Nikolai Khomenko
Editor | On 01, Jan 2010
Message: 1996Posted by: Greg Yezersky
Posted on: Saturday, 2nd April 2011
It is very difficult to talk about Nikolai in the past tense, as I have known him for 26 years and had an honor and privilege to call him my friend. Recalling all these meetings and multi-hour conversations withhim, I want to share a few personal details, so those who knew and appreciated him would know him better and on a deeper level.
1. For the majority of people, he was Nikolai. In our conversation, he had many names: Kolya, Nick Nick, Nickolaevich, Khoma, KhomenKO (emphasizing his Ukrainian roots), and many others.
2. If not for Nikolai (and Val Tsourikov ? the co-founder of NILIM/Invention Machine), I would have never been able to build a Gomel TRIZ school. Whenever I (or Viktor Timokhov ? my great friend and partner) had a serious issue, it was also possible to jump into a night train and arrive to Minsk knowing well that Nikolai would ALWAYS have found time and energy to sit down and talk despite busy schedule, health, and other ?minute? issues. Oh, these talks in his apartment kitchen, that were full of ideas, energy, cigarette smoke, jokes, plans, and reliable friendly support. He was kind, straightforward but demanding, almost like an older brother; with our 4 years in age difference and the difference in our statutes (Big Nick and small Greg), it looked that way?
3. If I need to describe him in one word (what a task), I would choose: SHARE. He shared everything he had WITHOUT expecting ANYTHING in return. Everyone who ever crossed paths with Nikolai took something from him: ideas, energy, suggestions, money, time, results of his research, kindness, etc. Some of us whom he touched provided proper references and attributions, many have not? While it is impossible to thank him in person, it is possible through our work.
4. One-and-a-half year ago, I saw him for the last time when we spent three days together in his cottage in the middle of Canadian nowhere. As always, we had happy times discussing his OTSM, a possibility to integrate OTSM and GTI, business, life?He made me a present, a unique experience of listening to the midnight quiet when the only sound that we were able to hear was the sound of TOTAL silence.
5. On February 19, I called him, and we had a ?long? (alas, only about 45 minutes) conversation. He talked about friends, his family, OTSM, TRIZ, and his plans. He even did not mention any illness; always protecting friends, always being an older brother?
Thank you, Kolya, for everything! I miss you a lot?
Message: 1997
Posted by: Gregory Frenklach
Posted on: Sunday, 3rd April 2011
Greg,
Could you write the same in Russian here:
http://www.metodolog.ru/node/944
Thanks!