Age — 47, from Moscow, Russia.

Sergey graduated from the department of elementary particle physics in 1978.  He received his degree at the OIYI (Joint Institute of Nuclear Research), at the neutron physics laboratory on a topic related to biophysics.  His hometown was the village of Kasplya in the Smolensk district.  He entered the physics department after graduating from renowned Kolmogorovsky boarding school #18.

‘Seryozha’ Kuzmenkov was a classmate, but for two and half years we studied in different classes and were in different groups.  He was in the first class, in group #13 (later #23 and #33).  After finishing general studies we chose the same specialty and ended up in the department of elementary particle physics, which was headed by the legendary – and I am not afraid to use this word – Academician Bruno Pontecorvo, or as well called him, Bruno Maksimovich, who was sung about by Vysotskiy and trained by Enrico Fermi.  Bruno Maksimovich had been living in the Soviet Union for more than a quarter century and spoke Russian with a strong Italian accent, but he pronounced scientific terms in the international language of physics: English.  He was, like all truly great persons, simple in conversation, accessible, and commanded a marvelous sense of humor.

Our department, together with the department of theoretical nuclear physics, was headed by Academician D. I. Blokhintsev, and was based in Dubna at the well-known OIYI.  We spent the last two years of our training there, from the middle of our fourth year onward, learning the basics of our scientific work.  We rarely crossed paths with the rest of our classmates, who were training at other departments out of Moscow.  Our dissertations were being prepared in different scientific research establishments, and so in the evenings we got together with other residents of the Dubna student hostel.  Everyone lived here, even the Muscovites.  Though three decades have passed, I still warmly recall those times in Dubna.

Unfortunately, I did not know Seryozha Kuzmenkov during those glorious days.  We met soon after graduation, then lost track of each other.  He was at our 20-year college reunion, which I was unable to attend.  I made it to the 25-year reunion, and there we raised our glasses to him.  We did not touch glasses, however.  It had been only a little more than three months since that tragic October.

From his picture I noticed that he had changed quite a bit on the outside, but he was still the same bright, humorous, quick-witted ‘Batya’ (‘Pops’ was his nickname even during the first courses, obviously in contrast to his boyish looks; he was one of the youngest in the classes). 

By Nikolai Shalygin.

Sergey Kuzmenov died during the terror attack in Moscow.  Good memory be unto you, Seryoga!  With pain in my heart, Fyodor Khalchukov.

I cannot believe that this happened…  I do not know, is it possible that THAT earth be for him soft as goose down…  By Vladimir Podstavkov.

This loss is our shared pain and regret…  A part of our life is leaving, and only the memory remains…  Eternal memory unto you, Seryozha, and let our soil be for you like goose down.  By Sergey Trusov.

Written by his classmates.

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