The Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics is one of the major centres of advanced study of nuclear physics in Russia. It is located in the Siberian town Akademgorodok, on Academician Lavrentiev Avenue.

The institute was founded by Gersh Itskovich Budker in 1959. Following his death in 1977, the institute was renamed in honour of Academician Budker.

Despite its name, the centre was not involved either with military atomic science or nuclear reactors - instead, its concentration was on high-energy physics (particularly plasma physics) and particle physics. In 1961 the institute began building VEP-1, the first particle accelerator in the world which collided two beams of particles. The institute is contributing toward the construction of CERN's Large Hadron Collider, providing equipment including beamline magnets.

The centre now employs over 3000 people, and hosts several research groups and facilities, including the Siberian Sychrotron Radiation Centre.

Directors of the Institute

• 1959-1977 Gersh I. Budker
• 1977- Alexander N. Skrinsky

External links

• Budker Institute's homepage
• Alexandre Telnov's photographic history of the BINP