ANNUAL MEETING OF ACADEMY OF SCIENCES USSR

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80-00809A000700230253-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: July 13, 2011
• Sequence Number: 253
• Publication Date: August 15, 1955
• Content Type: REPORT

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/07/14 :CIA-RDP80-00809A000700230253-4
STAT
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/07/14 :CIA-RDP80-00809A000700230253-4
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/07/14 :CIA-RDP80-00809A000700230253-4
ANNUAL MEETING OF ACADEMY OF SCIENCES USSR
[Comment: This report presents information from the opening
speech at the annual meeting of the Academy of Sciences USSR, given
by A, N. Nesneyanov, president of the Acadetgy, on 2 February 1955?
The speech reviexs past acccmplishmenta of the academy, sad dis-
cueaes present and future development.)
Last year sax the further develo~ent of thr: Academy of Sciences USSR,
and the expansion of its work in many fields. This is evidenced by tine or-
ganization of nev, independent scientific establishments of the academy, such
as the Electrophyaical Laboratory, which is a large institute with completely
unique equipment, the Institute oT Semiconductors, the Laboratory of Super-
High Pressures, and the Institute of Complex Transport Problems, It is also
reflected in the development of the work of such existing scientific estab-
liehmente as the Institute of Electronics and iiadio Engineering, the Insti-
tute of Organoelemental Compounds the Institute of Biological Physics, the
Institute of Scientific Information, and the Division of Applied Mathematics
of the Mathematics Institute Imen1 V, A, Steklov, Of these establishments,
only the Institute of Biological Physics is not yet engaged in full-scale sci-
entific activity,
The growth of the peripheral establishments of the academy was expressed
by the transformation of the Kirgiz Affiliate of the Academy oi' Sciences USSR
into the Academy of Sciences Kirgiz SSR and by the strengthening of the sci-
entific work of other affiliates, especially the Ural and Kazan' affiliates,
and by the completion of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory in Simeiz,
The strengthening and broadening of the scientific work of the academy
also found expression in the increased productivity of long-established in-
stitutes, In particular, production of the academy press rose significantly.
In 1953, the academy press published 15,000 "authors' lists" (avtorskiy list)
[a unit of measure applied to printed matter and comprising s set c. 40,000
symbols, letters, numbers, etc., in the text, used to determine authors' fees),
The Academy press published 1f3,600 authors' lists during 1954, and 25,000 are
planned for 1955? Even this large number of publications will not satisfy all
requirements. The output of academic works by nonacademic presses will have
to be increased and a limitation introduced on the number of reissues and an-
niversary collections. Various nonperiodic publications of numerous insti-
tutes will have to be converted to periodic issues, and material fo:? publica-
tion will have to be selected more stringently.
During 1954, great efforts were made in developing investigations in the
field of nuclear physics is the USSR, significant quantities of material means
xere made available, and talented scientists xere attracted tc nuclear re-
search. The institutes and scientists of tl~e Academy of Sciences L5d1t made
important contributions in this field. Last year, work was done on accelora-
tors and similar apparatus, cosmic ray particles, the study of the mutual ac-
tion of particles of various energies with atomic nuclei, nuclear reactions,
the propagation of mesons, and in the investigation of tl~e properties of ele-
mentary particles. Nex efforts and investments in this rapidly developing
field of science will be required in the near future.
The Academy must first of all direct its attention to the future growth
of theoretical physics research. In this field, a few definite successes
have been registered, including development of the theory of the interaction
of mesons with nucleons, and the theory of the interaction of elementary parti-
cles xith very high energies (10~5 to 1017 electron volts). Theoretical phys-
ics in the USSR must be developed in every possible uay, The conduct of nu-
clear experiments on a contemporary level should be made possible in many other
cities of the USSR,
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/07/14 :CIA-RDP80-00809A000700230253-4
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/07/14 :CIA-RDP80-00809A000700230253-4
Nhile intensely developing nuclear physics as one of the most fundamental
points of the growth of lmovledge in the middle of the 20th Century, other im-
portant branches of phyaice should not be disregarded, These include radio-
physics, to vhich Academician P, L, Kapitsa recently made some new and quite
significant contributions, and the physics of semiconductors. In the latter
field, the allied study of the thermal and electrical properties of semicon-
ductors at the Institute of Semiconductors, under the direction of Academician
A. F. Ioffe, has led to the creation of perfected thermcelements, for vhich
the possibilities of technical utilization appears very bright,
In the Pield of physics and its technical applications, scientific es-
tabliahmenta of the academy contribute largely to the growth of this science.
The necessary material conditions for each of these establishments must be
provided.
In 1955, the creation of a Calculation Center, equipped with modern com-
puters, will greatly improve conditions under vhich mathematicians vork,
The completion of the xork on the F'vlkovo observatory, and the comple-
tion of the construction of the observatory in Partizanakiy (in the Crimea),
viii aid the Soviet astronomers by providing them with powerful instruments.
The new Bureau of the Department of Physicomathematical Sciences is expected
to coordinate the activities of tiie scientists and scientific establishments
under its control.
In the field of chemistry, despite important achievements in the study
of transuranium elements and the chemistry of rare earths, the chemistry of
numerous rare elements is not sufficiently developed. More amicable and in-
tensive development of the problems of catalysis is needed. Recentl;~, the
academy s vork vas improved in the field of high molecular compounds, How-
ever, this important part of chemical science requires much more intensive
development. The chemistry of natural compounds such as antibiotics, vita-
mins, hormones, alkaloids etc., is completely unsatisfactory. There has
long been a need for an Institute oi' Natural Compounds. Some discomfort has
been caused by the withdrawal of bot}i of tiie physicochemical institutes from
the cardinal problems of physical chemia*.ry and the concentration of their
vork, to a significant degree, either on inorganic chemistry or phyaice and
on applications of physical chemistry, such as questions of corrosion. The
thorough development of theoretical and experimental physical chemistry is
neceeear: particularly in kinetics catalysis, electrochemistry and quantum
chemistry.
The numerous institutes of the Department of Biological Sciences have
been operating successfully, Along xith the institutes of biological phys-
ics and biochemistry imeni A, N. Balch, the Institute of Plant Physiology
imeni K. A, Timiryazev has been carrying on interesting work in the use of
tracer atoms to study metabolic phenomena in organisms. A number oT insti-
tutes are continuing their investigation and cataloguing of the flora and
fauna of the USSR. Many institutes and commissions are helping to utilize
virgin lands increase agriculture and fishing production, and solve important
problems of health preservation. The academy is obligated to give the most
energetic help to agricultural production.
In addition, experimental biology, iu particular in fields allied with
chemistry and phyaice must be advanced. It must be admitted that operations
in the field of biochemistry and biophysics are still insufficient and that
operations are still very limited in microbiology and cytology, Investiga-
tions in various fields of the physiology of animals, man, plants and microbes
must be broadened.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/07/14 :CIA-RDP80-00809A000700230253-4
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/07/14 :CIA-RDP80-00809A000700230253-4
STAT
The academy moat develop mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology as
much as possible as a foundation for natural science and technolog,~,
In the technical sciences the successfully increased activity of the In-
stitute of Automatics and Telemechanica should be noted. The Department of
Technical Sciences should concentrate on developing new technology involving
automation, radio engineering and electronics, and on the development of power
engineering.
The unsatisfactory methods of planning scientific work have been men-
tioned frequently, Unfortunately, the plans of the academy are a result of
intergrating" proposals, made by each scientific field individually. Such
planning tends to lock the academy within the circle of scientific interests
of its own establishments.
During 1954, the first, and hence incomplete, new experiment in the
planning of scientific work was undertaken. The presidium of the academy
assigned a group of competent scientists and outstanding scientific indus-
trialists to plan the develo~ent of the most important problems in each
field of science. Thus far, wort, has been completed on ~0 percent of these
problems in the natural and technical sciences. In eacl, problem, the state
of the science was analyzed, the goals and courses of solution noted, eetab-
liahmenta set up, and lines of cooperation and demarcation defined.
Of these problems, the presidium has chosen 11 for direct observation
and control at the locations indicated: i,igh-power electronics, Institute of
Physical Problems imeni S. I. Vavilov; high-speed dijital machines, Institute
oP Precision Mechanics and Calculating Technology; semiconductors and their
technical application, institute of Semiconductors, scientific bases for the
selection of catalysts and *yhe search for catalysts for reactions of practical
importance, Institute of Organic Chemistry; imeni Pf. D. Zelinsxiy; basic bio-
logical functions of protein substances, Institute of Biochemistry imeni A. N.
Bakh; direction of the exchange of substances of microorgani.ama designed to
intensify microbiological processes in industry and agriculture, Institute of
Microbiology; processing alloys with special properties for new fields of tech-
nology, especially heat-stable and other special alloys and questions of their
stability, Institute of Metallurgy it?enf ,'~, A. II,ykov; raising tine eiYective-
ness and dependability of radio engineering apparatus and electronic instru_
moots, Institute of !iadio Engineering and electronics; urincipal problems of
theoretical physics, Physics Institute im~r.: T. !?I. Lebedev; aiding tl:e develop-
aent of automation and telemechanization o'' production processes, Institute of
Automatics and Telemechanics; worY.ing out scientific bases for the developcent
of power engineering systems and their con;bination by a single higi,-voltage
net, Power Engineering Institute imeni L. ES, Krzhizhanovskiy.
In the present organization of tiie academy, there is a disproportionate
preponderance of academy institutes in DIoscuw, as compared to the smull num-
ber of its peripheral establishments, Zf Leningrad is not counted, the re-
maining non-bfoscow network of scientific establisiunents of ti:e academy is al-
most entirely concentrated in the affiliates. Affiliates should be located
only where specific natural or national troblems exist.
~ L~'icennt count on occupying leading position in science if the whole
country does not participate in high-level scientific work with scientific
establishments in many large cities. For this reason, it seems desirable in
the future not to create new affiliates on the periphery but rat!;er separate
institutes of the academy, bearing in mind the organization of strong scien-
tific establishments on a high level.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/07/14 :CIA-RDP80-00809A000700230253-4
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/07/14 :CIA-RDP80-00809A000700230253-4
For example, in such a large industrial city as Gor'kiy, the acadeu{y has
no scientific institutes. The organization Sn Gor'kiy of a Radiophysics In-
stitute of the Academy of Sciences USSR has nov been proposed. Another such
nev peripheral institute of the academy vill be the Institute of the Biology
of Reservoirs, vhich is being created from "Borok" Scientific -Research Bio-
logical Station on Rybinsk Reservoir. The Electropi~ysice laboratory, men_
tinned before, hsa already been constructed far from Moscov. In the future,
many new scientific institutes will Lave to be created in the field of phye-
ica, chemistry, and the biological sciences
Th
f
t t
.
e
ac
hat more than one es-
tablishment will, at times, be active in certain especially important branches
of science must be of no concern. The faster the progress, the leas monopoly
there will be in science, the more varied the points of viev and the more
rapid and full the attainment sad utilization of scientific fact.
For the full-scale development of science in the vhole country, central-
ized servicing of the needs of scientific establishments must be organized.
At the annual meeting on 2 February 1952, the creation of the Institute of
Scientific Information vas outllned. A decision had been adopted earlier to
create the Calculation Center of the :+cademy of sciences USSR to aid scien-
tific work by machine calculation techniques. At tkie present time, the In-
stitute of Scientific Information is publishing a large series of abstract
journals, completely encompassing vorld scientific literature. These jour-
nals are on physics, chemfstry,biochemietry, b?ology, mathematics, mechanics,
geodesy, astronomy, geology and geography. Some 102,000 abstracts have al-
ready been published. The first tvo periodicals, entitled Elektricheatvo,
radiotekhnika i avtomartika (Electricity, Radio Engineering, and Automatics)
and Mashinovedeni S.tud,Y).are being pre red for
plete reference" oo also be Pa publication. Com-
ready appeared, published and author catalogs have el-
The Yrnsidium of the Institute of Scientific Information has decided to
issue a new publlcation on the basis of the abstract journals, entitled Itogi
Nauki (Results of Science) in the form of systematic monographic surveys cover-
ing 2-3 years in the moat rapidly developing branches of science. Besides
this, the institute is already issuing nonperiodic surveys and translations
on the most important questions in science and technology, and is increasing
the number of available handbooks and periodic publications. Finally the,ques-
tion of mac;inc information Sa also being developed, based on machines of
the digital electronic type as well as others. The activity of the Institute
of Scientific Information ie also making scientific literature available for
research in fields related to the sciences.
For many branches of science connected with curbersome calculations,
such as meteorology, mechanics and power engineerir~, structux?el analysis,
etc., the opening of the Calculation Center will signify a sharp increase
in productivity. The work of the center should stnrt in 1)55.
The various departments must formulate, and present to the presidium of
the academy, proposals for the creation of additional establishments which
centrally service scientific research. For example, biological research
could use a laboratory for the synthesis of complex organic compounds with
traced atoms. If biologists receive a good assortment of such compounds al-
ready prepared, instead of spending considerable amount of time aad effort
on their synthesis, the productivity of the scientific labor will rise.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/07/14 :CIA-RDP80-00809A000700230253-4
 Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/07/14 :CIA-RDP80-00809A000700230253-4
STAT
nblli ~`'--""' 'i~u vsner states, the USSR should strive fir
ty rather than quantity, Productivity of scientific labor plays a grea~x.
role in this Field than it dcea in industry, Well-organized scientific work
tive of theld~e~~e Soviet strength end success. In this regard, the initie-
of the most p~'tmeat is necessary, Hell-organized, aiming at the solution
important problems is science, with a well-thought-out and proFer
division of labor, equipped with the most modern scientific production tech-
niques, and with the ye7,I_harmonized vork of the entire nation's scientific
forces, the UySR gill undoubtedly achieve first piece in world science.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2011/07/14 :CIA-RDP80-00809A000700230253-4