Russian inventor Joseph Lazarovich Polyakov

The early 20th century in Russia was a time of rapid scientific and technological progress, but revolutionary upheavals forced many talented compatriots to work abroad. A vivid example is the life of Joseph Lazarovich Polyakov, who came from a well-off Jewish family in the Poltava province.

Born in 1873, he received an excellent education at the Moscow Technical School (now known as Bauman Moscow State Technical University). Even during his student years, Polyakov began developing technologies in the field of sound recording, photography, and videography. In 1901, he patented the first Russian photo-phonograph in the USA, designed for recording sound on film, which was a true technical marvel for that time.

After that, he created a mechanism for a photographic shutter and other inventions that gained recognition in Russia and Europe. Polyakov also worked on establishing telephone communication between railway stations and developed a device for transmitting communication over telegraph wires. As a result, he founded the first telephone manufacturing company in Moscow.

The 1917 revolution changed Polyakov's life, but it did not prevent him from receiving an order from the new authorities to create automated telephone communication in the capital. In 1924, he took a position at the Soviet trade representation in London, which allowed him to move to Britain, where he engaged in the development and production of hearing aids.

In the following years, Polyakov received numerous patents and even worked on the production of explosive devices for the British army during World War II. His last developments concerned hospital pagers, which appeared in the West immediately after the war. Joseph Lazarovich lived for 86 years and passed away on November 23, 1959.