THE SOVIET STATE SERVICE OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000700060429-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: R
• Document Page Count: 7
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 6, 2011
• Sequence Number: 429
• Publication Date: May 23, 1952
• Content Type: REPORT

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LANGUAGE
DATE
WHERE
HOW calibration
PUBLISHED Booklet; monthly periodical
CLASSIFICATION R1~TRICTED
CENTRAL INTELLIiGENC-E AGENCY
INFORMATION FROM
FOREIGN DOCUMENTS OR RADIO BROADCASTS
COUNTRY UggB
:EJECT Scientific - Miscellaneous, standards,
REPORT
r,D No.
DATE OF
DATE DIST. Z 3 May 1952
N0. OF PAGES 7
SUPPLEMENT TO
REPORT N0.
THIS IS UNEVALUATED INFORMATION
du oocuaa.r co.ru.r nronmo. unnw m a.no.u xvuaa
or rn u.mo anm anu na ?aa.no or unou.a
.. s. c.. ai aaa u, ?a uuou. m n..wuuo. oa na.anunoa
or ro co.ra.n n a.r uuu m ~. uaaur.onno rand. a no.
.nmo n u.. aanoourno. or r.u roa. a nouuno
TH8 SovIET aTATE sEltvvlcE cF xEiaBTa AeD MBASUASB
B. M. Leoaov
K. A. Batsman
~umbera in parentheses refer to appended eourcea~
Up until 1938, the entire state service of weights end measures in the
USSR wee administered by several i.astitutions (the Ma1n Bureau of Heights and
Measures, the Central Administration of Weights sad Measures, the Main Adminis-
tration of ileights'nnd Measures) vbi=h were subordinated to different offices,
e?B=, the Higher Council on the Economy, the All-Union Committee oa 3tandnr-
ization, the. Peoples Commf.searint of Internal Affairs, etc. However, the un-
ezpected rate of development of the country, the intensive work oa industrisli-
zntion, and the need for furnishing the economy with the moat up-to-date measut-
.ing equipment steadily increased the importance and role of measuring techni-
ques.
The requirements for measurement accuracy have increased continouely sad
the progress of science and industry has made necessary tLe development of
measurements and, in some cases, the creation of new fields of measurements.
A real need ai?ose for the development of work on metrology and for the orgsa-
ization and coordination of vArious scientific research work on measuring
techniques.
'The young Soviet instrument-building industry Res scattered among several
offices; problems of organizing th= repels of meaeuriifg instruments went ua-
eolved. All this requL-^ed the organization of ea institution capable of either
solving these problems directly or bringing some of them up for consideration
by the government of the USSR.
In this situation, the governmcnt adopted the decree forming the Com-
mittee oa Measures and Measuring Instruments (decree of the Council of People~e
Commissars-Ro 97~ of 5 September 1~8, Putting the lfeasuri,aR Economy of the
USSR in Oi9der). Thus, for the first time in the history of the state service
STATE
ARMY
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of xeighta and measures, the committee xhich heads this service was formed as
a completely independent central ~~rganization subordinated directly to the Coun-
cil of Ministers and .having the right to bring to the attention oP the govern-
c~nt various proposals regarding the problems under its competence.
This decree assigned the folloxing specific tasks to the committee: the
approval of rules and instructions. compulsory far all enterprises, institutions,
and organizations, r, the calibration and use of measures and measuring instru-
ments; approval of types of measuring instruments to be produced or imported;
submitting to the government for approval a list of units of measurements for
the USSR and producing, maintaining, and storing the state standards for these
unite; submitting to the government for approval a list of measures and in-
struments requiring compulsory state calibration and establishment of times
~rithin xhich all enterprises, institutions, and organizations must submit
their measures and measuring instruments for state calibration.
In addition to other functions involved in the state calibration and in-
spection of awasures and measuring instruments directly related to its activity,
the committee xas assigned the folloxing functions to permit it to influence
directly sll problems related to the measuring economy and measuring techniques
in the country: registration of all enterprises engaged in the production sad
repair of measures and measuring instruments, inspection of production and re-
pair methods, and submitting to the government conclusions on plans for the
.production and repair of measures and measuring instruments; methodological
supervision of the training of metrological personnel in other organizations;
and cher_king on the activity of office organizations for the inspection of
measures and measuring instruments,
The decree also stated that the committee should maintain lists^~ xith
international metrological organizations on problems of metxology.
In order to perform the functions assigned it, the Committee on Measures
and Measuring Instruments has the folloxing scientific, calibratioe, production,
and educational institutions subordinate to it;
1. The VN11M (All-Union Scientific Resesrch InsCitute of Metrology) imeni
D. I. Mendeleyev xith an affilate in Sverdlovsk
2. Several state institutes of measures and measuring instruments
3? The Central Scientific-Resesrch Bureau of the Unified Tim^ Service
Republic; Oblast, and kray administrations of measures and measuring
instruments xlth their permanent department the so-called calibration institu-
tion
5? Experimental plants and shops
6. The Permanent All-Union Exhibition of Calibration and Measuring Instru-
ments in Moscox
7. A technical school of measurements
~An organizational chart is appended.]
The committee is made up of s chaiiwan(A. P. Kuznetsov xas chairman in
1946), his deputies, and merbers of the committee, xho are personally confirmed
by the Council of Ministers.
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Decisions of the committee are published as orders of the chairman of
the coa~ittee. The main divisions of the cocunittee perform the functions
listed below,
The Technical Division of the committee is concerned with the following
problems: development and submission for approval of drafts of rules and
instructions on the calibration and use oP measures and measuring instruments;
examination and submission Por approval of plans for research work far the in-
stitutions~ and checking on their fulfillment; consideration of various tech-
nical problems in the field of metrology and measuring techniques; processing
of material required to maintain liaison with international organizations on
xeights and measures; development of drafts of the lists of units of measure-
ment used in the USSR, lists of measures and measuring instruments which must
undergo State calibration, and estsblishmer~ of the tunas when this calibration
Ss to be done.
The instrument-Building Division of the committee examines various prob-
lems connected with the development of the production of measures and measur-
ing instruments and with the introduction of the latest measuring techniques.
The division supervises work on state tests of instruments produced by Soviet
industry and also supervises industrial enterprises of the committee.
The Division on Checking Measurements of ~LiquiJ Fuels and Lubricants
supervises ?rork on checking these measurements in all offices and directs the
developm?n+, of techniques for improving the technical equipment and methods
Por these measurements,
The committee includes a Scientific and Technical Council, which is a con-
sulting body; the council includes representatives of scientific research in-
stitutes and calibration institutions of the committee and also permanent rep-
resentatives of the Academy of Sciences and various ministries and offices.
The staff of the council is approved by the chairman of the co::?ittee. The
council considers the following problems and present.; recommendations to the
committee on them.
1. Problems related to the scientific research subject plan of institutes
of +.he committee and .tether offices in the field of measuring techniques,
calibration, and instrument building
2. Establishment. of units and sys+,ems of units of measurement and also
physicochemical constants
3? Development of new methods of measurement
~, Establishment, reproduction, and storage of state standards of the
units of measurement
The council also considers problems involved in the establishn~nt of scien-
tific and technical principals of calibration, Sn the development and content
of technical documentation, and in the training of personnel in the field of
measuring techniques, etc.
Aa was indicated previously, the scientific research institutions of the
committee include the VI~ITM imeni D. I, Mendeleyev with its affiliate, the
Central Scientific Research Bureau of the Unified Time Service, and several
state institutes of measures and measuring instruments.
The VNIIM is the leading metrological institution in the country and is
also the oldest scientific metrological instituti~^ in the world. It ue.s
formed from the Main Bureau of Weights and Measurer xhich was Pounded in 1893?
Subsequently, similar metrological institutions were formed in England in 1899
and in the US in 1901.
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The VNIIM is the main scientific research institute of the committee and
as such is the scientific and methodics center for other scientific research
institutions of the coamiittee and the repository Yor the state standards of the
USSR; ell-the basic work on the creation of~standards is done in this institute.
The VIVIIM has many laboratories to enable it to conduct scientific work in the
cost diverse Yields of accurate measurements, Its Metrological Divisi?u works
on the most important problems oY practical and theoretical metrology. The De-
sign Bureau affiliated with the VNIIM develops plans for the very complex physi-
cal equipm-nt required for the research work of the VNIIM any other scientific
institutions oY the committee. This bureau also develops plans for test equip-
ment and sample instruments for the calibration institutions of the committee.
The VNIIM also includes the Metrological Museum imam D. I. Mendeleyev,
which servos as a repository for material pertaining to the memory of the great
a=Sentist and also for various material and instruments reflecting the 3evelop-
ment of weights and measures and metrological end cslibr~cion ?_
-irk iG the USSR.
The Scien*.ific Council, whic'r, investigates basic problems of the organizn-
tion and content of the scientific research activity of the institute and also
examines doctor a and candidates dissertations, comes under the director of
the VNIIM. In sdditlon to the administrative hesds of the insti*,ute, the
ScientlYlc Council includes the chiefs of scientific researci: divisions, labora-
tory r_hiefs, and other sciertieta active ir. the field of metrology and measur-
~igtPecgn~quec bTre4members of *.he Scient'_fic Ccurcil are approved by the com-
Y e Ministry of fiigher Education of the USSR,
The sffiliste of the~?gIIM locsted in Sverdlovsk, works under the direct
~ supervision of the latto_r snd conduc*,s scientific -esearch ra'trological work;
it is re;pensl*le fo- the solution of special problem; of the Ursls {the estab-
lishment. of s*,andarc specimens of meaaia and various materisls and also
measurement; in physical chemistry and spectroscopy),
The Central 5c:ientifi- Reaesrrh Bureau of the Unified Tithe Service was
Pormed in 19L~ by decree of t.e Council of Ministers USSR to conduet'snd
coordinate scientific. research work in tt:e fie13 of time and frequency measure-
ments.!1)
Ti..~ state insti-utes o? measure: snd measuring inst-,1m~nts are scientific
research institu?ions end perform research vor't. The M;;/M/F Moscow State In-
stitute of MFa=ures and Measuring I,-? truments~is the main establishment for
state test; of instruments and also -cnducta resesrch en autc*^gtic methods of
measurement and checking. on *.he meaauremept of ao2e'e^-,2 i;:a1
electrical methods, etc The KhG/MjP{Khar'kov State Institute ofaMeasuresband
Measuring Instruments) is concerned mainly with the development of new methods
of high-frequency measurements, electrical measurements of quantities in tran-
sient processes, etc The Novosibirsk Institute is responsible for improving
methods of calibration and for the solution of problems arising in connection
with the development of industry ir. Siberia.(2)
Each of the state institutes of measures and measuring instruments reg-
ularly and systematically transfers the value of the units of ttwasurements irom
the committee, industri^1 enterprises, and other orgsnizations~
The stste inetitutesof measures snd measuring instruments are responsible
for checking the condition of the standsrd measures and measuring instruments
in the calibration institutions. For this purpose, the VNIIM, the Leningrad
Administration of Measures and MeasurinE Instruments, and each state institute
of measures and measuring instruments has a group of calibration institutions
associated with it for which they perform the following functions. checking
on the condition, storage, and use of standard measures and measuring instru-
ments; regular comparison of all the main measures and instruments; checking
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the technical r_orrectness of all calibration we*k done by tY,e corresponding
administratlons;traininQ and improving the qualii'ications of personnel in the
corresponding administrations.
For scientific research work, the state institutes of measures and measur-
ing instruments have a division of standards and scientific research laboratories
organized with conaidertion for the specialization of the institute.
Each institute also includes an Administration of State Su~ervislon to con-
duct calibration work. The latter includes divisions of inspection and check-
ing~ checking and calibration points, and inter-i?sycn and time departments.
The Administration of State Supervision hss the folloxing calibration labor-
ntoriese electrical and magnetic measurements, mechanical measurements, steam-
engineering measuremen*.s, and linear qnd angular measurements.
Each institute clso has n technical division, repair-adjustment shops,
and various administrative and service divisions.
Scientific councils in each of the institutes are subordinate to the
director. The functions of these scientific councils are the ssme as those of
the VNIIM's scientific council, except that they do net have the right to ex-
amine dissertations,
All calibration and inspection work in t.Y.e country Ss conducted by the
calibration organizations of the committee, 1, e., tY.e administrations of meas-
ures an3 measuring instruments which are headed by representatives of the com-
mittee.
By decree of the government, there are representatives of the committee
in union ar.9 autonomous republics, io krays, and in oblasts, and these repre-
sentati?~es are placed respectively in the councils of ministr_rs of the union
and automomous r=publics and in the Oblast and kray executive committees of
the councils of workere' deputies.
The administrstions of measures sad measuring instruments located in the
Ukrainiar. SSR, the Eelorussian SSR, the Kazakh SSfi, and the Uzbek SSR are
united by the corresponding republic administrations, xhich supervise the
activity of all calibration instit.ut:ons located In the particular republic,
The bsa'_c task of the local administrstiors of the committee Ss to provide
in the area for xhich they are responsible uniformity, accuracy, and correct
use of measures and measuring fnst.n,ments in all branches of the economy. ,To
perform this .ask, the administrations of measures end measuring instruments
carry out the folloxing functions
1. Stste calibration and stsmping of all measuring instrume_ts, who*.her
produced, repaired, or in use, according to a list approved by the committee
2. Ispection of all m:asurea and measuring instruments in use
3. Checking on the actiW_+.y of office organizations for the inspection
of seasures and measuring instruments
4, Registration of all enterprises producing, repairing, or inspecting
measures and nr-asuring instruments
5. Giving consulation on various measures and measuring instruments(1)
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Bov?~ca6
1. MoecbV; Goeiularetvennays sluzLba mer i .aov v BBSR, Mashgiz, 1951, (LC fto
QC 100, L4).
2. Moscov, Blektricheatvo, Ao 11, 1946, p 85.
~- `L~The_follovirig 'Cart xas dram ~~on the basis of the inYormation
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