Originally called
NII-88 (
Scientific-Research Institute No.88), the entity was established on May 13, 1946, located at what was then called Kaliningrad, Moscow Oblast (now
Korolyov), northeast of
Moscow. It was based on
Plant No. 88 (full name:
M.I. Kalinin Plant No. 88, producing artillery and tanks during WW2) and headed by
Dmitriy Ustinov who had successfully lobbied to control post-war research and development of rockets in late 1945. Impressed by his work in Germany on the analysis of the
V-2, Ustinov appointed
Sergey Korolev chief designer of section 3 on long-range missiles, later called
OKB-1. In 1956, OKB-1 was removed from NII-88 to become an independent bureau.
Helmut Gröttrup headed a group of German scientists working for the Soviets at Branch 1 of NII-88 located on
Gorodomlya Island. Their job was to help reconstruct a Russian Version of the V-2, called the
R-1, after which they were returned to Germany. The facility was also spied on by American
U-2 spy planes in the late 1950s. Other notable personnel included
Kurt Magnus. It was renamed
Central Research Institute of Machine Building in 1967. ==Activities==