 regions of Russia and deliver their products to over 70 countries worldwide.