Can We Talk About Post-Soviet Science?

Abstract

The authors of this essay have the background of a Soviet education. Aimar Ventsel began his studies during the Soviet era, at what was then Tartu State University. Natalia Struchkova graduated from Yakutsk State University, defended her thesis in Ulan-Ude, and continued to work and teach according to Soviet era programmes and methodology. Therefore, both authors have extensively read academic works from the Soviet period during their student years and after. The academic writing that is widespread in Russian and in many post-Soviet countries where the academic language is still Russian, differs substantially from the so-called Western writing. These differences cause misunderstandings between colleagues, but more importantly form a bottleneck affecting the publication and circulation of academic texts. This essay addresses the tensions between different forms of academic writing; a conflict not only of style, as is sometimes argued (Napol’skikh et al. 2014). One problem we both know about is the difficulties Russian humanitarian and social scientists encounter when planning to publish in Western journals. Difficulties accompanied with this process go beyond the lack of sufficient English language skills – language is the least of their problems. It seems that “these people cannot write”, as one editor of a respected academic journal remarked in a private discussion with Aimar Ventsel.