1932 into the family of a well-known scientist, geophysicist and astronomer Nikolai Nikolaevich Pariiskii, Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences, and Lidiya Viktorovna Pariiskaya, who for a long time worked in the Theory Department of Lebedev Physical Institute (FIAN) in close contact with Andrei D Sakharov. There were close ties of friendship betweenPariiskii's family and those of I ETamm and M A Leontovich (they were next-door neighbors in their country houses, organized joint country walks, enjoyed evening parties with charades for entertainment). Such a close relationship with brilliant personalities helped Yurii Nikolaevich formulate the fundamental principles that would guide him in life and shape his attitude toward science. YuN graduated from Moscow State University in 1955 majoring in astronomy (he was also a student of the Moscow Institute of Mechanics in 1950±1951, and of the Moscow Electrotechnical Institute of Communications in 1951±1952). Among his teachers we should single out I S Shklovskii, who immensely influenced his young students and who in 1953 pioneered radio astronomy lectures to third-year students of the university. N S Kardashev, V G Kurt, and N S Soboleva, who later became prominent astronomers, were in the same student class with YuN. When doing his graduation thesis at FIAN inMALeontovich's department underAESalomonovich's supervision, in 1954 he built, on his own, a radiometer for the observation of the solar eclipse at the wavelength of 8 mm (Novomoskovsk), and used the results of his observations for getting more accurate data on the structure of the solar chromosphere. After graduation from the university, he was assigned a position at the Main Astronomical Observatory at Pulkovo (Leningrad) and there joined the just organized Department of Radio Astronomy, which was headed at the time by S E Khaikin, the founder of experimental radio astronomy in the USSR. Yurii Nikolaevich's entire subsequent career in science developed in both creative and family union with Nataliya Sergeevna Soboleva. S E Khaikin suggested that Yu N Pariiskii start highresolution studies of continuously emitting radio sources in the centimeter wave range (resolution of 1 arcminute at a wavelength of 3 cm) using a novel VPA (variable profile antenna) type radio telescope Ð the Large Pulkovo Radio Telescope (BPR in Russ. abbr.), where observations first began in December 1956. This work required high-sensitivity radiometers. Since this radio telescope is a transit instrument, a generation of high-sensitivity broadband radiometers with traveling-wave tube amplifiers at the wavelengths of 8 mm, 3.2 cm, and 6 cm were built, in contrast to designs of telescopes abroad based on narrow-band radar radiometers; Yurii Nikolaevich took a very active part in the work of building these devices. The first test of the new high-sensitivity radiometers mounted on the BPR made it possible to carry out highresolution observations: it therefore became possible to test the hypothetical explanation of the heating of certain details (discovered on the Sun by astronomers brought up by the Pulkovo scientific school of radio astronomy) in terms of micropulsations of magnetized plasma over solar spots; some theoretical groups were working on the theory of these pulsations. The reality of this phenomenon was not confirmed, which limited the number of possible theories. As a result, an alternative model of magnetized plasma in such very hot `bags' above sunspots was developed (together with N S Soboleva and D V Korolkov). The very first high-resolution survey of the Milky Way (1961) gave interesting results. For example, the fine structure of a radio source less than 1 arcmin in size was found at the center of the Galaxy. This work was presented at international symposia and caused great interestÐand not only in the scientific world. Journalists were writing at the time that Yu N Pariiskii discovered a `blazing bonfire' at the center of our galaxy. Uspekhi Fizicheskikh Nauk 182 (8) 901 ± 902 (2012) DOI: 10.3367/UFNr.0182.201208l.0901 Translated by V I Kisin PERSONALIA PACS number: 01.60.+q

AbstractIt is shown that multi-elements surface of the Russian biggest reflector may be considered as a 1000-element array with limited freedom of motions of each element. This limitation may be compensated by selection of the proper “virtual sub-array” of elements at any given direction of observations. This approach is especially effective for mm-waves where field of view of 600-meter reflector in usual mode is less than 1 arcsec. The present stage of realization of that project is shortly discussed, including requirements for multi-feed system near the focal plane of the radio telescope, wavelength limitations and error budget, and near field zone 3-dimensional synthesis mode of observation.

The main requirements for the feed array designed for the RATAN-600 radio telescope, which are intended to improve observational possibilities, are presented. The experimental eight-element feed-array assembly and its measured characteristics are described. The first antenna measurements, made in the AC operational mode, shown that the combination of the reflector with the feed array may increase the reflector's facility. The equipment described could be used for radio-astronomical observations at the RATAN-600, but it is clear that the best results will be achieved with the use of a 32-element feed array.