USSR Academy Research Articles

Academician Vladimir Vasilievich Kovanov (1909–1994) (on the 115th anniversary of his birth)

A prominent Soviet surgeon, a well-known specialist in the field of topographic anatomy, operative and military surgery, a talented scientist and teacher, academician (1963) and vice-president (1966) of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences, honored scientist of the RSFSR (1965), laureate of the USSR State Prize, Rector of the 1st MMI named after I. M. Sechenov (1956–1966), Professor Vladimir Vasilievich Kovanov was born on March 13 (February 28, old style) 1909 in St. Petersburg into a working-class family. In 1931, V. V. Kovanov graduated from the 1st Moscow Medical Institute and continued his postgraduate studies at the Department of Pathological Anatomy under the guidance of Professor A. I. Abrikosova. For medical reasons, he changed his specialization and moved to the Department of Surgery, headed by Academician N. N. Burdenko. During the Great Patriotic War, he worked as a surgeon in a triage hospital in Yaroslavl, in an evacuation hospital in Kazan, then served as the head of the surgical department of the field mobile hospital of the 5th shock army, the chief surgeon of the 44th army and the chief surgeon of the 28th army, in whose ranks he reached to Berlin with the rank of lieutenant colonel in the medical service.In 1946, V. V. Kovanov defended his doctoral dissertation and in 1947, took the position of head of the department of operative surgery and topographic anatomy of the 1st Moscow Medical Institute named after I. M. Sechenov (1947–1988), from 1956 to 1966, was the rector of this institute, since 1988 – consulting professor. Vladimir Vasilievich was the author and co-author of more than 130 scientific works, including 7 monographs and manuals. His main works were devoted to the treatment of chest wounds, anaerobic infection, traumatic shock, the organization of surgical work in the military area, the anatomy of fascia and cellular spaces, surgery of the heart and blood vessels, organ and tissue transplantation.V. Kovanov was awarded two Orders of Lenin, the Order of the Red Star, the Order of the Red Banner, two Orders of the Patriotic War of the 1st degree, two Orders of the Patriotic War of the 2nd degree, the Order of the October Revolution, the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, six medals, and many badges of honor. Academician of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences V. V. Kovanov died on February 22, 1994 in Moscow and was buried at the Troekurovskoye cemetery.

К юбилею профессора Н.И. Воробьева: введение

The article opens a special issue of the Historical Ethnology journal dedicated to the 130th anniversary of the outstanding scholar Nikolay Iosifovich Vorobyev, geographer, historian and Turkologist, Honored Scientist of the Tatar ASSR, Honorary Member of the USSR Geographical Society, founder of ethnographic Tatar studies and one of the leading researchers of the ethno- and cultural genesis of the Chuvash people. Professor Vorobyev is the author and editor of such fundamental works as the Fundamentals of Physical Geography of the Tatar Republic (Kazan, 1936); The Kazan Tatars: Ethnographic Study of the Material Culture of the Pre-October Period (Kazan, 1953); The Chuvashes. Ethnographic Study (Cheboksary, 1956); Tatars of the Middle Volga and Ural Regions (Moscow: Nauka, 1967), as well as other academic publications. The paper outlines important milestones in the biography, the main areas of the scientist’s research activities, starting with his student passion for the ethnic culture of the peoples of Siberia to academic maturity – fundamental research on the ethnography of the Turkic peoples of the Volga and Ural regions. The article presents vectors of his teaching work at Kazan State University, at the Kazan Eastern Pedagogical Institute (KSPI), as well as administrative and expeditionary practice within the walls of the Central Museum of the Tatar ASSR and the Institute of Language, Literature and History of the Kazan branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences.

Historical and Cultural Aspects of the Club Movement in Novosibirsk Akademgorodok in 1960s – 1980s

The article discusses the significance of leveraging historical experiences to address contemporary societal challenges, particularly the technological impact on science cities, the holistic development of human capital, and the cultivation of humanitarian resources for Russian scientific advancement. The primary objective of this work is to study in dynamics the historical and cultural aspects of the club movement, offering a comprehensive portrayal of the scientific community's life in Novosibirsk Akademgorodok during the 1960s to 1980s. Employing the problem-chronological method, an interdisciplinary approach, and the discourse of a new scientific trend of anthropology of scientific life, this study has yielded results that contribute to a broader understanding of the aforementioned subject matter. The initial stage of the club movement in 1960s was characterized by pronounced processes of sociocultural adaptation (fulfillment of the social order for communication) and political engagement aligning with scientific pursuits. In 1970s and 1980s, the club movement underwent institutionalization, integrating itself into the socio-cultural space of Akademgorodok. About 40 clubs were established, including the clubs “Under Integral”, “Babylon”, ISC Club, “Sigma”, “Sage”, “Vertical”, “Grazia”, “Aesthetics of Clothes”, as well as thematic clubs of interest. Evidencing a democratic character, the club movement in Akademgorodok served to uphold the image of Soviet science and culture. Although the Soviet state regulated the forms of political participation, the club movement was generally supported by cultural policy actors. The mobilization trend encapsulated by “Science – Culture – Art” can be interpreted as a historical and cultural blueprint of the club movement of Novosibirsk Akademgorodok, strengthening the scientific and organizational principles of the establishment of the Siberian Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences “Science – Personnel – Production” in 1960–1980.

Scientific heritage of Ippolit Vasilievich Davydovsky: issues of gerontology in the light of general pathology

Ippolit Vasilyevich Davydovsky is an outstanding pathologist, academician of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences, professor, who made a tremendous contribution to the creation of the basic postulates of modern pathological anatomy. He chose the study of gerontology as one of the areas of his scientific interests. This topic is quite relevant today since gerontology is beginning to become a separate medical specialtyin domestic medicine. The authors analyze the aspects disclosed in the monograph “Gerontology”, as well as the ideas presented in other works on the issues described above. An overview of the main theories and provisions that were proposed by I.V. Davydovsky during the development of his scientific career is provided. The importance of a comprehensive study of gerontology, which is inextricably linked with other branches of medicine, is emphasized. The natural philosophical understanding of the aging process is considered. The problem of atherosclerosis in geriatrics is described separately. In addition to gerontology, the article provides examples of other fundamental works by I.V. Davydovsky: a textbook on general human pathology, which focuses on the inseparability of pathomorphology and pathophysiology as components of one discipline; a monograph dedicated to organopathology, which provides a generalized understanding of the pathogenesis of diseases of the human body. Thus, the scientist sought to dialogue with clinicians in his published works, thereby promoting the clinical-anatomical direction. The view of the community of pathologists on the scientific activity of I.V. Davydovsky, one of the brightest representatives of his specialty, is interesting.

The Library of the RAS Kurnakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry – the successor to the library of the Imperial Academy of Sciences Chemical Laboratory

The 300th anniversary of the Russian Academy of Sciences is celebrated in 2024. Among its institutions, the libraries hold a special place as depositories of scientific knowledge rendering research support services. The authors discuss the experience of the Library of the Kurnakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences. It was established in the second half of the 19th as the library of the Chemical Laboratory of the Academy of Sciences in St. Petersburg. The laboratory systematically purchased specialized journals, monographs and reference books demanded by the scientists, both on its own and through the Library of the Academy of Sciences. After the 1917 Revolution, the Laboratory went through several restructurings, and in 1934, along with other Academy departments was transferred to the city of Moscow. All these events were affecting the Library, its status and name having changed in succession to the Library of the Chemical Institute, Library of the Chemical Association, and that of the Department of Chemical Sciences of the USSR Academy of Sciences. One century after its foundation, the library's collections numbered more than 200 thousand copies, and it served all chemical institutes of the USSR Academy of Sciences. In 1973, the library became affiliated with the Library for Natural Sciences of the Russian Academy of Sciences and has kept this status till present day. Today, the Library is the depository of the comprehensive thematic collection of scientific literature, comprising the historical collection of the turn of the 19th-20th centuries and the most recent publications in general and inorganic chemistry.

Zinaida Vissarionovna Ermolyeva at Rostov medical institute

The article analyzes materials from the State Archive of the Rostov Region about Zinaida Vissarionovna Ermolyeva, an outstanding Soviet microbiologist and epidemiologist, academician of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences, creator of the first domestic drugpenicillin. Data are provided about her years of study at the Rostov Women's Medical Institute, and the nat the Faculty of Medicine of Don University. Archival materials are considered hat testify to the first stages of her career as a teacher and scientist at the Department of Microbiology of Don University.

Organizer of biological science: to the 100th anniversary of P. A. Lehr’s birth

2023 marks the 100th anniversary of Pavel Andreyevich Lehr’s birth (09.27.1923–09.15.2005). He was an outstanding Soviet scientist, a leading expert on dipteran insects, a corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Sciences, director of the Institute of Biology and Soil Science of the Far Eastern Scientifi c Center/Far Eastern Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences during 1981–1991. The article highlights the contribution of P. A. Lehr to the organization and development of biological research in the Far Eastern region between 1988 and 1991, when he was deputy chairman of the Presidium of the Far Eastern Branch of the USSR Academy of Sciences. At the same time, Lehr led a temporary creative team to develop the Environmental Program of Primorsky Krai, which he managed to bring to completion and offi cial approval during the collapse of the USSR. Unique documents from the Archive of the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the personal archive of the author are presented.

Creative space and scientific trajectory of academician V.N. Chernigovsky – first academic secretary of the department of physiology of the USSR Academy of Sciences

The article analyzes the prerequisites and conditions for choosing Academician V.N. Chernigovsky, academician-secretary of the Department of Physiology of the USSR Academy of Sciences, created in 1963. For this purpose, the scientific potential and creative success, career growth and individual qualities of Academician V.N. Chernigovsky within the framework of the methodological approach of “protected space” were considered. He was characterized by a high level of achievement motivation, he had high efficiency, and was characterized by thoroughness and accuracy in carrying out scientific work. V.N. Chernigovsky successfully developed a new direction in the field of visceral physiology and made a significant contribution to the idea of interoception. He worked hard, achieved results step by step, which added up, enhancing their combined effect and creating the basis for his recognition and career advancement. V.N. Chernigovsky had significant administrative experience in leading two leading physiological institutes. Creative space of academician V.N. Chernigovsky, his scientific trajectory and personal characteristics brought him to the forefront as a candidate for the position of Academician-Secretary of the new Department of Physiology of the USSR Academy of Sciences. Election of Academician V.N. Chernigovsky’s appointment to the position of academic secretary was not an accident, a game of chance or luck. This was the result of his intensive scientific and organizational work, which were predetermined by his personal qualities.

External sessions of the USSR Academy of Sciences’ section of Earth sciences, held in the USSR regions in 1964–1968

On the 10th of April, 1961, the Presidium of the USSR Academy of Sciences passed a resolution aimed to improve effectiveness of research at the Academy’s institutions and to identify promising research areas. In accordance with this resolution, the Academy’s structure changed with 15 new sections added. The new structure of the Academy was reflected in its new charter approved in July 1963. Academician A. P. Vinogradov became the Academic Secretary of one of the Academy’s sections named the Section of Earth Sciences. In the new conditions, the Academic Secretary’s responsibility increased and the scope of his duties widened significantly, which demanded the implementation of new organizational forms of work such as the external (regionally held) sessions convened in various regions of the USSR since 1964. This article is devoted to the analysis of the history of these sessions. There were four external sessions held in the Soviet Central Asia and Kazakhstan (1964), in the Russian Far East (1965), in the Caucasus (1966), and in the Urals (1968). The objectives of these sessions were regionally convened discussions of current problems in the development of modern science, coordination of measures aimed to address these problems within the framework of the section, proving help to regional scientific institutions with the organization of studies including those involving the use of new research methods, and establishing close contacts between the scientists from different regions and the academies of sciences of different USSR republics.

60 anniversary of the foundation of the Department of Physiology of the USSR Academy of Sciences

The Department of Physiology of the USSR Academy of Sciences was established in 1963. The first academic secretary appointed was V.N. Chernigovsky. The article discusses the functions of the department, its leaders, and the development of physiology until 2002, when as a result of the RAS reform, 3 departments, including the Department of Physiology, were merged into the Department of Biological Sciences of the RAS. In 2011, a new department was created – the Department of Physiology and Fundamental Medicine of the RAS.

Report of V. M. Turok-Popov at the 1964 meeting of the section of social sciences of the Presidium of the USSR Academy of Sciences on the tasks of Soviet Slavic studies

This article presents V. M. Turok-Popov’s contribution to the critical reflection of methodological problems of Soviet historical science, including Soviet Slavic studies, during the thaw. From the documents of the scientist’s personal fund kept in the Archive of the Russian Academy of Sciences, his report on the tasks of Slavic studies for the meeting of the Section of Social Sciences of the Presidium of the USSR Academy of Sciences in 1964, the purpose of which was to develop methodological issues of history, is published for the first time. The proceedings of the meeting were published in the collection ‘History and Sociology’ (1964), but Turok-Popov’s report was not included in it, which limited the circle of people who could have familiarised themselves with it. The publication is accompanied by a letter from V. V. Altman’s letter, which conveys the reaction to the report of the participants of the meeting and indicates some reasons for its absence from the collection.

The path to recognition (An essay on the life and scientific heritage of Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences A. N. Trainin)

The article is devoted to the scientific heritage of Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Law, Professor, statesman and public figure Aron Naumovich Trainin. A. N. Trainin is known primarily as a legal ideologue of anti-fascism, one of the first developers of problems of International Criminal Law; who participated in the Nuremberg trials as a consultant. He is the author of over 300 works. He was actively engaged in the development of problems of the theory of Criminal Law – corpus delicti, complicity, criminal responsibility, International Criminal Law.

From quantum field theory to the quantum method the inverse problem On the 90th anniversary of the birth of academician L.D. Faddeev

The article is dedicated to the life and work of a theoretical physicist and mathematician, a full member of the USSR Academy of Sciences and RAS L.D. Faddeev (1934−2017), the formation of his scientific school. Faddeev’s works on scattering theory, quantum field theory, classical and quantum theory of integrable systems were included in the golden fund of world science and largely determined the face of modern mathematical physics. The author of the article is an employee of the Laboratory of Mathematical Problems of Physics created by L.D. Faddeev at the St. Petersburg Department of the V.A. Steklov Mathematical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences since its foundation.

The USSR Academy of Sciences during the Thaw (1956–1964)

The USSR Academy of Sciences during the Thaw (1956–1964)

“Everywhere Was I Greeted with Great Courtesy”: V.V. Bartold’s Research Visit to Turkey on the Pages of His 1926 Constantinople Diary

The paper continues the history of Academician V.V. Bartold’s research visit to Turkey in the first half of 1926. The trip was partly reflected in the scholar’s diary, which he kept from January 15 to February 17, 1926. Despite the small volume and brevity of the entries, they are very informative and present a valuable source for studying Bartold’s research activities. The diaries show that, during that period, the Academician was mainly engaged in the study of Oriental manuscripts in Istanbul libraries. In addition, Bartold communicated a lot with Turkish and European researchers working in Turkey at that time, and, on behalf of the USSR Academy of Sciences, discussed with them the possibility of organizing joint research projects. The diary also reflects Barthold’s preparations for the trip to Baku to participate in the First All-Union Turkological Congress. The information provided allows us to detail Bartold’s research work in Turkey and his activities in strengthening academic cooperation between the two countries.

Trainin Ilya Pavlovich: in the struggle for the right at the turning of the epochs

The article is devoted to an overview of the life path and scientific heritage of Academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences, member of the Presidium of the USSR Academy of Sciences Ilya P. Trainin. Scientific work of I. P. Trainin combined with organizational, socio-political and pedagogical activities. From 1942 to 1947 he served as Director of the Institute of Law of the USSR Academy of Sciences (in 1931 – Soviet Construction and Law of the Communist Academy; now – Institute of State and Law of the Russian Academy of Sciences). He owns research in the field of International Law, domestic and foreign State Law. The scientist’s scientific works have always covered key and topical problems of legal science and practice: the sphere of national relations, citizenship, issues of sovereignty, federation and autonomy. During the Great Patriotic War, I. P. Trainin wrote a number of works devoted to the mechanism of the fascist dictatorship and the responsibility of Nazi Germany for the atrocities and damage caused by its aggression and military robbery.

Arvind Gangadhar Bhusari (1936-2024)

Dr. A. G. Bhusari hailed from Shendurjuna Bazar village, near Tiwsa on N.H. 6, of Amravati district. His father was a popular medical practitioner there. Completing his B.Sc. with a Rai Bahadur J.P. Trivedi Gold Medal for the highest score in Geology, he did his M.Sc. with a first class standing first in merit, and joined as Lecturer in the University Department of Geology, Nagpur in 1959. By 1965, he did his Ph.D. in Petroleum Geology at the Institute of Petroleum and Chemistry, Baku, then in U.S.S.R. He learnt Russian during his stay and attained perfection and proficiency to speak and write in the language. The Chairman, USSR (then undivided) Academy of Sciences, paid a visit to our Geology Department at Nagpur University, in the late 1970's. As an alumnus has recalled, Dr. Bhusari also stood on the dais and translated his speech instantly into English, also earning praises from the visiting dignitary.

Moscow Belt of Soviet Science Cities: Design and Organization of the Area

The article deals with the history of the design and construction of academic cities of science in the second half of the 1950s and early 1960s. Their intensive construction took place during a chronologically short historical period – the years of the sixth five-year plan that became the only seven-year plan in the Soviet history. During this time, the task was set to move large-scale research and design organizations from the metropolitan centers to the periphery. A special case of the transfer of research institutions outside the capital was the Moscow belt of scientific centers. Their construction was initiated by the need to intensify fundamental research in strategically important fields of science, building restrictions in Moscow, the confidential and experimental character of the research carried out in them. They differed from the Siberian centers (Akademgorodok in Novosibirsk) that were being built at the same time by their specialization, the semisecret nature of their research, closer ties with the USSR Academy of Sciences, and finally they were less prioritized in terms of construction according to the political leaders’ opinions. Nevertheless, the speed of the construction of research institutes and the opening of research centers there in the shortest possible time gave the desired “achievement effect”. The research is based on materials from the collections of the Russian State Archives of Modern History and the State Archives of the Russian Federation. They are introduced into the scholarly discourse for the first time.

Evolution of agricultural machinery parts restoration industry in Russia

The paper shows the effectiveness of agricultural machinery parts restoration by reducing metal and fuel consumption as well as labor costs. (Research purpose) The paper analyzes the evolution of the machine part restoration system during the agricultural industrialization process in Russia, and explores the role of industrial science in developing methodologies for machine repairing and part restoration. (Materials and methods) Publications on the history of the parts restoration industry were thoroughly reviewed. Special attention was given to the decrees issued by Soviet government bodies, including the targeted comprehensive program of the State Committee of Science and Technology, the USSR State Planning Committee, and the State Committee for Agricultural Technology. These programs were aimed at establishing and expanding the production base for the repair and restoration of agricultural machinery parts. (Results and discussion) In the early stages of agricultural industrialization, equipment repairs primarily involved the use of new spare parts, while worn parts were typically discarded for remelting. A significant advancement in parts restoration was the introduction of repair sizes for crankshafts and cylinder liners. Since 1975, the cost of maintaining equipment has surged sharply due to the prices of new spare parts. The paper also presents an analysis of the efforts by the All-Union Scientific and Production Association «Remdetal» to develop flow-mechanized lines and equipment for restoring agricultural machinery parts. (Conclusions) The paper illustrates the significant growth in parts restoration volumes, rising from 68 million rubles in 1965 to 539 million rubles in 1988, as well as metal savings that increased from 136 thousand tons to 1,110 thousand tons over the same period. Additionally it highlights the role of the USSR Academy of Sciences, leading scientific institutes, and machine-building enterprises in executing the targeted program to increase the restoration volumes of agricultural machinery parts and components.

ВКЛАД ОТЕЧЕСТВЕННЫХ УЧЕНЫХ В РАЗВИТИЕ УСТРОЙСТВ ВЫЧИСЛИТЕЛЬНОЙ ТЕХНИКИ

The study reflected two stages of digital computing, when discrete counting devices and analog computers were created. (Research purpose) The research purpose is identifying the design features of computers in which the ideas of domestic scientists were implemented at the mechanical and electromechanical stages of the development of computer technology. (Materials and methods) Conducted a historical and scientific analysis of literary sources, original works of Russian scientists, descriptions of inventions and patents related to the mechanical and electromechanical stage of the development of computer technology. We studied materials from the Archive of the USSR Academy of Sciences, descriptions of serial computers manufactured in the USSR. (Results and discussion) We considered the outstanding role played by academician P.L. Chebyshev in the history of the construction of continuous counting machines. The design features of the adding machine created by V.T. Odner and further developments of adding machines by domestic engineers (adding machine "Soyuz") were presented. It was noted that with the invention of the Odner adding machine in 1890, the stage of serial production of computer equipment in Russia began. It was shown that in the field of analog computing, a significant contribution was made in the construction of hydraulic integrators by engineer V.S. Lukyanov; electrical integrators by academicians A.N. Krylov, I.S. Bruk. The first electronic analog computers were created at the Electrotechnical Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences under the leadership of L.I. Gutenmacher. (Conclusions) The ideas and design features of mechanical and analog computing devices were reflected in the works of domestic scientists and engineers. We have traced the continuity in the creation of mechanical and electromechanical calculating machines. We have studied unique samples of computer technology, such as the integrator by A.N. Krylov, the hydraulic integrator by V.S. Lukyanov, the electrical integrators by I.S. Bruk, L.I. Gutenmacher, the electro-optical reading machine by engineer V.E. Agapov.