Kazimir Semenovich

Kazimir Semenovich (1600–1651) – Belarusian compatriot, military engineer and theorist of artillery. He is considered as one of the founders of world rocket ballistics and astronautics.

There is no exact information on Semenovich’s date of birth.
Presumably, he was born in 1600, but it’s known that he came from an impoverished gentry family of the Semenoviches who owned some land in Vitebsk region. Semenovich considered himself as Lithuanus. He had good knowledge of arithmetics, geometry, mechanics, hydraulics,
pneumatics, architecture, physics and chemistry as well as fine arts,
sculpture, engraving etc. He is believed to have aqcuired such encyclopedic knowledge (right in the spirit of the Renaissance) in Vilnia University.

Kazimir Semenovich was a participant of the war between Russian state and Poland (1632–34) and the siege of the Moscow garrison in the town of White (March-May 1634), a participant of the battle of Rzecz Pospolita forces against the Tatars at the Akhmatovo (30.01.1644), where he was a witness of the Tatar fireworks. In 1645 he went to the Netherlands and in the same year took part in the siege of different cities by the troops of Frederick Henry of Oranski. In 1648 he took part in the war with the Cossacks.

Although his parents wanted him to become a politician, Semenovich strongly believed that it’s artillery which combines both science and art as well as all the wisdom of the world. He studied artillery in Holland, took part in the war between Holland and Spain, on returning home he took posts of engineer of the Crown artillery and then leutenant-general. After he retired he went back to Holland to publish his treatise “The Great Art of Artillery”. Kazimir Semenovich’s work was first published in Latin language in 1650. One year later the second edition in French language appeared. The book consisted of five parts and included
a plenty of engravings based on the author’s sketches. The book described the multi-staged rocket, the delta wing and the rocket system of volley fire. Original Belarussian words such as “berkavets” and “baryla” (old units of measurement) become international scientific terms. This study attracted the attention of experts in different countries and was translated into numerous European languages. During centuries this work had been not only one of the major scientific works in Europe, but also one of the most demanded textbooks on artillery.

Soon after the book was published he died. The causes of death are unknown.

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