60 years ago, Soviet television screens became color

Soviet television began its activities in 1931, and it was then that television broadcasts took place for the first time. But it was black and white television.

Let's find out in what year the first color TV was put on the shelves in the USSR, and find out what brand it was. And this is Rubin-401. The first color television of the Soviet Union. It was released in 1967 and worked on French SECAM technology.

Although experimental development began much earlier, and test televisions were demonstrated in 1951.

The colors were faded, and it was possible to watch the broadcast in a darkened room. But over time, the screen size has increased noticeably, and the clarity and contrast have also improved.

Video of repair of TV KVN - 49. 1956.

Is it true that the idea of ​​television was invented by Soviet scientists?

Despite the fact that the idea of ​​transmitting not only sound but also images over long distances appeared at the end of the 19th century, it received practical implementation in the 30s of the 20th century. Russian emigrant Vladimir Kozmich Zvorykin, with the support of radio operator, inventor of the radio receiver, and then general manager of Radio Corporation of America (RCA) David Sarnov in the USA and S.I. Kataev in the USSR created iconoscopes - devices that broadcast images. From this moment on, the “era of television” begins.

When did the first color TV appear in the USSR?

The very first Soviet color TV was called romantically - “Rainbow”. However, it was essentially black and white. The color effect here was achieved through a system of light filters that worked on a mechanical principle.

The first program in color was released in 1960. To unify broadcasting, the SECAM standard was adopted, which the USSR developed in partnership with France.

Serial production of the first color televisions was organized in Moscow at the television plant. With the release of the Rubin-401 model into mass sale, the life of every citizen of the union has changed greatly. However, to catch the color change, it was necessary to watch the broadcast in a dark room.

In general, the Soviet Union was at the forefront of the introduction and development of television. Only Japan was ahead of the world powers, which already in 1960 began broadcasting programs in color.

Popular models

The design of the TV has undergone major changes. First, tube models were produced, then transistor ones. The transition to a new color broadcasting standard has caused an increase in the choice of device models. Over time, the picture quality has improved, and the number of functions has increased. Let's look at the most popular models of Soviet TVs in table form.

There are more than 30 Soviet-made TV models. Often, domestic developments took prizes at international exhibitions and were rightfully considered a model of quality and reliability.

The most popular TV sets for the population were the Record V-312 (1975) and the Rassvet-307 and Rassvet-307-1 line of devices (1975 and 1982, respectively).

The number of televisions in ordinary families also grew rapidly: if in 1957 there were about 1 million television receivers among the population, then in the 70s this figure was 6 million, and after another 10 years it increased to 50 million color devices.

One of the most popular TV - "Rubin-714/D" - was color. Over the 9 years it was produced, almost 1.5 million pieces were produced.

Already in the 60s of the 20th century, the Soviet authorities launched satellite television in the country. The network was called “Orbita”, and the communication satellites used were called “Molniya-1”. The full launch of the system took place in 1967. It was intended to provide communications in hard-to-reach and remote areas of the country.

Who invented the Soviet television?

In 1931, the first transmission of “images by radio” was made in the USSR. Sometimes the picture was not accompanied by sound, but since 1932, regular broadcasts with sound have been broadcast on the Soviet airwaves - radio amateurs have the opportunity to listen and watch news, music and entertainment programs. Soviet radio amateurs designed their first television receivers independently.

In 1932, the first Soviet television receiver, B-2 (named after the inventor, A.Ya. Breibart), was created at the Kozitsky Leningrad plant, and from the late 30s, TK-1 televisions began to be produced at this plant. To make it more convenient to view the image from a horizontal 14x18 cm screen, a mirror was attached to the television receiver at an angle.

Read on the topic: When the KVN game was invented in Soviet times, what were the rules of the game?

How the first TV worked

Let's consider three fundamental methods of action - based on the Nipkow disk, the first television designed by Rogozin and the first device that could be integrated into the television broadcasting system and enter the lives of ordinary people.

The principle of operation of the Nipkow disk was based on the fact that perforations were applied to a rotating opaque disk, which helped convert the image into an electrical signal. The decomposition was carried out into 30 lines. Photocells were installed behind the disk. Subsequently, it was this decision that would become the basis for the launch of the first mechanical television.

Rogozin's first TV also turned out to be very primitive and did not have a clear picture. The first launch of the system consisted of broadcasting an image in the form of four light stripes, which were placed on an even background. The image was low-contrast and static.

The first televisions (like many other products) could not be bought in the Soviet Union. They were produced strictly according to state orders and installed in Palaces of Culture.

The “B-2” device worked on the principle of a Nipkow disk (made from paper) and was classified as a set-top box. It did not have a radio receiving path, so it was necessary to connect through a standard radio receiver. The sound was transmitted on a different frequency, and to reproduce it, another radio was required. During production, about 3,000 devices of this brand were assembled.

Only in the 50-60s did television become available to a wide range of Soviet citizens.

There were no television broadcasts during the war. From mid-1941 to the end of 1945, the transmission of television signals on the territory of the USSR literally froze.

When did television become widespread and accessible to the public in the USSR?

The outbreak of World War II interrupted the development of television technology. But already at the end of the 40s, the first mass-produced television receiver appeared in the USSR - KVN-49. Its name is the first letters of the last names of the developers of this device - V.K. Kenigson, N.M. Varshavsky and I.A. Nikolaevsky. The fairly voluminous wooden box had a screen measuring 10x14 cm; in order to enlarge the image, a spherical or rectangular plastic or glass lens was placed in front of the screen. It had to be filled with distilled water purchased at the pharmacy - if you use ordinary water, a rusty coating quickly forms on the lens, which is difficult to wash off. A little later, distilled water was replaced by more durable and convenient glycerin. Despite the fact that this TV was quite functional, people quickly deciphered its name as “Bought - Turned on - Doesn’t work.” But despite such a skeptical nickname, this TV was treated with care and reverence. He was given a place of honor in the living room, and watching television became a family ritual. Since such a TV cost about 900 rubles - several months' salary - only a wealthy family could buy it, and the presence of a TV receiver became an indicator of social status. This is exactly the kind of TV that the residents of a friendly communal apartment not far from the Pokrovsky Gate watched. Implementing the state program for universal telephony of the country, KVN-49 was produced at once at four factories in the country - in Voronezh, Leningrad and Baku and could receive three channels.

The first TV in the USSR

A revolution in the field was the transition to a new kinescope design based on a new operating principle - cathode ray tubes. The pioneering design was published in 1933. The inventor is considered to be the scientist Semyon Kataev. However, other scientists, Timofeev and Shmakov, patented their inventions three years later.

Television developed rapidly after the end of the Second World War. Even in the most difficult times, the state invested in science and television broadcasting infrastructure. A specialized research institute was opened specifically for conducting specialized research.

In 1946, the ultra-modern Moskvich-T1 entered the market. A frequency modulation receiver was already built in, and a socket was provided for an adapter to play gramophone records. The main reason why this device has not become widespread is its high price and low durability.

The picture tube of the Moskvich-T1 TV became unusable and no longer worked 4-6 months after purchase. But the device cost several monthly salaries of a first-class engineer.

History of Russian TV 1930-69

With the development of television broadcasting capabilities - primarily due to the construction of the Ostankino TV tower - television receivers are also changing. Since 1953, the most popular TV in the USSR (or, more precisely, the only one in the USSR, due to the peculiarities of the planned centralized economy) has been the Zenit TV, which since 1962 has given way to the leader of the Record.

A truly revolutionary event was the advent of color television. On the 50th anniversary of the October Revolution, a large-scale event called “Rainbow, Light Up!” was held. There were televisions installed in store windows, on the screens of which - at the same time for everyone! - a black and white image (they were broadcasting a Bolshoi Theater performance) suddenly gave way to a color one... One of the first color televisions was the Minsk-1 television receiver, which was replaced - and for a long time remained the only one - by the Rubin brand television in many modifications.

When and where did the first color television appear?

Color television is the norm for modern people, but in the mid-20th century, getting such an image was a real discovery. The color television system was developed by a Russian scientist and engineer who worked in the USA, Vladimir Zvorykin.

As everyone knows, black-and-white and color televisions worked in parallel for a long time. Color information was transmitted using a separate signal, which was recorded only by color models.

The first color TV also used a Nipkow disk, but with three spiral groups of holes, which were sequentially covered with light filters: red, green and blue. The broadcast and invention of the device is credited to John Baird, who demonstrated his system in Scotland in 1938.

The first color mechanical TV, CBSRX-40, was produced by the Americans in 1950.

There are currently three relevant analogue broadcasting standards in the world: PAL, SECAM and NTSC. The very first was the American NTSC.

Do you know that the first Soviet television was produced at the Comintern plant in Leningrad?

Today, televisions are of a new generation with ultra-high definition image function, flat plasma is now often a key element in home theaters, and there is smart television, etc. But the point is that even today they won’t surprise anyone.

Nowadays there are televisions not only in every apartment, but also in every room, including kitchens and even bathrooms. And before the war in the last century, it was a great curiosity. The first television in the Soviet Union was developed in 1931 by Anton Breitbart, even before regular broadcasting began.

And the first television in our country appeared in Leningrad. It was a B-2 television set-top box. Moreover, a television institute was created in the city on the Neva, which became the center for the development of most domestic equipment. Since 1938, the production and sale of two types of televisions began in the Soviet Union: “VRK” and “TK-1”.

Despite the devastation, after the Great Patriotic War, the development of television was declared one of the priorities. And already in 1947, serial production of the Moskvich T1 and Leningrad T1 televisions was mastered. In 1949, the first mass-produced Soviet television, KVN-49, was put into production. We will talk about all this in order in this publication.

The first TV "B-2"

Anton Yakovlevich Breitbart, a Leningrad inventor, developed the first television in 1931. The first television produced in our country was a mechanical television “B-2” with a Nipkov disk. It could accept images with 30-line resolution. It was launched on April 15, 1932 at Leningradsky, now the Kozitsky plant.

In fact, the first TV was a set-top box that was not equipped with its own radio receiving path. To receive sound, a radio receiver was needed to be tuned to a different frequency. This first set-top TV had a miniature 3x4 centimeter screen with a glass magnifying glass.

In 1935, the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Television (VNIIT) was created in Leningrad, which became the center for the development of most domestic equipment.

Electronic television broadcasting in the USSR

On September 1, 1938, regular electronic television broadcasting with 240-line resolution by the Experimental Leningrad Television Center (OLTC) began in the USSR. The VRK (All-Union Radio Committee) TV was intended to receive broadcasts from the Leningrad Television and Radio Center. It was developed at the Institute of Television under the leadership of A. A. Raspletin and V. K. Kenigson.

It was equipped with a kinescope with a screen size of 13x17.5 cm and 24 radio tubes. In 1937-1938, 20 copies of the VRK were produced. They were installed for collective viewing in pioneer houses and palaces of culture. In 1938, in order to receive broadcasts from the Moscow Television Center, Leningrad produced TK-1 televisions - the first Soviet electronic receivers.

Each receiver was a more complex model with 33 radio tubes with a screen size of 18x24 cm. The receivers were produced according to the documentation of the American company RCA. By the end of the year, about 200 televisions had been produced. By the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, their fleet numbered up to 2,000.

TVs for the public

The development of a simplified television receiver intended for the mass consumer was carried out at another Leningrad enterprise - . The work was carried out jointly with VNIIT. Here, based on the schemes proposed by Raspletin, in 1940 they created a serial TV “17TN-1”, suitable for receiving broadcasts from both Leningrad and Moscow television centers with different standards.

Before the war, the plant managed to produce no more than 2,000 televisions of this brand. With the end of the war, television production resumed. Back in 1944, a new standard was developed for decomposing television images into 625 lines, which is used to this day.

In 1946, the production of Moskvich T-1 televisions began at the State Union Plant No. 528, and at the plant named after. Kozitsky - “Leningrad T-1” according to the new standard. Since 1948, the plant switched to the Leningrad T-2 model. The first truly mass-produced television is considered to be KVN-49, released in 1949.

TV "KVN-49"

Although “KVN-49” was much more advanced than the first mechanical TV “B-2”, it still remained with a magnifying glass. An example of a TV with a magnifying glass can be seen in old Soviet films, for example, in “Pokrovsky Gates,” which is touching. There, the KVN-49 TV was used for filming, now an exhibit of the Mosfilm museum.

The KVN-49 television was produced in the USSR in various modifications from 1949 to 1962. It was designed for a 625/50 decomposition standard. The development of the first 625-line televisions was carried out at VNIIT (Leningrad) and was coordinated by M. N. Tovbin, V. A. Klibson and the chief engineer of the institute A. V. Dubinin.

A group of engineers consisting of V.K. Kenigson, N.M. Varshavsky and I.A. Nikolaevsky, with the active participation of A.V. Dubinin, worked during 1946-1948 on the creation of the T-1 television, which became known as “ KVN". The abbreviation was compiled from the first letters of the surnames of its main designers. Then the TV of this brand received the name “KVN-49”, where the numbers are the year the production began.

Our television and differences from foreign ones

Then they began to produce black and white, and then color TVs throughout the USSR, from Vladivostok to the Baltic states. They differed from their foreign counterparts, and in some respects they even lost. Soviet televisions were not equipped with remote controls. But on the back there was a connector for connecting the corresponding cable.

However, it is important to emphasize that Soviet televisions have always been distinguished by the high quality of body finishing, even on inexpensive models. At that time it was called a case. The high-quality wooden housing of tube TVs, combined with the use of speakers and successful circuit design of the UMZCH output stage, ensured very high sound quality.

In general, almost all Soviet tube stationary televisions were suitable for listening to even symphonic music according to the sound recording standards of those years. On the contrary, in Western-made televisions, the sound path was not their strong point. Only premium-class models could boast of more or less good sound, comparable to Soviet TVs.

Inventor of "B-2" - the first television in the USSR

Anton Yakovlevich Breitbart graduated from the Leningrad Electrotechnical Institute of Communications in 1935. He actively participated in the commissioning of the electronic Experimental Leningrad Telecenter (OLTC) in 1938, and then became its first chief engineer.

A. Ya. Breitbart is the author of the first textbook on television in the USSR for higher technical educational institutions. During the Great Patriotic War he was involved in the development of radar systems. In 1944, in parallel with work on radar, he participated in the development of the USSR television standard (625 lines).

In 1949 - 1953, a series of five books on foreign radar technology was published under his editorship. From 1951 he worked at the Moscow Television Laboratory (later - the All-Russian Research Institute of Receiving Television Equipment), from 1957 to 1959 - as the chief engineer of the laboratory, and then as deputy director of the All-Russian Scientific Research Institute for scientific affairs.

He was the executive editor of the “Television” newsletter. Reception and retransmission", magazine "Problems of Radio Electronics", series "Television Equipment" (section of receiving equipment), member of the editorial board of the magazine "Film and Television Equipment". Author of over 30 books and articles on television and radar technology, inventor.

Horizon

On the basis of the Lenin Radio Plant, better known as BelVAR, the Gorizont association arose in 1972. It was to him that the USSR owed the first domestically produced color televisions, as well as screens with a maximum diagonal.

At the end of the eighties, the plant split into several subsidiaries. Each of them had its own narrow profile. For example, Signal specialized in televisions, Almagor specialized in satellite receivers, etc.

Once again the nineties brought decline. It was then that the decision was made to lease the factory territory. And under the yoke of a merry-go-round of various enterprises, Horizon fell.

Kyiv Radio Plant - TV “Slavutich”

Previously, the Kiev Radio Plant was large and powerful. Just look at its scale, representing an entire town!

Now it has been reorganized into several separate enterprises. The lion's share of the former industrial giant's production workshops is empty or rented out. And in the largest premises there is a chain supermarket.

Organized in 1953, the plant reached the peak of its prosperity after just 5 years of operation. From the late fifties until the nineties, it was considered one of the leading enterprises of the USSR. And then Slavutich became an open joint stock company.

Since then, the company's shares have been put up for sale several times. And according to the latest official data, in the near future the plant will be auctioned off due to declared bankruptcy.

This is how the story of the real giants of the radio industry ended sadly. But everything could have been different. And then in the homes of Russians there would be not Chinese plasmas, but our, domestic TVs - which would be no worse, but definitely at least twice as cheap.

Voronezh and Aleksandrovsky factories - “Record” TVs

Approximately the same fate befell the Aleksandrovsky Radio Plant No. 3, founded in Moscow, but moved to Aleksandrov (Vladimir region) in 1932. It produced high-quality radios and television, with an ad blocking option.

In the same nineties, the radio plant fell into decay. First there was a large-scale reduction, followed by a forced two-year pause in production. And in the 2000s, the final decision was made to close the plant.

By the way, “Records” were also produced at the Voronezh plant.

“Electrosignal” also appeared in the thirties. During wartime, he “retrained”, providing the country with radio communications. And if we talk about the scale, then absolutely all aircraft and every third tank were equipped with radio communications manufactured by the Voronezh Electrosignal.