Page "Theremin" Paragraph 2

The theremin was originally the product of Russian government-sponsored research into proximity sensors.

The instrument was invented by a young Russian physicist named Lev Sergeevich Termen ( known in the West as Léon Theremin ) in October 1920 after the outbreak of the Russian civil war.

After a lengthy tour of Europe, during which time he demonstrated his invention to packed houses, Theremin found his way to the United States, where he patented his invention in 1928 ().

Subsequently, Theremin granted commercial production rights to RCA.