Takt-Magazine. Interview With Anatoly Yunitskiy

An interview with the General designer of the SkyWay project designing organization Anatoly Yunitskiy was published at the TAKt-magazine website. You can learn from it about the life of SkyWay transport creator, construction of EcoTechnoPark in his historic homeland ― in Belarus, the evolution of his vision and life choices. Read the entire interview in the authorship of the composer Phil Ginsburg (in Russian).

Our acquaintance occurred a couple of years ago thanks to one of SkyWay investors from St. Petersburg. Phil is a violinist, I am a guitarist, and at first we were tied up by string instruments, and then by string transport. When Phil saw the unibike, he became so inspired that he wrote a song (watch video), in which he highlights the innovation that aroused his inspiration. And then he wanted to talk personally to the creator of SkyWay technologies. The result was this interview.

Full text in English

ANATOLY YUNITSKIY. GUEST FROM THE FUTURE

Our today’s guest is a truly cosmic man. Anatoly Yunitskiy is a Russian scientist, inventor and entrepreneur. Author and General designer of Yunitskiy’s SkyWay technologies, Director of two United Nations projects, member of the USSR Federation of cosmonautics, author of more than 150 inventions, above 20 monographs and more than 200 scientific papers, Chairman of the Board of Directors, General designer of Skyway Technologies Co. (Minsk, Republic of Belarus).

The holder of the following awards:

• two gold medals from the all-Russia exhibition center
• three “Golden chariot” in the nomination “Project of the year in transportation industry”
• three Gold quality labels “Russian mark”
• honorary title “Knight of science and arts”
• above 40 diplomas at international exhibitions

Phil Ginsburg: Anatoly, our first question is traditional as always. What places on Earth have impressed you most and where would you like to go back?

Anatoly Yunitskiy: I already went back there. I am sure that no one has a stronger desire to see exactly the place on Earth that is associated with his childhood, home, family, friends... Especially after the fate has thrown me from Kazakhstan to Russia in transit across Europe! As the saying goes: “You are handy at the place where you were born!” Although my small homeland does not exist now. It is the village of Kryuki, in Polesye, seven kilometers from the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. It was burned down in the flames of the blackest man-made disaster. The level of radiation there is ten times higher than in the rest of the Belarusian part under the Chernobyl zone, since the whole radioactive dust fell right on our huts after the reactor explosion ― the wind rose directed so. And I am happy to return to Belarus and to create here the only correct solution of ecological and transport problems of mankind in our era, when little time is left until the destruction of the entire Earth’s biosphere, created by God, by the technosphere, created by our technocratic civilization. After all, they occupy the same niche on the planet ― in space and time ― and if our vector of development remains the same, the latter will win in this unequal contest.

It is this land that gives me, as to a mythical Antaeus, the power to find engineering solutions previously unknown. Huge interest in SkyWay technology is shown from the countries of South-East Asia, Middle East and Australia, where transport and environmental problems have the greatest effect. While visiting those seemingly lands of Paradise, I often recall some of the lines in the song about the places where I came from: “To love our dear Belarus, you need to visit various regions. I understand now why the cranes fly to Polesye from the southern skies”.

P.G. Anatoly, please tell me, when did you come to realize what you want to do in life and were there people who influenced your choice?

A.Y. This awareness came in school days, when I lived near the Baikonur Cosmodrome. Nowadays everyone wants to be a businessperson or a politician, and at that time my age-mates dreamed of becoming astronauts and physicists. It was then that I made my choice, and I was inspired by the works of Konstantin Tsiolkovsky, the founder of modern cosmonautics. In addition, it was then, as a schoolboy, that I became interested in rocket modeling and (without false modesty) made great strides in this area that were noted at a high level. And over time, I even became a member of the USSR Federation of cosmonautics with my program of space industrialization. Subsequently I immersed myself in the subject of space exploration deeper and realized the main disadvantages of its modern strategy. However, since I also realized that if humanity does not want to become history in the XXI century, it is necessary to transfer a part of the planet’s industry dangerous for the environment into space, beyond the limits of our common home ― the biosphere; the search of a solution to this problem became the main task of my life.

P.G. Any creative or engineering idea starts with inspiration. For example, I was very much inspired by the footage of SkyWay transport testing. Moreover, I was so inspired that a melody was born, which later became a song and even in the video we used the footage of unibike’s “flight”. Moreover, we proceeded forward and are already writing an entire album claiming it as a crowdfunding project. However, it all started with inspiration. Anatoly, what inspired you to create SkyWay transport? What was in the beginning?

A.Y. I have already partially answered this question. When living in Jezkazgan, I watched the rockets that rushed up into the unexplored space... Then the inspiration came! However, quite soon I also found out that in the entire history of rocket cosmonautics only up to 300-400 tons of cargo per year could be delivered into the Earth orbit, i.e. with the help of rockets it is impossible to transport into the orbit or service the needs of the space industry designed to meet the needs of billions of people of the Earth. In addition, only about 100 launches of heavy carrier rockets such as the American “Space Shuttle” (that is only 2,000 tons of cargo) in one year will lead to irreversible negative changes in the ozone layer, which will affect the entire planetary environment as a whole. Unfortunately, the “Proton-M” carrier rocket is not much better either, because it is filled with hundreds of tons of heptyl ― a highly toxic fuel, more poisonous than potassium cyanide!

I managed to find a solution to this major problem of space exploration creating a program of its non-rocket industrialization, which has already been calculated at the engineering level. Therefore, there appeared the General Planetary Vehicle, from which SkyWay subsequently “detached” itself: while addressing the problems of space exploration, I also began to analyze ground-based infrastructure, because at first it is necessary to optimize the transportation of our planet. It is necessary to harmoniously fit it into the conditions of the real world ensuring the movement of people and cargo at the maximum possible speed and minimal damage to the environment. And the SkyWay transport created by your obedient servant meets all these conditions!

P.G. The world is not currently in the most favorable environmental situation. Do you think that each individual can influence the improvement of this situation and what should he do for this?

A.Y. Definitely! The development of SkyWay project is a direct proof that ordinary people are capable to cope with any task! To do this, they must be united by a common idea. Once I was looking for sources of funding my global project from oligarchs, presidents, kings... but it did not move from the dead end until I addressed ordinary people who were not indifferent to the solution of the problem you mentioned, to the future of their children and grandchildren. I am convinced ― the future is in crowd economy! SkyWay is supported by one million people in more than 200 countries and territories of the world, both recognized and unrecognized. This is more than member countries of the UN! One third of them are active investors of the project. Do you understand what power it is?! This is the answer to the second part of your question. If you want to influence the improvement of the environmental situation, join SkyWay project!

P.G. Health, as a way of life. Everywhere we hear appeals and advertising of a healthy lifestyle. Unfortunately, not all advertising can be trusted. What do you mean by the “Healthy lifestyle”? What rules do you follow yourself and what can you recommend to our readers?

A.Y. I am a consistent supporter of a healthy lifestyle. In fact, I have no bad habits, because I just can’t afford them. The wellbeing of my family: wife and two beautiful daughters, still schoolgirls, depends on me. Besides, I have to set an example for them! In addition (excuse me, again without false modesty) I must have a lot of energy for the successful implementation of SkyWay project, designed to literally save the planet, because if not me, then who?! It is necessary to work almost round the clock, and the help in preservation of health is my favorite pastime ― fishing and work, though it sounds paradoxically! Energy is given by the people, who support the project and share my ideas, as well as by more tangible material things. The thing is that to realize the environmental component of SkyWay transport in EcoTechnoPark and the adjacent farm, a hard work is in progress to restore previously fertile soil buried beneath the existing railways, highways and other roads (by the way, occupying an area of five UK territories). For this purpose, we are developing the technology to produce humus and cultivate eco-clean food.

So, I try to feed myself with these fruits of our scientific work, and recommend them to my employees ― they are delivered to the workplaces of more than 450 employees of Skyway Technologies Co.! And every morning I spend one hour for fast walking, which is called Scandinavian walk, at that time I work on myself and my thoughts. Tranquility, active life, good thoughts and noble purposes ― this is my advice to the readers of the magazine “TAKt”.

P.G. Anatoly, and the last traditional question from our magazine. One friend of mine said that happiness is when you go to your favorite work in the morning, and a person you love is waiting for you back home in the evening. And what is the quintessence of happiness from Anatoly Yunitskiy?

A.Y. Firstly, I’ll sign under every word of your friend. I’m happy at home and I also live by my work. Secondly, what can be nobler than the salvation of humankind? To do this, you must love it. All the 7 billion and more! And love in the highest sense of the word is God.

Such is the quintessence of happiness from Anatoly Yunitskiy!

P.G. Thank you very much, Anatoly, for such an interesting conversation and simple but wise advice for our readers.