Lavrentyev Institute of Hydrodynamics (initially named as Institute of Hydrodynamics) was founded among first institutes of Siberian Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences on June, 7, 1957. It has the status of the state scientific institution, and it is a part of Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. In 1971, the Institute was awarded the Order of the Red Banner of Labour - "For successes in development of hydrodynamics and training highly skilled scientific specialists". In 1980, the Insititute was named in honor of Academician M.A. Lavrentyev. In 1991-2001, LIH together with Engineering and Design Institute of Hydroimpulsive Technique (EDI HIT) was a part of the United Institute of Hydrodynamics SB RAS. In 2004, EDI HIT was transformed to the branch of LIH. At present, in the Institute there are 3 Academicians, 2 Corresponding Members of RAS, 66 Doctors of sciences, and 79 Candidates of sciences. For the whole period of the Institute existing there were 9 Academicians, 6 Corresponding Members RAS, 5 laureates of Lenin Prize, 14 laureates of State Prize, 7 laureates of Prize of Government, 9 laureates of Lenin Komsomol Prize and 11 laureates of academic prizes.

The basic directions of scientific activity of the Institute are: mathematical problems of continuum mechanics; physics and mechanics of high-energy processes; liquid and gas mechanics; the mechanics of deformable body. In above fields the Institute researchers carry out fundamental investigation and take part in developing scientific bases of modern engineering and technologies. The main goal of the LIH branch is producing high technology output developed in the Institute.

The most significant scientific results and elaborations of Institute researchers are the following:

• methods of group analysis of differential equations to construct exact solutions for equations of continuum mechanics are developed;
• the theory of nonlinear waves in continuous media described by hyperbolic systems of equations of high order is constructed;
• calculation methods of flows in complex systems on graphs are worked out;
• mathematical models of wave flows of stratified liquid and joint movement of subsoil and surface waters are developed;
• experimentally based models of wave dynamics of gas-liquid systems and unsteady flows on the free surface during the underwater explosion are suggested;

• models of initiation, structure and propagation of detonation in gas and heterogeneous systems are constructed;
• new phenomena in physics of explosive processes, including welding by explosion and the phenomenon of formation of ultradisperse diamond on the basis of which new industrial technologies are created are studied;
• theories of high-temperature strength (creep) and elastic-plastic deformation of structural- nonuniform materials and constructions are created. On their basis new technologies in shipbuilding, air- and space fields are developed;
• technology and automated complex are developed to cut and remove used fuel assemblies while processing the irradiated nuclear fuel of atomic power stations and transport ship installations;
• methods of instability suppression in chambers of combustion are developed;
• the equipment and technology of complex processing stanniferous raw material on the basis of using centrifugal processes are developed;
• methods of explosive extinguishing gas and oil fires are developed;
• bases and equipment for detonation spraying of different coatings are worked out, etc.

The institute has much practice in training high-skilled specialists and it is a base one for Department of Mechanics and Mathematics and Department of Physics at Novosibirsk State University. There are 2 educational and scientific centers: "Continuum Mechanics", "Continuum Physics"; 4 chairs jointly with NSU and 1 chair jointly with Novosibirsk State Technical University.

In the Institute there are two Dissertation Boards and a Postgraduate course.

The Institute publishes printed editions: collected scientific papers: "Dynamics of Continuous Media" (from 1969) and two translated journals "Journal of Applied Mechanics and Technical Physics" (form 1960) and "Combustion, explosion, and Shock Waves" (from 1965).

Heroes of Socialist Labour M.A. Lavrentyev, P.Ya. Kochina worked in the Institute. The following Institute researchers were awarded by:

• Lenin Prize - A.A. Deribas, V.M. Kuznetsov, G.S. Migirenko (1962), B.V. Voitsekhovsky, R.I. Soloukhin (1965);
• State Prizes of the USSR and the RF - V.L. Istomin (1978), A.V. Dolgov (1979), V.A. Simonov (1980), V.K. Kedrinsky (1983), L.V. Ovsyannikov (1987), A.F. Nikitenko, O.V. Sosnin (1990), L.A. Lukyanchikov, V.M.Titov (1994), S.V. Sukhinin (1999), A.A. Vasilyev, V.V. Mitrofanov (2002), V.Yu. Lyapidevsky, V.M. Teshukov (2003);
• Prizes of the USSR Council of Ministers and the RF Government - L.A. Lukyanchikov, V.I. Mali, V.A. Simonov, I.V. Yakovlev (1981), L.A. Merzhievsky (1990), V.L. Istomin, V.A. Ryzhakov (1999).

An important contribution to science was made by:
the founder of the Institute Academician Mikhail Alekseevich Lavrentyev (director, 1957 - 1976)
Academician Lev Vasilievich Ovsyannikov (director, 1976 - 1986)
Academician Vladimir Mikhailovich Titov (director, 1986 - 2004)
Corresponding Member Vladimir Mikhailovich Teshukov (director, 2004 - 2008)