3 сем / История РАС

Historical Review

The Academy of Sciences was founded in St. Petersburg according to Peter the Great’s order and by the decree of the Governing Senate о January 28 (February 8), 1724. The date is considered to be the day of the foundation оf the Russian Academy of Sciences.

This was the time when science, as we know now, was gaining ground and rapidly accumulating the true knowledge about the nature based on the experiment and mathematical methods. It was the time when life itself demanded closer contacts between science and practice.

The creation of the Academy was one оf the key elements of the Russia’s deep-cutting transformation initiated by Peter the Great's reforms. 'The developing industry, transport and trade needed scientific support and a higher cultural level to facilitate the state to gain both domestic and international ground. These tasks, and economy in the first place, required a thorough study and rapid development of Russia's natural resources.

The Emperor was also trying to involve the country into the European cultural stream. The transformations, initiated by Peter the Great in the first quarter of the 18th century, in the field of industry, agriculture, trade, state management and culture, were о progressive importance. They gave rise to the Russian national culture.

During his multiple visits abroad Peter the Great acquired the first collections which became later a basis of his famous Cabinet of Curiosities, the forefather с all our museums. Already in 1714, he registered officially the Cabinet of Curiosities (Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography named after Peter the Great today) and the Library (Library of the Russian Academy of Sciences today), which became later the first establishments of the created Academy of Sciences. To replenish their collections and funds, Peter the Great issued the special decrees ‘'On Acquisition of Bom Freaks and Unusual Things Found in All owns" and on the delivery, from all eparchies and monasteries to Moscow, of ‘’ancient manuscripts of church and civil annals, chronicles, etc." (he ordered, that copies should be made о them and the originals be returned to the owners).

It was already at the close of the 17th century when a thought occurred to Peter the Great about the creation of an academy of sciences in Russia. Later, he came back repeatedly to such idea, in particular, when discussing with Gottfried Leibnitz the programs of “cultural and elucidative reforms in Russia (the years of 1711, 1712, 1716) and writing letters to C. Wolf at the end of 1719.

The idea oi the creation с an academy o: sciences was finally formed during his foreign trips. Not once he gave instructions "to make an academy”. One foreign journal even wrote about his intention. After Peter the Great visited the Paris Academy of Sciences in 1717, he wrote on the report of his adviser G. Feke (1718): "To make an academy". At that time, he implied an educational establishment by this idea. Later, he formed his original project of an all-round institution just needed, in his opinion, or Russia and comprising an academy о sciences proper and two educational establishments, namely, a university and a grammar school. According to his conception and with regard for the specific features of Russia of that time, the national academy о sciences should differ from any of the West-European academies.

In 1721 the court librarian I. Schumacher was sent on a mission abroad. He was instructed to select a scientific staff “for the organization о sciences like in Paris, London, Berlin and other places". Schumacher visited the Royal Society in London and the Paris Academy о Sciences. He passed to the Paris Academy s Secretary B. Fontannel a proposal of Peter the Great of strengthening the scientific ties and his invitation to the French scientists to come to Russia, which was announced at a public meeting in the Paris Academy. Soon the negotiations started on sending the foreign scientists to Russia.

In January, 1124 Peter the Great asked his physician-in-ordinary L. Blyumentrost to put down his ideas in the draft regulations с the academy. He approved the prepared draft and introduced a number of additions and amendments on the income or the academy s maintenance, on the necessity о ' providing the foreign members of the academy with Russian pupils, and others).

On January 20, 1724 the Office of Peter the Great sent a note to the Senate, which read: “On Academy where languages will be studied. Also other sciences and best arts. And books will be translated. To provide a place for such occupation. And an income...".

Within the framework о ' Draft Regulations of the Foundation оf the Academy of Sciences and Arts", the problem of the foundation of the academy о sciences was discussed at the meeting of the Senate on the 22nd of January' attended by such major state figures as Admiral F. Apraksin, Chancellor G. Golovkin, A. Menshikov, Procurator-General of the Senate P. Yaguzhinsky, and others. Unfortunately, no details of the discussion are preserved. Though one can maintain that Peter the Great raised a question of the translation work which, apart from other objectives, was to become a part of the future Academy s activity.

Several days later a brief nominal decree о the Senate о “January 28 (February 8), 1724 on the foundation of the academy was announced: "ON ACADEMY AND MONEY FOR ITS MAINTENANCE. January 28, His Emperial Majesty ordered that an academy should be established, in which languages will be studied as well as other sciences and the best arts, and books will be translated. On January 22, His Emperial Majesty acquainted himself with the project of the foundation of the academy and wrote with his own hand on the project: The Academy will be maintained at the expense оf the customs and license income drawn from the towns of Narva, Derpt, Pernov and Arensburg in the amount of 24,912 roubles. According to such decree oi His Emperial Majesty, the Governing Senate ordered that the drawn income should be kept in the State Treasury, paid out to the Academy by the Senate decree and spent on no other purposes. The corresponding decrees were forwarded to the Chamber Board and the State Office. The decree is certified by the Governing Senate".

As “Draft Regulations of the Academy” were never officially published, and the first Regulations were put into force only in 1747. The Academy was called in a different way during more than 20 years (when it was mainly guided by the non-approved Draft): Academy, Academy of Sciences, Academy of Sciences and Arts, Emperial Academy of Sciences, Russian Academy of Sciences, but more often as Petersburg Academy of Sciences. According to the 1747 Rules the Academy was called the Emperial Academy of Sciences and Arts in St. Petersburg, between 1803 and 1836 it was called the Emperial Academy of Sciences, from 1836 till July 1917 it was the Emperial St. Petersburg Academy о Sciences, in July 1917 it became the Russian Academy о Sciences, in May 1925 was renamed into the USSR Academy of Sciences and since December 1991 - the Russian Academy с Sciences.

The Russian Academy of Sciences

The Russian Academy о Sciences is the higher scientific institution of Russian Federation uniting the most outstanding scientists of the country as its members.

The Academy conducts research promoting the advancement of all branches of science in Russian keeping with the procedure determined by the General Meeting of the Academy.

It includes such sections as Physics and Mathematics, Chemistry, Geology and Geography, Biology, Engineering Sciences, History, Economics, Philosophy and Language and so on.

The Academy consists о the following Institutions: Research institutes, laboratories, observatories, talions, branches of the Academy, libraries, museums, botanical gardens, standing and special commissions and committees, scientific expeditions and others.

Attached to the Academy there are scientific Societies founded in accordance with a procedure fixed by the Academy's Presidium.

The Academy participates in establishing international scientific institutions and organizations by agreement with scientific institutions of other countries.

It convenes scientific sessions, congresses, conferences and meetings to discuss scientific problems and the coordination of research work.

The Russian Academy of Sciences establishes and promotes scientific contacts with scientific academies and other scientific institutions abroad, participates in international scientific congresses, conferences, and meetings and joins international scientific organizations.

The Academy trains scientific personnel through the postgraduate courses attached] to its institutions and conducts work to advance the qualifications of scientific workers.

The Russian Academy of Sciences consists of full members (academicians), corresponding members, and foreign members.

The elections of full members, corresponding members, and foreign members of the Academy are held in accordance with the present Charter and the Regulations governing elections of the Russian Academy of Sciences subject to approval by the Academy's General Meeting.

The highest body of the Academy is the General Meeting consisting of the Academy's full and corresponding members.

The General Meeting of the Academy defines the basic trends in the Academy's Scientific work: it deals with major organizational matters; it hears the reports of Sections, branches and others of the Academy institutions, as well as of individual members; it discusses problems of scientific, scientific-technical and scientific-organizational nature; in elects full and foreign members of the Academy and directors of the Academy's research institutions.

Sessions of the General Meeting of the Academy are convened whenever necessary but at least twice a year.

Every member of the Academy wishing to raise some question at the General Meeting must give written notice of it to the Academy's Presidium in advance.

The Presidium of the Academy consists of the Academy's President, Vice-Presidents, Head Scientific Secretary of the Presidium and Presidium members - Secretary Academicians of the Academy's Sections and other members whose number is determined by the Academy's General Meeting.

The President and Vice President of the Academy, Secretary Academicians of the Sections and other members of the Academy's Presidium are elected from among its full members. The elections are conducted by a simple majority vote by ballot.

The Presidium of the Academy carries out the decisions of the Academy's General Meeting and directs all the Academy's activities in between General Meetings.

A Section of the Russian Academy of Sciences is a scientific and organizational center uniting within the Academy scientists of one or several fields of science.

A Section of the Academy embraces institutes and other scientific institutions subordinated in all their scientific and organizational activities directly to the Section.

The highest body of the Section of the Academy is the General Meeting of the Section consisting of the full and corresponding members of the Academy in that Section.

The leading body of the Section between General Meetings is the Section Bureau elected by the General Meeting of the Section by ballot from among the members of the Section.

The Bureau of the Section exercises scientific and organizational guidance of the institutions belonging to the Section, as well as of the Scientific activities of institutions of the Academy's branches working in corresponding fields which unite research institutes and other scientific institutions of the Academy according to the territorial principal.

The principal research bodies of the Academy are its research institutes.

The research institutes of the Academy are headed by directors. The scientific and historical manuscripts of the Academy are preserved in the Archives of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

The Academy exchanges publications with scientific institutions, higher institutions of learning, libraries, museums, publishing houses, scientific societies, and government institutions of other countries.

Российская академия наук

Российская академия наук - высшее научное учреждение Российской Федерации, объединяющее в качестве своих членов наиболее выдающихся ученых страны.

Академия проводит научные исследования, способствующие развитию всех отраслей науки в России, в соответствии с порядком, определенным Общим собранием Академии.

Она включает в себя такие разделы, как физика и математика, химия, геология и география, Биология, инженерные науки, история, экономика, философия и язык и так далее.

В состав Академии входят следующие учреждения: научно-исследовательские институты, лаборатории, обсерватории, талионы, филиалы Академии, библиотеки, музеи, ботанические сады, постоянные и специальные комиссии и комитеты, научные экспедиции и другие.

При Академии действуют научные общества, созданные в порядке, установленном Президиумом Академии.

Академия участвует в создании международных научных учреждений и организаций по соглашению с научными учреждениями других стран.

Она созывает научные сессии, конгрессы, конференции и совещания для обсуждения научных проблем и координации научно-исследовательской работы.

Российская академия наук устанавливает и развивает научные контакты с научными академиями и другими научными учреждениями за рубежом, участвует в международных научных конгрессах, конференциях и совещаниях, вступает в международные научные организации.

Академия готовит научные кадры через аспирантуру при своих институтах и проводит работу по повышению квалификации научных работников.

Российская академия наук состоит из действительных членов (академиков), членов-корреспондентов и иностранных членов.

Выборы действительных членов, членов-корреспондентов и иностранных членов Академии проводятся в соответствии с настоящим Уставом и Положением о выборах в Российскую академию наук, утверждаемым Общим собранием Академии.

Высшим органом Академии является Общее собрание, состоящее из действительных членов Академии и членов-корреспондентов.

Общее собрание Академии определяет основные направления научной работы Академии) на нем решаются основные организационные вопросы; заслушиваются отчеты секций, филиалов и других учреждений Академии, а также отдельных членов; обсуждаются проблемы научного, научно-технического и научно-организационного характера избирает действительных и иностранных членов Академии и директоров научно-исследовательских институтов Академии.

Заседания Общего собрания Академии проводятся по мере необходимости, но не реже двух раз в год.

Каждый член Академии, желающий поднять какой-либо вопрос на Общем собрании, должен заранее письменно уведомить об этом Президиум Академии.

Президиум Академии состоит из Президента Академии, вице-президентов, главного ученого секретаря Президиума и членов Президиума - академиков - секретарей секций Академии и других членов, количество которых определяется Общим собранием Академии.

Президент и вице-президент Академии, академики-секретари секций и другие члены Президиума Академии избираются из числа ее действительных членов. Выборы проводятся простым большинством голосов путем тайного голосования.

Президиум Академии выполняет решения Общего собрания Академии и руководит всей деятельностью Академии в период между Общими собраниями.

Отделение Российской академии наук — это научно-организационный центр, объединяющий в рамках Академии ученых одной или нескольких областей науки.

Секция Академии объединяет институты и другие научные учреждения, подчиненные во всей своей научной и организационной деятельности непосредственно Секции.

Высшим органом Секции Академии является Общее собрание Секции, состоящее из действительных членов Академии и членов-корреспондентов этой секции.

Руководящим органом Секции в период между Общими собраниями является Бюро Секции, избираемое Общим собранием Секции путем голосования из числа членов Секции.

Бюро Секции осуществляет научное и организационное руководство учреждениями, входящими в состав Секции, а также научной деятельностью учреждений филиалов Академии, работающих в соответствующих областях, которые объединяют научно-исследовательские институты и другие научные учреждения Академии по территориальному признаку.

Основными научно-исследовательскими органами Академии являются ее научно-исследовательские институты.

Научно-исследовательские институты Академии возглавляются директорами. Научные и исторические рукописи Академии хранятся в архивах Российской академии наук.

Академия обменивается публикациями с научными учреждениями, высшими учебными заведениями, библиотеками, музеями, издательствами, научными обществами и государственными учреждениями других стран.

1. Supreme Governing Body General Meeting of the RAS Composition: Full members (Academicians) and corresponding members of the RAS. Functions: Defines the basic trends in the Academy's work, deals with major organizational matters, hears reports, elects new members and institute directors. Convenes at least twice a year. 2. Executive and Coordinating Body Presidium of the RAS Composition: President, Vice-Presidents, Head Scientific Secretary, Secretary Academicians of the Sections, and other members. Functions: Implements the decisions of the General Meeting and directs all the Academy's activities between General Meetings. 3. Scientific Divisions (by field of science) RAS Scientific Sections/Divisions Act as scientific and organizational centers uniting scientists in one or several related fields (e.g., Physical Sciences, Chemistry, Biological Sciences). Governing Body: The Section Bureau, elected by the Section's General Meeting. 4. Regional and Territorial Structures RAS Regional Branches and Scientific Centers Unite research institutes and other institutions of the Academy according to the territorial principle. Coordinate research activities in respective regions of Russia. Operate under the scientific and organizational guidance of the corresponding RAS Scientific Sections. 5. Primary Research Units Scientific Institutions of the RAS Research Institutes (the principal research bodies). Laboratories, observatories, libraries, museums, botanical gardens, etc. Are subordinated directly to the RAS Scientific Sections or are part of the Regional Branches and Scientific Centers. 6. Subsidiary and Affiliated Organizations Scientific Societies Founded under the Academy according to a procedure fixed by the RAS Presidium. Scientific Journals Published under the auspices of the Academy. Subsidiary Institutions and Organizations Archives (e.g., the Archives of the RAS), publishing houses, etc. 7. Key Functions and Composition Membership Full Members (Academicians), Corresponding Members, and Foreign Members. International Cooperation Establishes scientific contacts with foreign institutions, participates in international congresses, exchanges publications. Personnel Training Trains scientific personnel through postgraduate courses attached to its institutions.

1. Высший орган управления Общее собрание РАН Состав: Действительные члены (академики) и члены-корреспонденты РАН. Функции: Определяет основные направления работы Академии, решает основные организационные вопросы, заслушивает отчеты, избирает новых членов и директоров институтов. Собирается не реже двух раз в год. 2. Исполнительный и координирующий орган Президиум РАН Состав: Президент, вице-президенты, главный ученый секретарь, академики-секретари секций и другие члены. Функции: Выполняет решения Общего собрания и руководит всей деятельностью Академии в период между Общими собраниями. 3. Научные подразделения (по отраслям науки) Научные секции/отделы РАН Выступают в качестве научных и организационных центров, объединяющих ученых в одной или нескольких смежных областях (например, физические науки, химия, биологические науки). Руководящий орган: Бюро Секции, избираемое Общим собранием Секции. 4. Региональные и территориальные структуры Региональные отделения и научные центры РАН Объединять научно-исследовательские институты и другие учреждения Академии по территориальному принципу. Координировать исследовательскую деятельность в соответствующих регионах России. Действовать под научным и организационным руководством соответствующих научных секций РАН. 5. Основные исследовательские подразделения Научные учреждения РАН Научно-исследовательские институты (основные исследовательские органы). Лаборатории, обсерватории, библиотеки, музеи, ботанические сады и т.д. Подчиняются непосредственно научным секциям РАН или входят в состав региональных отделений и научных центров. 6. Дочерние и зависимые организации Научные общества Созданные при Академии в порядке, установленном Президиумом РАН. Научные журналы Издаваемые под эгидой Академии. Вспомогательные учреждения и организации Архивы (например, Архив РАН), издательства и т.д. 7. Основные функции и состав Членство Действительные члены (академики), члены-корреспонденты и иностранные члены. Международное сотрудничество Устанавливает научные контакты с зарубежными учреждениями, участвует в международных конгрессах, обменивается публикациями. Подготовка кадров Осуществляет подготовку научных кадров в рамках курсов последипломного образования при своих институтах.