Anniversaries of foreign Academies and Societies

Abstract

The relations between the Royal Society and the Academy of Sciences of the U.S.S.R. are of old standing, for there would seem to be little doubt that it was the activities of the Royal Society that suggested to Peter the Great the foundation of the Russian Academy of Sciences. When he was in England in 1698 he frequently met Edmond Halley, with whom he discussed his plans for the encouragement of navigation and science in Russia. It was therefore fitting that a distinguished delegation from the Royal Society should accept the invitation to attend the celebration in honour of the two hundred and twentieth anniversary of the foundation of the Academy of Sciences of the U.S.S.R. in June 1945. Twenty-one delegates from Britain were flown to Moscow on 14 June in Russian planes and were there joined by Professor Ashby of Sydney University, and Miss Tripp of the British Council; Professor Saha and Dr Joseph Needham came from Calcutta and Chungking respectively. Canada, France, Sweden and Mexico were represented. The strong American delegation, headed by Professor Shapley, came by way of the Azores, Casablanca, Cairo and Teheran and returned by Siberia and Alaska, thus circling the globe. Delegations from Jugo-Slavia, Iran, Roumania and Bulgaria, as well as from all parts of the U.S.S.R. also attended the celebrations.