Lenin, science and education

Abstract

In this article we present material relating to Lenin's activity as Head of the Soviet Government in the fields of soviet science, culture and education, without of course making any claim to completeness. In spite of the enormous difficulties which the Soviet country had lived through in the years of civil war and of outside intervention and, in particular, had experienced at the beginning of the period of reconstruction, in those very years the network of colleges grew, the network of scientific research institutes and other scientific establishments was started, and the necessary foundation for the further development of Soviet science was laid. Here we tell of the perspicacity of the founder of the Soviet state and of his faith in the future. The greater part of the documents quoted was written by Lenin; but numerous documents from the period in question signed by other statesmen, have a direct connection with Lenin, since any largescale measure in the fields of science, culture, and education was carried out with his approval. We present the material divided into sections, but chronological order is observed in each section. Every document we quote is given with its full title.