Attachments for Betancourt Augustin Augustinovich. Augustin Betancourt - biography, photos Activities in Nizhny Novgorod

betancourt I Betancourt (Bethencourt y Molina)

Agustin (Augustin Augustinovich), mechanical engineer and builder, corresponding member of the French Academy of Sciences (1809). Spaniard by origin. In 1781 he graduated from the Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando (Madrid). His great talent and talent as an inventor manifested itself already in his student years. B. improved the technology of spinning silk and the production of silk fabrics. In 1798 B. supervised the construction of the first optical telegraph in Spain between Madrid and Cadiz. From 1800 he was the inspector general of the Corps of Communications he created, as well as all roads and bridges in Spain, from 1803 the chief quartermaster of the army. In 1807, for political reasons, he left Spain. In 1808 he was invited to serve by the Russian government and enlisted in the army with the rank of major general. In 1816 B. headed the Committee for Buildings and Hydraulic Works in St. Petersburg. In 1819 he was the chief director of communications in Russia.

In Russia, under the leadership of B., many important works were carried out: the re-equipment of the Tula Arms Plant with the installation of steam engines created according to his project; construction of a new cannon foundry in Kazan; re-equipment of the Alexander manufactory; the deepening of the port in Kronstadt and the construction of a canal between the Izhora plant and St. Petersburg using a steam dredger invented by him in 1810. According to the plans and under the direct supervision of B., the buildings of the Expedition for the Procurement of State Papers in St. Petersburg (now Goznak), the Manege in Moscow, covered by unique spans (45 m) wooden trusses (architect O. I. Bove was involved in the architectural processing of individual parts of the building). In 1820, Gostiny Dvor was built on the territory of the Nizhny Novgorod Fair according to B.'s project. In 1818-1822, with the participation of B., the first major highway in Russia, St. Petersburg - Novgorod - Moscow, was built. B. contributed to the improvement of the organization of inland navigation in Russia, contributed to the spread of engineering education. On his initiative, in 1810, the Institute of Communications was established in St. Petersburg, which B. led until the end of his life.

I. Z. Mittelman.

II Betancourt

Romulo (b. 22.2.1908, Guatire, Miranda), political and statesman of Venezuela. He studied at the Faculty of Law of the Central University, but did not graduate from it, because. in 1928 for participation in the movement against the dictatorship JV Gomez (1909-35) was arrested and then expelled from the country. He returned to Venezuela in 1936 (he was also in exile in 1939-41 and 1948-58). In 1941 he founded the bourgeois-nationalist Democratic Action Party and became one of its leaders. In 1945-47 he headed the government junta. In 1959-64 President of Venezuela. The government of Byelorussia established a regime of terror and violence, banned the Communist Party (1962), concluded an agreement (1960) with the United States on the construction of missile launch sites on Venezuelan territory, and took a hostile stance towards revolutionary Cuba.

Great Soviet Encyclopedia. - M.: Soviet Encyclopedia. 1969-1978 .

See what "Betancourt" is in other dictionaries:

Betancourt is a surname of Spanish origin. Known speakers Betancourt, Augustin Augustinovich (Spanish: Agustín de Betancourt y Molina; 1758 1824) Russian mechanical engineer and builder of Spanish origin. Betancourt, Alphonse ... ... Wikipedia

Romulo Ernesto Betancourt Bello President of Venezuela Date of birth: February 22, 1908 Place of birth: Guatira ... Wikipedia

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Augustine de Betancourt and Molina Agustín José Pedro del Carmen Domingo de Candelaria de Betancourt y Molina statesman ... Wikipedia

John Gregory Betancourt John Gregory Betancourt (eng. John Gregory Betancourt; born in 1963 in Missouri) is an author of science fiction, fantasy and detective novels and short stories. He is the author of many short stories dedicated to Star Trek, as well as ... ... Wikipedia

Augustine Gen. Russian lieutenant. service (b. 1758, † 1824), a native of the island of Tenerife. Having received a comprehensive scientific education in Paris, B. was sent by the Spanish government to the most cultured countries of the West. Europe for reviewing different systems ... ... Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron

betancourt- a nickname * A woman is a nickname of the same type, like in one, so in a plurality they do not change ... Spelling Dictionary of Ukrainian Movies

Betancourt R.- Betancourt Romulo (19081981), President of Venezuela in 194548 and 195964; In 1941 he founded the Democratic Party. action … Biographical Dictionary

Portrait of the 1810s. Author unknown.

Augustine de Betancourt and Molina, full name Augustine José Pedro del Carmen Domingo de Candelaria de Betancourt and Molina(Spanish Agustín José Pedro del Carmen Domingo de Candelaria de Betancourt y Molina) - Spanish, then Russian statesman and scientist, lieutenant general of the Russian service, architect, builder, mechanical engineer and organizer of the transport system of the Russian Empire.

Augustine Betancourt was born in Spain, in the Canary Islands, on the island of Tenerife on February 1, 1758. He came from an ancient and very influential noble family both in ancient times and to this day. The founder of the family was the famous navigator Jean (Juan) de Betancourt, a Norman nobleman, conqueror of the Canary Islands. The Catholic saint Pedro de San José Betancourt supposedly * belonged to this genus. Of the living representatives of the genus, the most famous are Liliane Betancourt, owner of L "Oréal and Colombian politician and senator Ingrid Betancourt.

Augustine Betancourt was educated in Paris. The Spanish government sent Betancourt to France, England, Germany and the Netherlands to get acquainted with canal navigation systems, new steam engines and other technological discoveries. Then in London he studied machines for draining gold and silver mines.

In 1798, Betancourt was entrusted with the organization of the Spanish Corps of Railway Engineers. In Spain, he was appointed inspector general of the royal cabinet of machines, quartermaster of the army, chief director of the post office.

In 1801, Bettencourt left his fatherland and moved to Paris. In France, he published a number of scientific papers on hydraulics and created a project for a new sluice designed for small canals. In the autumn of 1807, Augustine Betancourt arrived in Russia and was received on public service with the rank of major general, but two years later he became a lieutenant general.

Betancourt brilliantly confirmed his reputation as a scientist and mechanical engineer: under his leadership, the Tula Arms Plant was reequipped and equipped with steam engines, the Taitsky water conduit was built, which supplied water to Tsarskoe Selo; he owns a fundamentally new solution for the construction of an arch system of bridges in Tula, Izhora, Peterhof, in St. Petersburg on Kamenny Island; he supervised the construction and equipment of a foundry in Kazan, drafted and supervised the construction of the famous Nizhny Novgorod Fair. One of the significant works of Betancourt is the construction of a huge exercirhaus (premises for military exercises in inclement weather) in Moscow.

Betancourt's contribution to the development of engineering education in Russia is especially great. On his initiative and project, in 1809, the country's first Institute of Railway Engineers was founded in St. Petersburg. To accommodate this educational institution, the state treasury purchased the palace of Prince Yusupov on the Fontanka. At the suggestion of Betancourt, the French officer Sennover was appointed director of the institute. The trustees were the Prince of Oldenburg and Lieutenant General Betancourt himself, who was appointed chief of the institute.

In 1816, Betancourt became chairman of the newly established St. Petersburg Committee for Buildings and Hydraulic Works, in fact, an institution that supervised all construction work in the city.

Since 1819, he has been in charge of the Main Directorate of Railways. This talented engineer owns a number of inventions. He created a unique machine for cleaning the water area of the Kronstadt seaport.

In 1820, at the initiative of Betancourt, the School of Railway Conductors and the Military Construction School for the Training of Junior Specialists of Builders and Foremen, Masters, Draftsmen for the Department of Railways were opened, which marked the beginning of the state system of special secondary technical education in Russia.

Augustine Betancourt was a member of the scientific societies of Russia and Europe, he wrote scientific works published in Paris, London, St. Petersburg and other European cities. Devices and mechanisms created by him are widely used in construction.

Betancourt created a school of widely educated engineers. His students took part in the construction of St. Isaac's Cathedral (including the famous Montferrand).

Betancourt died on July 26 (July 14, old style), 1824. He was buried in St. Petersburg at the Smolensk Lutheran cemetery and reburied in 1979 in the Necropolis of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra.

The grave of A. A. Betancourt at the Lazarevsky cemetery of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra in St. Petersburg.

In the year of the 300th anniversary of St. Petersburg, in tribute to the memory of the famous scientist and engineer - Augustine Betancourt, a monument was erected in front of the building of the St. Petersburg State University of Communications (PSTU), the founder and first rector of which he was. The author of the project of the monument is the sculptor, Honored Worker of Culture of the RSFSR Academician Vladimir Gorevoy.

Text from the book:

Famous Kronstadters. - St. Petersburg: Russian classics. 2012. - 336 p. Page 42 - 43.

Note:
* In the Canary Islands, the surname Betancourt is carried by both the descendants of Jean de Betancourt's nephew - Maciot, who replaced his uncle as the ruler of the Canaries, and the descendants of the natives - Guanches, to whom Jean de Betancourt gave his surname at baptism

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

betancourt- a surname of Spanish origin.

Notable speakers

Betancourt, Augustin Augustinovich (1758-1824) - Russian mechanical engineer and builder of Spanish origin.
Betancourt, Alphonse Augustinovich - Knight of St. George; major general; No. 9039; November 26, 1853.
Betancourt, Alfredo (1914-2013) - Salvadoran writer.
Betancourt, Ana (Spanish) Ana Betancourt de Mora ; 12/14/1832 - 07/2/1901) - Cuban patriot and participant in the Cuban independence wars, a fighter for women's rights.
Betancourt, John Gregory (born 1963) is an American science fiction writer.
Betancourt, Jean de (1362-1425) - French navigator at the beginning of the Age of Discovery.
Betancourt, Ingrid (b. 1961) - Colombian politician, who spent six years (2002-2008) in captivity of the FARC paramilitary group.
Betancourt, Carlos (born 1989) is a Colombian professional road cyclist who has been with the team since 2016. Movistar Team.
Betancur Cuartas, Belisario (born 1923) - President of Colombia from 1982 to 1986.
Betancourt, Pedro de San Jose (1626-1667) - Catholic saint, missionary, the first saint of the Canary Islands and Guatemala.
Romulo Betancourt (1908-1981) - President of Venezuela from 1945 to 1948 and from 1959 to 1964.

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An excerpt characterizing Betancourt

“But where are you from that you don’t know what all the coachmen in the city already know?”
“I'm from the Archduchess. I didn't hear anything there.
“And didn’t you see that they were stacked everywhere?”
- I didn’t see ... But what’s the matter? Prince Andrew asked impatiently.
- What's the matter? The fact is that the French have crossed the bridge that is defended by Auesperg, and the bridge has not been blown up, so that Murat is now running along the road to Brunn, and today they will be here tomorrow.
- Like here? Why didn't they blow up the bridge when it was mined?
- And I'm asking you. Nobody, not even Bonaparte himself, knows this.
Bolkonsky shrugged.
“But if the bridge is crossed, then the army is dead: it will be cut off,” he said.
"That's the point," answered Bilibin. - Listen. The French are entering Vienna, as I told you. Everything is very good. The next day, that is, yesterday, gentlemen marshals: Murat Lannes and Belliard, sit on horseback and set off for the bridge. (Note that all three are Gascons.) Gentlemen, one says, you know that the Taborsky bridge is mined and contramined, and that in front of him is a formidable tete de pont and fifteen thousand troops who were ordered to blow up the bridge and not let us in. But our sovereign Emperor Napoleon will be pleased if we take this bridge. Let's go three of us and take this bridge. - Let's go, others say; and they set off and take the bridge, cross it, and now, with the whole army on this side of the Danube, they are heading for us, for you, and for your messages.

(Augustin de Bethancourt et Molina) - lieutenant general, chief director of communications, civil engineer and writer; genus. on the island of Tenerife on February 2, 1758, d. July 14, 1824 in St. Petersburg. Betancourt descended in a straight line from John de Betancourt, who discovered in 1402 the archipelago of the Canary Islands. Betancourt spent the first years of his youth at home, was educated in Paris, and after that came to serve in Spain, where he soon attracted the attention of his outstanding abilities. Among other things, the government sent him to France, England, Germany and the Netherlands to get acquainted with new discoveries and to review various systems of canal navigation, steam engines and everything related to mechanics. Returning from a business trip, he presented many drawings and models, which made up an excellent office in Madrid. In 1797, by order of Charles IV, Betancourt was again sent to London to study the machines available there, adapted to the drying of gold and silver mines, which the Spanish government especially needed in view of the proposed resumption of the development of mines in America. The diligence with which Betancourt collected all the information that could be useful to his country aroused strong suspicion of the English; he was arrested and taken to Lisbon; but from here he was sent by the king to Paris to build new machines and tools in place of those taken from him in England. In 1798 he was called from Paris to set up a telegraph line between Madrid and Cadiz and to establish a corps of road and bridge engineers; after that, he was successively appointed to the posts: inspector general of the corps he founded, quartermaster of the provinces, member of the council of finance, director of the royal cabinet of machines, quartermaster of the army and chief director of the post office. The unrest that arose in Spain forced Betancourt to leave his fatherland; in 1807 he came to Paris and there he published some works on hydraulics and mechanics, presenting at the same time to the French Academy a plan for a new lock for small canals, which made his name even more famous. In 1808 he was accepted into service in Russia, with the rank of major general and enrollment in the retinue of His Majesty.

Betancourt marked his service to his new fatherland with a number of merits. The most important of them were the following: the Tula arms factory was transformed and for the first time its workshops were equipped with steam engines; a new cannon foundry was built in Kazan according to the Betancourt project; improved production of the Imperial Alexander Manufactory; bridges were built according to a special arch system in Izhora, Peterhof, Tula and on Kamenny Island; according to his plans and under his direct supervision, many buildings were built, of which the architecture of the exercierhaus in Moscow is especially remarkable (it has 502 feet in length and up to 150 in width); he also built the famous Taitsky water supply system, which supplies water to Tsarskoye Selo; Finally, his participation in the organization of the expedition for the preparation of state papers is important, for which he invented a significant number of machines. Accompanying the Prince of Holstein-Oldenburg on his journey through Russia, he got acquainted with the structure of inland navigation and gave many suggestions for its improvement. Betancourt's activity in planting engineering education in Russia deserves special attention. According to his project, in 1810, the Institute of Railway Engineers was established, of which he was the first inspector, and in this rank he was the full owner of the institution: he was in charge of the economic and educational part and still found time, due to a lack of professors, to lecture on engineering. In 1811, Betancourt drew up a new project for the organization of the institute, approved in general terms by the council of communications and operating until 1823. In 1816, already in the rank of lieutenant general, he was appointed chairman of the newly established city building committee in St. Petersburg , and in 1819 - director of the main department of communications. Shortly before his last appointment, he was entrusted with the drawing up of a project for the transfer of the Makariev Fair to Nizhny Novgorod, and then the execution of this important matter. Being engaged in the development of the last order he received from the Sovereign - for the restructuring of St. Isaac's Cathedral, Betancourt fell seriously ill and soon after died. As a learned builder, Betancourt is known for a number of his own inventions, with which he greatly enriched the field of technology; Of these, the huge machine (machine à draguer), designed by him for the cleaning of the Kronstadt port, deserves special attention, remarkable in terms of precision of movement and strength. He also wrote several printed works: "Mémoires sur la force expansive de la vapeur de l"eau", Paris, 1790; "Mémoires sur un nouveau système de navigation intérieure", Paris, 1807; "Essai sur la composition des machines" , Paris, 1808; "Description de la salle d" éxercice de Moscou", S. -Pétersbourg, 1819. Bettencourt was a member of many learned societies both in Russia and abroad.

"Journal of Ways of Communication", 1826, No. 1, pp. 44-56. - "Russian Invalid", 1824, No. 167, pp. 667-668. - Hamel, "Description of the Tula Arms Plant, pp. 68, 70. - Dictionaries: Zeddeler, Starchevsky, Gennadi. - Sokolovsky, "Fiftieth Anniversary of the Institute of the Corps of Railway Engineers" (St. Petersburg, 1859). - "List of persons who have completed the course of science at the Institute of I. P. S. A. I "(St. Petersburg, 1883).

(Polovtsov)

Betancourt, Augustin Augustinovich

(1758-1824) - an outstanding civil engineer, French by birth. He made a number of improvements in construction equipment, wrote on mechanics to hydraulics. Invited in 1808 to the service of the Russian. government, performed many important works: he transformed the Tula Arms Plant, for the first time supplying its workshops with steam engines, built a new cannon foundry in Kazan, improved the production of the Aleksandrovskaya manufactory, built bridges in Tula, Izhora, Peterhof and in St. Petersburg on Kamenny Island using a special arch system . According to his plans and under his direct supervision, many remarkable buildings were built, of which they are especially worthy of attention: the arena in Moscow, the overlap of which constituted an era in the history of building art (architect O. I. Bove took part in the architectural processing), the building of the Expedition for the Procurement of State Papers , for which B. invented a significant number of machines, Gostiny Dvor at the Nizhny Novgorod Fair. At his suggestion, the Makariev Fair was moved to Nizhny Novgorod. B. contributed to the improvement of the organization of inland navigation in Russia and contributed to the spread of engineering education: on his initiative and project, the Institute of Railway Engineers was established in 1810.

Big biographical encyclopedia. 2009 .

See what "Betancourt, Augustin Augustinovich" is in other dictionaries:

- (present Agustin Jose Pedro del Carmen Domingo de Candelaria de Betancourt and Molina, Bethencourt y Molina) (February 1, 1758, Puerto de la Cruz, Canary Islands July 14 (26), 1824, St. Petersburg), Spanish and Russian scientist, inventor, engineer… … encyclopedic Dictionary

- (1758 1824), mechanical engineer and builder, founder of the theory of machines and mechanisms. Spaniard by origin. Since 1808 in the Russian service, lieutenant general (1809). One of the founders of the Corps of Railway Engineers (1809 10) and the Institute ... ... St. Petersburg (encyclopedia)

Wikipedia has articles about other people with this surname, see Betancourt (surname). Augustine de Betancourt and Molina Agustin José Pedro del Carmen Domingo de Candelaria de Betancourt y Molina ... Wikipedia

Betancourt Augustin Augustinovich- (1758 1824) gene. late. Russian services, eng. builder, writer Rod on about. Tenerife, one of the islands of the Canary archipelago, to which his direct ancestor, the Norman nobleman John de Betancourt, discovered and conquered in 1402. He was educated in Paris, served ... Russian humanitarian encyclopedic dictionary- Betancourt is a surname of Spanish origin. Known speakers Betancourt, Augustin Augustinovich (Spanish: Agustín de Betancourt y Molina; 1758 1824) Russian mechanical engineer and builder of Spanish origin. Betancourt, Alphonse ... ... Wikipedia

Betancourt (surname): Betancourt, Augustin Augustinovich (Spanish: Agustín de Bethencourt y Molina; 1758 1824) Russian mechanical engineer and builder of Spanish origin. Betancourt, John Gregory (English John Gregory Betancourt; born 1963) ... ... Wikipedia

Betancourt (Bethencourt y Molina) Agustin (Augustin Augustinovich), mechanical engineer and builder, corresponding member of the French Academy of Sciences (1809). Spaniard by origin. In 1781 ... Great Soviet Encyclopedia

Private bussiness

(1758 - 1824) was born in the Canary Islands in the city of Puerto de la Cruz. He studied in Madrid, at the Royal School of San Isidro and at the same time at the Academy of Noble Arts of San Fernando, drawing class. In 1783 he was sent to the mercury mines in Almadena, where he developed a project to improve the organization of work. After that, Augustine Betancourt was sent to the School of Mines in Paris. On the way, he inspected the construction of the Aragon Canal.

Arriving in France, Betancourt is sent not to the Mining School, but to the Higher School of Bridges and Roads, where he receives an engineering education. In 1787, he graduated, after which he visited a number of European countries, where he got acquainted with the construction of roads, canals, mines, the organization of shipping systems, and the work of various enterprises. In 1790, Betancourt's first major scientific work, On the Expansive Power of Vapors, was published in Paris.

In Paris, Betancourt prepared a project for the creation of a higher school of engineers in Spain. He and his colleagues created a unique collection of working machine models to be used in training. In 1791, the collection was moved to Spain, where it became the Royal Cabinet of Machines. Betancourt became the director of this cabinet, but his idea of a higher school was not realized until 1802, since the first minister of the kingdom, Manuel Godoy, refused to allocate funds for this. In 1799, Betancourt was appointed general director of the communications of Spain, and soon he also took the positions of intendant of the provinces, member of the council of finance, intendant of the army and chief director of the post office. Among other things, he secured the opening of the Madrid School of Road, Canal and Bridge Engineers.

In 1808, Betancourt went to France, where, together with José-Maria Lansem, he prepared the fundamental work "Course in the Construction of Machines". In 1809 he became a corresponding member of the Paris Academy of Sciences. Soon the Russian ambassador I. Muravyov-Apostol invited Betancourt to go to Russia. In September 1808, in Erfurt, Betancourt was introduced to Alexander I and accepted for Russian service in the rank of major general with enrollment in the imperial retinue, and also assigned to the department of communications. In August 1809, he was promoted to lieutenant general and also became a member of the board of the Corps of Railway Engineers.

For 16 years of service in Russia, Betancourt managed to realize many projects. Under his leadership, the arms factory in Tula was reorganized, where steam engines began to be used. A new cannon foundry was built in Kazan according to the Betancourt project. In 1816, the first sawmill was built in St. Petersburg on Okhta, equipped with steam engines designed by Betancourt; later, many factories throughout the country were built on its model. Betancourt made arched bridges in Izhora, Peterhof, Tula and St. Petersburg. According to his plans and under his leadership, many buildings were built, including the Manezh building in Moscow. In 1816-1818, under the leadership of Betancourt and according to his project, the banknote factory "Expedition for the Procurement of State Papers" was erected in St. Petersburg, he also developed the technology for making banknotes, proposed a new method of applying watermarks.

In November 1818, Betancourt was appointed chief director of the Office of Water and Land Communications, a post he held until September 1822. Under him, the highway St. Petersburg - Novgorod - Moscow was built, along which regular stagecoach traffic was opened. He established the first transport design organization in Russia - the Commission for Projects and Estimates of the Main Directorate of Railways, as well as the controlling body - the Committee for Buildings and Hydraulic Works, which was in charge of overseeing all construction projects in the Russian Empire.

What is famous

Augustine Betancourt is largely responsible for the creation of engineering education in Russia. At his suggestion, the Institute of the Corps of Railway Engineers was opened in St. Petersburg in 1810. Betancourt until the end of his life was an inspector of the institute, was in charge of the economic and educational department and lectured on engineering. Graduates became railway engineers and, depending on the progress shown, received the rank of lieutenant or second lieutenant. In 1820, in order to train masters and technicians, a school of communications was established as part of the institute with a three-year training period. Now this educational institution has become Petersburg state university ways of communication.

What you need to know

The most famous building, designed by Augustine Betancourt in Moscow, was the building of the Manezh on Mokhovaya. It was built as an exercise house, that is, a covered parade ground for military reviews. The area of the building was almost 7.5 thousand square meters, and the capacity - more than two thousand people. An unsupported wooden floor 45 meters wide became a unique engineering technique. The Manege was opened on November 30, 1817.

Direct speech

“My beloved Pepe, thank you so much for the letter that filled me with the pleasure of seeing your handwriting after so many years<…>I left my family in Paris and arrived here, as they say, to test the ford, and was well received by the Emperor, who made me very advantageous offers through third parties if I wanted to enter his service.<…>The emperor and all members of the imperial family received me with honors that I could neither claim nor count on. Of course, the Emperor invited me to dine with him on any days I wanted (very few enjoy this privilege) ... and gave me the rank of field marshal, corresponding to that which I had in Spain.<…>But none of this pleased me more than independence from anyone but his one person, without the intermediary of a single minister, so every time he suggested that I speak to him, I entered his office without having to ask anyone permission: I sent him the cases that he entrusted to me, and every day he made new tests for me, pleased with the way I serve him.

“Betancourt's main efforts were aimed at educating European-educated and qualified engineers with a softened social selection of candidates for training. Betancourt not only repeated in Russia the Western experience of teaching at a higher technical school - he took a significant step forward. Building on the achievements of his teachers (Monge and his Ecole Polytechnique, as well as Perrone and his School of Bridges and Roads), Bettencourt created a type of higher technical institution that, after two centuries, retains its value. Betancourt created a school of Russian engineers, which still retains its influence on world technical thought. Such an education, truly higher, engineers began to receive for the first time in the world. The intellectual scope of the theoretician, the experience and talent of the engineer, coupled with a great pedagogical gift, allowed Betancourt to create an educational system with great potential. The Institute of the Corps of Railway Engineers was able to develop organically, singling out their future professors from their own students, who continue the traditions and successfully solve both scientific and pedagogical problems. All subsequent technical universities in Russia are descended from the Betancourt Institute. And it is noteworthy that the Russian engineers of the 19th-20th centuries cannot be reproached for anything, it is a lack of competence or a paucity of imagination.

Ivanov M. V., Ledyaev A. P. The role of Betancourt in the development of Russian engineering culture

“The universality of Betancourt's personality manifested itself precisely in the fact that he did not at all evaluate intellectual activity as abstract theorizing. It was only the beginning of creativity, which must find its tangible embodiment. Betancourt did not sit in his office. He kneaded the dirt in the washed-out Russian ruts, sprinkled water on the repaired locks, cleaned construction dust from his uniform, conducted inspections, installed steam engines on ships, and built scaffolding for lifting columns. Moreover, Betancourt knew how to do everything himself - to the last engineering detail. He was resting at the lathe. His hands were so skillful that he could cut the length of the hair in half with a blade. Betancourt's engineering invention was so abundant that one can only bow before what he did.

M. V. Ivanov Cultural mission of Betancourt in Russia

11 facts about Augustine Betancourt

The full name of Augustine Betancourt is Augustine José Pedro del Carmen Domingo de Candelaria de Betancourt y Molina. In Russia, his name was Avgustin Avgustinovich.
The ancestor of the Betancourt family was Baron Jean de Betancourt of Normandy, who conquered the Canary Islands in 1405 and declared himself their king, a vassal of the King of Castile. Today, descendants of this family live in many countries, there is an association of Betancourts that holds regular congresses.
Betancourt also had a chance to engage in industrial espionage. During a trip to England, he managed to find out the principle of the double-acting steam engine of James Watt.
In 1798, Betancourt built an optical telegraph line connecting Madrid with the port of Cadiz.
Betancourt became one of the very few people who were accepted into the Russian service without losing one military rank. When the young Napoleon wanted to enter the Russian army, this tradition became the only obstacle: Napoleon did not want to lose his rank.
Betancourt's first project in Russia was the "Girl with a Jug" fountain with a statue by P. Sokolov in the Catherine Park of Tsarskoye Selo. Pushkin's poem is dedicated to the fountain.
In 1817, Betancourt was entrusted with the construction of a complex of buildings for the Nizhny Novgorod Fair. He completed this task in 1818-1823, and in 1823 he developed a master plan for the development of Nizhny Novgorod. Now in the city a street is named after Betancourt.
In the years 1809-1812, Betancourt created the original mechanical bucket-wheel dredger (machine à draguer) with a steam engine for cleaning riverbeds and canals. The excavator, manufactured at the Izhora plant, carried out dredging work in Kronstadt.
The Kamennoostrovsky bridge over the Malaya Nevka, built according to the design of Betancourt in 1813, was called the “Betancourt bridge” by the Petersburgers.
On the grave of Betancourt there is a column crowned with a mourning urn, 6.85 meters high. The monument was made at an iron foundry in Nizhny Novgorod according to a drawing by Montferrand.
In 2008, a special issue of the scientific journal Izvestia of the Petersburg University of Communications was published, containing research on Augustine Betancourt.

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