page_title: Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union
section_title: Relocation of the organization to Moscow and further development
hierarchical_section_title: Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union / History / Relocation of the organization to Moscow and further development
caption_attribution_description: Русский: Здание Президиума Академии наук СССР
context_page_description: The Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union was the highest scientific institution of the Soviet Union from 1925 to 1991, uniting the country's leading scientists, subordinated directly to the Council of Ministers of the Soviet Union.
  In 1991, by the decree of the President of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, the Russian Academy of Sciences was established on the basis of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union.
context_section_description: In 1934, the Presidium of the Academy and 14 scientific institutes were transferred from Leningrad to Moscow (On April 25, 1934 Vyacheslav Molotov signed the corresponding decree of the Council of People's Commissars of the Soviet Union). As Felix Perchenok noted, "the transfer of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union to Moscow – one of the most important steps towards turning it into the headquarters of Soviet science – was carried out in a fire order".
  In 1935, the permanent secretary of the Academy, Vyacheslav Volgin, wrote a letter to Joseph Stalin asking for his release from the position of permanent secretary. In the letter, he stressed that he alone was doing the difficult work of an indispensable secretary all the time, while other members of the party group only "threw out ideas", sometimes useful, sometimes fantastic. For five years in this post, Volgin not only could not continue his scientific work, but could not even read books in his specialty, could not follow the development of his science. "Meanwhile", he adds, "I was considered in the well-known narrow field as the best expert on the subject". "I’m already 56 years old", Vyacheslav Petrovich continues, "and there is not much time left for science. A few more years – and I will not be able to return to science". Moreover, in a letter to Stalin, he noted that in the party group, he no longer feels the former positive assessment of his work. On August 8, 1935, at a meeting of the Politburo, it was proposed to release Vyacheslav Volgin from the post of permanent secretary of the Academy. On November 20, 1935, by resolution of the general meeting of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union, he was thanked for his work in the governing bodies of the Academy of Sciences and freed from the duties of an indispensable secretary. His place was taken by the former affairs manager of the Council of People's Commissars Nikolai Gorbunov. By the decree of the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union dated June 26, 1937, this position was abolished altogether, and since that time administrative officers have performed the duties of secretaries.
  On January 1, 1937 in the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union was:
  88 – full members (academicians);
  4,108 – scientific and scientific-technical employees (on October 1, 1937).
  From 1945 to 1970, the total number of researchers (including faculty and research personnel of higher education) increased more than sevenfold: from 130 thousand to 950 thousand people. In 1980 and 1985, the total number of research workers was already 1.4 and 1.5 million, respectively. The total number of scientific, scientific, pedagogical, design and design organizations of various types from 1945 to 1985 also increased steadily and amounted in the Soviet Union as a whole to 1,700, 5,300 and 5,100 successively in 1945, 1970 and 1985.
  By 1985, the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union had:
  274 – full members (academicians);
  542 – Corresponding Members;
  about 330 scientific institutions;
  57,000 scientists and researchers, with a total number of employees in all institutions 217 thousand people.
  For its achievements, the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union was twice awarded the Order of Lenin: in 1969 and 1974.
caption: The building of the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union in Moscow (Alexandria Palace) from 1934. The photo was taken before 1940.
exif: {}