Items like instruments with a different approach are commonly because someone has got a patent on the existing method, and so other manufacturers have to come up with a way to get round this. It is design by patent evasion rather than what works appropriately.
ADIs like this were universal on Soviet era aircraft. Now I know these were not in common use in the West at the time, but there was plenty of experience with them. But just like the British Airways One-Elevens built with switches which went the opposite way to other One-Elevens (done for consistency with BA Tridents, but then an issue when they got other One-Elevens from mergers; we discussed this recently) you just have to understand and handle the human factors involved.
Back to prominent personalities lost, and it's noticeable the number lost from IMC at night. Credit to that PPL instructor who took me, outside the syllabus, up into clouds at night. Just in case ...