👉 The Soviet computing era, spanning from the 1940s to the late 1980s, was marked by significant advancements in computing technology, despite facing numerous challenges due to economic and political constraints. The Soviet Union invested heavily in computing, producing iconic machines like the ZB-1 and ZB-2, which were among the first Soviet computers to use magnetic core memory. The Soviet Union also developed its own programming languages, such as LISP and Prolog, and contributed to the creation of the first Soviet software systems. Notably, the Soviet Union played a crucial role in the development of early space computing, notably with the launch of Sputnik and the subsequent space race. Despite these achievements, Soviet computing faced limitations in terms of resources, technology transfer, and international collaboration, which often hindered its global competitiveness. The era saw the rise of influential figures like Mikhail Gurevich, who pioneered the development of the first Soviet supercomputer, and the establishment of institutions like the Institute for Computing Machinery (IKI) in Moscow, which became a hub for computing research and education. The Soviet computing legacy includes foundational contributions to computer science and engineering, despite the challenges faced during this period.
