Two Pinocchios
One of the most remarkable exhibits at the Museum-Study of Bruno Pontecorvo is plastic Pinocchios wearing aprons and sitting on the tree-like stand.
They always get in the focus of visitors’ interest: Why are there such light-minded toys in the study of a scientist? Why Pinocchios? Why in a tree? And who sewed the aprons?
Up to now, we have been able to answer only some of these questions. The plate inscription reads that this souvenir was presented to Bruno Maksimovich on his 70th birthday. The embroidered aprons on the toys symbolize neutrino oscillations (at that moment, only muon and electron neutrinos were known). Other questions remained unanswered.
And now, at last, a photograph has been found in the Study Archive where the moment of gift presentation was taken! We made enquiries contacting senior lab employees and immediately got the answer ― the person in the photo is B. Zh. Zalikhanov, a leading researcher of the DLNP Section of Intermediate Energy Physics.
We invited Boris Zhanakaitovich into the study of Bruno Pontecorvo and asked him to tell us about this present in detail.
Indeed, the toys were presented on the 70th birthday by employees of the Section of Intermediate Energy Physics (Section abbreviation is written on the plate). It was Vladimir Lyukov, a creative person, poet and writer, who proposed the idea. Knitted caps and embroidered aprons were crafted by young female employees of the Sector. Pinocchios were to remind the scientist of Italy.
This present, unusual, well-thought-out and wholehearted, pleased Bruno Maksimovich very much. For over ten years, to the death of the scientist, the toys were his roommates. Fortunately, they stayed safe up to now.
Chronograph
