The gospel from Genady Filkovsky (G.F.), March 1997

G.F.: I was a student in the Altshuller's first School of the Inventive Creativity (Baku, 1970-1971), the Altshuller's first Institute of the Inventive Creativity (Baku, 1973-1975; I still bare the Diploma #81, which mentions that my final work was "Experience of organizing a training on methodology for inventivity" and I did it with the degree 'perfect'), then, a member of the Altshuller's Laboratory of the Inventive Creativity (Baku, 1975-1979), actively researching together with Altshuller and half a dozen of other guys, preparing and practicing training materials, teaching by mail, conducting seminars...

By the way, at some time, Valery Tsurikov was one of my 'remote' students, but I don't believe that computer program can provide an inventive solution - by what I mean as inventive solution. Computer program can help engineer to find a better solution - but there is nothing unusual, computer programs generally help to do something. To me as a software developer this specific IM program just looks very boring to deal with.

S.S. By the way, why IM has been led by Valery Tsurikov and not by his instructor?

G.F. Because the instructor has been more advanced... Seriously, first, I don't consider myself Valery's instructor, second, IM has been started long after I've left USSR, third, I've been (and still am) interested in more ambitious projects, fourth, IM=MIstake.

S.S.: Why didn't G.S. try establish himself as a scientist ?

G.F.: In the beginning of 70's my father's friend, Mirzadjanzade, who was then a correspondent member of the Academy of Sciences of AzSSR, offered Altshuller (as my father's other friend) a relatively easy way to make a dissertation and get a degree (using his works in ARIZ but arranging them accordingly). Altshuller has rejected claiming that he does not need it, because a future will judge him for his work and not for degrees... He also wrote science-fiction stories, gathered a 'registry of science-fiction ideas', traveled throughout USSR with lectures, wrote letters, articles and newsletters... He had lots of ideas, his own and inspired by people around him. He was very exited about his new ideas and liked to change directions, making a historical order ('logic') retroactively.

S.S. Who participated in TRIZ development at that time, did G.S. work alone?

G.F.: People came and gone on their own ways. One of the first was R.Shapiro, co-author of the 'foundation' article in "Problems of Psychology" ('Voprosi psichologii') published in 1956, and co-author of Altshuller's early inventions. My father (Leonid Filkovsky) was not exited about ARIZ ideas but co-authored with Altshuller other patent, from his (i.e. my father's) practice (civil engineering). There was this young guy (Perelshtein) who came up with the idea of 'physical contradiction' (Altshuller's original idea was a 'technical contradiction'), who has died soon from a kidney decease. Oleg Scrotsky used to ask good questions but Altshuller broke with him (for not scientific reasons) and he has drown in Volga a year later. There was this young woman (sorry, don't remember her name), whom Altshuller asked to find examples for using electro-magnetic field. Later she became a patent professional ('patentoved'). I brought ideas and wrote papers (Altshuller has published a monthly magazine - on his typewriter with the great help of his wife Valia) about 'inventions' in mathematical analysis and natural sciences, but neither Altshuller nor other engineers around have been too interested (because of a lack in scientific education). Karasik came up with a philosophical idea of duality ('dvoistvennostyach'). Physicist Gorin started list of physical effects and their implementations in inventive problem solving, but appeared more and more rear in the Thursday evenings (we used to meet weekly in Altshuller's apartment to discuss ideas and to plan work).

Altshuller was the only one who did it professionally, i.e. 100% of his working time. Others have had different main interests or have dropped for other reasons.

S.S. The first G.S. book about TRIZ was appeared in 1961. It seems that where were NO serious interest to TRIZ till seventies.

G.F.: Yes, it was a curious though not easy for reading book... So what? Who and in what way suppose to become 'interested'? Some people did - in very direct way: used or tried to use these techniques in their own work; isn't it what the book is for? The interest which appeared in seventies was a result of social attempts of Altshuller, not technical or scientific ones: he wrote letters, met with people, conducted seminars, meetings, arranges work with various 'not-for-profit' organizations (VOIR, Komsomol, profsoius, krugzki v raznix 'domax' etc.) and step by step the critical mass of involved people and organizations has been established.