Semyon Shifrin
Semyon Shifrin (1899-1980), DSc in Engineering, Professor, founder of a scientific school for the treatment of urban and industrial wastewater, a graduate of the Institute of Civil Engineers (now SPbGASU) was suffered by two wars. During the Civil War, his studies were interrupted more than once by mobilization into the army and assignments to construction sites. During the Great Patriotic War, he supervised the construction of fortifications around Leningrad, the work to eliminate the destruction of the water supply and sewerage of the city.
Semyon Shifrin was born into a peasant family in the Smolensk region. From an early age he worked, and at the age of eleven he got a job as an assistant carpenter in the city of Mstislavl (now the Mogilev region of Belarus). Experienced experts advised the smart schoolboy to get an education and predicted a bright future for him. He listened to them: he graduated from elementary school, continued his education at the Polytechnic School in Nikolaev. His studies were interrupted by service in the Red Army. After serving, the future DSc in Engineering did not return to the school, because he set himself more ambitious goals and went to Petrograd to get a higher education.
In 1928, Semyon Shifrin graduated from the Institute of Civil Engineers, and then went on a two-year internship to Germany, wh ere he studied sanitary construction. Upon his return in 1931, he was appointed director of the Research Institute of Water Supply, Sewerage and Engineering Geology. Since 1935, he was in administrative and economic work in the Leningrad City Council, was the head of the Improvement Department, deputy head of the Architectural and Planning Department, chairman of the Architectural and Construction Expert Council. In 1938 he got the PhD of Engineering Sciences.
The Great Patriotic War made serious adjustments to the work of Semyon Markovich. He participated in the construction of defensive structures around Leningrad, led the work to eliminate the destruction of the water supply and sewerage. In the military 1942, he was appointed chief engineer of the water supply and sewerage department of the Leningrad City Executive Committee. In the most difficult years, he worked for the benefit of Leningrad.
During the blockade, the Nazis, trying to deprive the city not only of food, but also of water, bombed waterworks, sewage treatment plants and street networks. Repair and maintenance of a constant water supply have become a top priority for Leningrad pipemen. The restoration of communications damaged by bombs and frost was carried out immediately, often under enemy artillery fire. In its severity and importance, such work was comparable to the feat of the soldiers who held the defense of the city. In emergency teams, in the positions of mechanics, sewers, firemen, women often worked instead of men who had gone to the front. But the city water supply worked throughout the blockade.
After the blockade was lifted, no less responsible and ambitious goals were set for Chief Engineer Shifrin. He was assigned to restore, develop, modernize the water supply and sewerage sector. Despite the volume of this work, Semyon Markovich for some time successfully combined administrative and economic tasks with scientific and pedagogical activities at the Leningrad Civil Engineering Institute (now SPbGASU), and since 1945 he had headed the Department of Sewerage until the end of his life.
In 1951, Semyon Shifrin devoted himself entirely to work at the institute. In 1955 he defended his doctoral dissertation, and a year later he was awarded the title of professor. In 1964, under his leadership, an industry research laboratory for the purification of industrial waters was established.
He had published more than 240 scientific papers, including several textbooks and study guides. Semyon Markovich was the founder of the scientific school for the treatment of urban and industrial wastewater, and had trained more than 50 candidates of engineering sciences.
He was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labor (1944), medals.
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