Andrey Astrelin
Andrey was a Russian software developer with an incredible ability to design, build, and solve higher-dimensional puzzles. He came to the attention of our little community in 2010 when he announced that he had built and solved MagicCube4D, a 4D Rubik's cube, shortly before Don Hatch and I had built our first version around 1988. He had no proof for his claim, having lost his source code and records, so naturally we were skpetical, but all doubt was erased when he offered to reimplement it, and in no time, produced a working version in only 129 lines of code!
He has since been a very active member of our community, producing some of our most wonderful puzzles. You are welcome to join the mailing list, and don't need be a puzzle solver before getting into the discussion; everyone with an interest in the subject is welcome. solving many of the most difficult ones, and crushing everyone in our speed solving competitions. In the photo above he is wearing the T-shirt he won for winning one of our competions. He has also been extremely and consistently friendly, encouraging, and helpful to everyone.
It's therefore extremely difficult for us to come to terms with the fact that he has recently died (early 2017). Our loss is enormous, and we can only imagine what it means for his family and friends. Each of us are trying to honor him in our own ways. Some are solving some of his most difficult puzzles. He would definitely be pleased by that. For me, I can create this page. Listed below are the titles that he has created in the short time that we've known him. I hope that you will look at them, and if you find any of them to be interesting, please download, run, and remember Andrey Astrelin.
Here is a touching biography by his family and in the original Russian here.
Andrey, I hope your marvelous creations will live forever. We will remember you, and we already miss you terribly.
–Melinda Green