Borys Paton

Borys Paton was a Ukrainian scientist and a long-time chairman of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. He was appointed to this post in 1962 and held it until his death in 2020. He was the son of Evgeny Paton, a famous engineer and founder of the Paton Institute of Electric Welding in Kyiv. Borys Paton followed his father's footsteps and became an expert in electric welding and metallurgy. He made significant contributions to the development of welding technologies for various fields, such as aerospace, medicine, and nuclear energy. He also participated in the creation of the first artificial Earth satellite and the first manned spacecraft. He was a member of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union and a deputy of the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union for 27 years. He received many awards and honors, such as the Hero of Socialist Labor (twice), the Lomonosov Gold Medal, and the Member of the Order of Liberty. He was also the first person to be decorated with the Hero of Ukraine title. He was widely respected and admired as a patriarch of Ukrainian science and a legend of welding. He died at the age of 101 in Kyiv, leaving behind a rich legacy of scientific achievements and inventions.