In the spring of 1904, when echoes of the Brothers Wright first flights began to be known in Europe, the author founded at Koutchino, near Moscow, on his family estate, the Aerodynamic Institute of Koutchino.

Air is the fluid meant by the term “aerodynamic” and artificial flight was the most important of the applications included in the programme of the Institute; foreseeing, however, the importance of comparative researches in air and water, the author chose intentionally a location particularly suitable for hydraulic experiments. A small river, dammed so as to form a pond, afforded the possibility of regulating the speed of the current at will, and since 1905 parallel researches were carried on in the wind tunnel and in the stream of water.

The idea of such an institute was very favourably received in the Russian scientific circles. When the author asked N. E. Joukovsky, V . V . Kouznetzoff and S. S. Nejdanovsky to participate in the organisation of this institution, they willingly gave their assent.