Leonid Kurchevsky

Who is Leonid Kurchevsky?

Leonid Vasilyevich Kurchevsky was a Russian/Soviet weapons designer.

Kurchevsky was born into a family of a drawing teacher in Pereslavl-Zalessky. He was a student at the Department of Physics and Mathematics of the Moscow State University for two years. In 1916-1918, Kurchevsky headed the design bureau of the Moscow Defense Industry Committee. In 1918-20, he was put in charge of a laboratory of the VSNKh Inventions Committee. In 1921-22, Kurchevsky served at the Acoustical Intelligence Commission. In 1922-24, he headed the workshop/motor vehicle lab of the same Inventions Committee.

Kurchevsky is known for his work in the field of recoilless guns, which he began in 1923. In 1924, he was sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment for an alleged embezzlement of state property and funds, used to construct a helicopter. Kurchevsky served half of his term at the Solovki prison camp. While imprisoned, Leonid Kurchevsky continued his inventive work and designed a development model of his recoilless gun. He was released from prison in the early 1929. In January 1930, Kurchevsky was appointed chief designer at the Experimental Design Bureau #1 of the Chief Directorate of Artillery.