Scientific Societies of Petrograd – Leningrad in the Soviet System of Science Organization in the 1920s

Abstract

The article discusses a number of important issues for understanding the place and role of Petrograd – Leningrad scientific societies in the system of science organization in the 1920s. In particular, how the Soviet government treated scientific societies, to what extent the forms and methods of scientific societies’ work fitted in with the Bolsheviks’ ideas about Soviet science, and how scientific societies interacted with authorities and other scientific institutions and associations. During the transition period in 1917–1934, the Bolsheviks, seeking to preserve the cadre and scientific potential of the country, considered voluntary associations of scientists useful for the development of science, and their work was subsidized by the government. On the other hand, the processes of radical reorganization of the country’s scientific research system had seriously affected the scientific societies. Throughout the 1920s, under the influence of political and social changes taking place in Soviet Russia, state control over scientific societies was growing rapidly and became total at the cusp between the 1920s and 1930s. Many scientific societies failed to adapt to the new conditions and were forced to dissolve; others were liquidated by the authorities in the course of several reregistration campaigns following one after another, and still others managed to survive the painful process of transformation and continue with their work. In the early 1930s, the remaining scientific societies were forced to rapidly integrate into the system of government management of science and voluntary public associations. Having lost their independence, these societies turned into fully controlled mass organizations, with mandatory shares of workers and peasants among their membership. The main principles of their functioning changed too. Their plans and goals were now dictated by the needs of the Soviet state, by the concrete tasks of national economy, culture and education. Scientific societies lost their special status and significance for the academic community.