Friday, October 30, 2020
More Soviet surprises, not really
Not really a surprise by now.
I was looking for some Russian electronic stuff to "build" as digital models. This came up in the search; it doesn't have any of the diagrams I wanted, but it offers a good insight into how the Russian military worked in the '60s.
This is a Russian naval manual written in 1967, translated by our Naval Intelligence.
Non-surprise 1: It's full of useful applied math and science. No theory, just clear tables and easy to figure approximate formulas for wind force, submarine balancing, strength of ropes and cables, celestial navigation, antenna height for signals beyond the horizon, and many other subjects. I already knew that Soviet science and math education was focused on usage. This is the first 'live' example I've seen.
Non-surprise 2: It's full of legal and political considerations. How to deal with foreign port authorities, what to do when foreign ambassadors visit the ship, foreign weight limits and lighting standards and so on.
Our propaganda always claimed that Soviets were sneaky bastards, trying to outwit and violate all international laws and standards. Nope. The manual simply specifies the laws and traditions, and expects the officer to follow them. Purely objective.
Labels: Experiential education, Natural law = Soviet law
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