, developed under Bakalov's leadership In 1948 Bakalov enrolled in the Electrical Engineering College in
Alma-Ata, graduating with honours, and then entering the
Leningrad Electrotechnical Institute of Communications. He was awarded a Stalin scholarship in his second year, and also worked as a laboratory assistant at the
Budyonny Military Academy of the Signal Corps. He took part in student life and the institute, becoming head of the student scientific society and a member of the scientific council. Bakalov graduated with honours in 1957 and went to
Tula with his wife, arriving on 5 August 1957 to work as a design engineer at the
TsKB-14 design bureau, later the KBP Instrument Design Bureau. The bureau was in the process of creating a division to develop
guided rocket weapons and Bakalov distinguished himself in this field. In 1960 he became head of the laboratory, and in 1961 head of his design department, followed by his appointment in 1968 as first deputy chief and chief designer, and then chief engineer of the KBP Instrument Design Bureau. Bakalov's work revolved around the development of
anti-tank guided missiles, overseeing projects including the anti-tank guided missiles
9M113 Konkurs,
9K115-2 Metis-M,
9M117 Bastion, and
9M119 Svir/Refleks, and the guided artillery shells
2K25 Krasnopol and
2K22 Tunguska.
active protection system on a
T-55AD tank In November 1978 he was appointed head and chief designer of
TsKIB SOO, where he remained until his retirement in September 1997. TsKIB SOO, in full the "Central Design and Research Bureau of Sports and Hunting Weapons", specialized in the development and manufacture of sports and hunting weapons, small arms, anti-tank and anti-personnel grenade launchers, machine-gun turrets and small-calibre artillery naval anti-aircraft installations. Bakalov oversaw significant developments in the company's organizational structure, which soon achieved a high reputation for the quality of its products. The
Soviet team for the
shooting competitions at the
1980 Summer Olympics in Moscow all used MTs brand weapons designed and manufactured by TsKIB SOO. Among the designs developed under his supervision was the
Drozd active protection system for tanks and armoured vehicles for use against anti-tank missiles and
rocket-propelled grenades. For his work on this Bakalov received the
Lenin Prize. He also held around 150 patents on other inventions. In addition to his focus on the technical and business-related side of his work at the bureau, he also interested himself in the social side. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Yasniy Bereg recreation centre in Tula's
Dubensky District. ==Retirement and awards==