Alexei Nikolaevich Krylov is called the father of domestic shipbuilding, but his talents manifested in other fields of science as well. He not only had the ability to think deeply but also masterfully articulated his thoughts on paper. In his honor, his native village was renamed, and two asteroids in space bear his name. Krylov was a shipbuilder, mathematician, encyclopedist, and admiral.

Alexei Krylov was born on August 3, 1863, in the village of Visyaga in the Simbirsk province, now Ulyanovsk region. His father, Nikolai Alekseevich, was a wealthy landowner and artillery officer who, after his service, engaged in public activities and agriculture. His mother, Sofia Viktorovna Lyapunova, came from an ancient noble family.

In September 1878, Alexei entered the Naval School in St. Petersburg and graduated successfully in 1884. For his excellent studies, he was offered a round-the-world voyage, but he declined and continued his education at the Naval Academy, which he completed in 1890. All his scientific and teaching activities were connected with this academy.

His engineering career developed alongside his scientific one. Alexei Krylov wrote over 300 works in the fields of mathematics, mechanics, physics, astronomy, technology, and the history of science. However, his main interests were focused on ship theory.

Krylov's first scientific work concerned the deviation of magnetic compasses. He developed this theory throughout his life and received the first Stalin Prize fifty years later. In the 1890s, his name became known abroad due to the theory of ship rolling.

Krylov participated in the design of the first Russian dreadnoughts, such as 'Sevastopol,' and invented several naval and artillery devices. He created the first machine in Russia for integrating differential equations. His tables of unsinkability are still in use today. He also consulted several factories.

Mathematics was the second most important science for Krylov. Even in school, he devoted much time to it, and his uncle Alexander Lyapunov, a future renowned mathematician, assisted him in his research. Krylov's main works dealt with differential equations of mathematical physics and methods of approximate calculations.

Krylov's works were characterized by clarity of exposition. He translated Newton's laws from Latin into Russian, as at that time Newton's work was only available in that language. He also translated L. Euler's 'New Theory of the Motion of the Moon.'

Krylov had several children. Two sons, Nikolai and Alexei, died in the civil war fighting for the White Army. His daughter Anna accompanied him on his trips abroad.

Alexei Krylov passed away in October 1945 shortly after returning from evacuation. His last words were: 'A big wave is coming.' He is buried at the Volkov Cemetery in St. Petersburg.