Aksel Berg

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Aksel Ivanovich Berg (Orenburg 1893 – Moscow 1979) was a Soviet-Finnish scientist and Navy Admiral (in Engineering). Berg was the head of the Navy Communications Research Institute 1932–40, directed the Radioelectronics Institute 1947–57 and was a Deputy Minister of Defence 1953–57. His main interests were radio communications, microelectronics and cybernetics (i.e. computer science and engineering). He is particularly known for the development of radar for the Soviet Union, and for the founding of Soviet cybernetics.

Berg's father was General Johan (Ivan) Berg, of Finnish origin. At the age of 11, Aksel's father died, and Aksel was matriculated to St. Petersburg navy school. Berg served in the Red Navy 1918–22. During Stalin's purges, Berg was imprisoned for three years, but was freed in 1940, when Stalin became interested in developing radar. Berg was immediately appointed as a minister of electronic technology of the USSR.