Russian Academy of Sciences

Russian Academy of Sciences
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Name	Russian Academy of Sciences
Native name	Российская академия наук
Caption	Main building on Leninsky Prospekt, Moscow
Formation	8 February 1724
Founder	Peter the Great
Headquarters	Moscow, Russia
President	Gennady Krasnikov
Website	http://www.ras.ru/

Russian Academy of Sciences. The Russian Academy of Sciences is the national academy of Russia, comprising a comprehensive network of scientific research institutes across the country. Founded in 1724 by Peter the Great in Saint Petersburg, it is one of the oldest and most prestigious scientific institutions in the world. The academy plays a leading role in coordinating fundamental research in natural science, social science, and the humanities throughout the Russian Federation.

History

The academy was established by decree of Peter the Great and modeled on the French Academy of Sciences and the Prussian Academy of Sciences. Its early years were significantly influenced by scholars like Leonhard Euler and Mikhail Lomonosov, who helped shape its scientific direction. Following the October Revolution, it was renamed the Academy of Sciences of the USSR in 1925 and became the central scientific body of the Soviet Union, overseeing vast research programs during the Cold War, including the Soviet space program and nuclear projects. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, it was re-established under its current name by a decree of the Government of Russia in 1991 and underwent significant structural reforms in 2013 under the administration of Vladimir Putin.

Structure and organization

The academy is organized into thirteen specialized departments covering fields such as mathematics, physics, nanotechnology, and energy. Its physical infrastructure includes hundreds of research institutes, with major centers located in Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Novosibirsk (home to the Novosibirsk Akademgorodok), and Yekaterinburg. Key subsidiary organizations include the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the Far Eastern Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. It also presides over affiliated institutions like the Russian Academy of Arts and maintains the extensive Russian State Library.

Research and scientific activities

The academy coordinates fundamental research across a wide spectrum, with historic achievements in theoretical physics by scientists like Lev Landau and Nikolay Bogoliubov, and in space exploration through the work of Mstislav Keldysh. Current major projects often involve international collaborations, such as experiments at the Large Hadron Collider at CERN and research at the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research in Dubna. Its institutes are deeply involved in fields like climate science, arctic research, genetics, and developing technologies for the Roscosmos program. The academy also publishes numerous prestigious journals, including Doklady Akademii Nauk.

Membership

Membership is considered the highest scholarly honor in Russia and is divided into three tiers: full members (academicians), corresponding members, and foreign members. Notable historical academicians include Dmitri Mendeleev, Ivan Pavlov, and Andrei Sakharov. Election is conducted by secret ballot of existing members and is based on outstanding scientific contributions. The total number of full and corresponding members is capped by charter, and the body includes renowned contemporary scientists such as Nobel Prize in Physics laureates Zhores Alferov and Vitaly Ginzburg. Foreign members have included figures like Albert Einstein and Stephen Hawking.

Leadership and governance

The academy is headed by a President, elected by the General Assembly of members; the current president is Gennady Krasnikov, who succeeded Alexander Sergeev. The supreme governing body is the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences, located in Moscow, which oversees daily operations and policy. Key leadership figures have included influential presidents like Mikhail Keldysh and Yury Osipov. The academy's work and budget are coordinated with federal bodies such as the Ministry of Science and Higher Education (Russia) and is subject to oversight by the Government of Russia.

International cooperation

The academy maintains extensive global scientific ties, holding partnership agreements with numerous national academies worldwide, including the National Academy of Sciences of the United States and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. It is a founding member of international bodies like the International Council for Science and participates in major projects such as the International Space Station program and the ITER fusion reactor. Despite geopolitical tensions, its institutes continue collaborative research with organizations like CERN, ESA, and various European Union scientific frameworks, and it hosts international conferences and symposia regularly.

Category:Scientific organizations Category:National academies Category:Organizations established in 1724