Society of Russian Chemists

Society of Russian Chemists
Name	Society of Russian Chemists
Native name	Общество российских химиков
Formation	1948
Headquarters	Moscow
Language	Russian
Leader title	President
Leader name	Nikolai N. Zhitkov

Contents

Society of Russian Chemists is a professional association founded in the mid-20th century to unite practitioners in Russia and the wider Soviet successor states, promote chemical research, and represent chemists in industrial and academic contexts. The Society connects scientists from institutions such as the Lomonosov Moscow State University, the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the Kurnakov Institute of General and Inorganic Chemistry while engaging with international bodies including the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry and the European Chemical Society.

History

The Society traces roots to post-World War II initiatives linking researchers at Moscow State University, the St. Petersburg State University, and the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences with industrial hubs like Kazan Chemical Plant and research centers such as the Lebedev Physical Institute. Early leaders interacted with figures from the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, collaborated with institutes including the Goskhimproekt and the Karpov Institute of Physical Chemistry, and responded to national priorities exemplified by programs at the Institute of Petrochemical Synthesis and the All-Union Chemical Society. During the late Soviet era the Society worked alongside entities such as the Kurchatov Institute, the Vavilov Institute of Plant Genetic Resources, and the Institute of Organic Chemistry to support projects with the Ministry of Medium Machine Building and the Ministry of Chemical Industry. After 1991 it adjusted to new conditions, maintaining links with universities like the Novosibirsk State University, industrial firms such as Sibur, and foundations resembling the Skolkovo Foundation and the Russian Foundation for Basic Research.

Governance is modeled on boards common to professional bodies, involving representatives from institutes such as the Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, the Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia, and the Institute of Chemical Physics. The leadership interacts with national authorities including the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and consults with academicians from the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences. Committees include technical sections analogous to those at the Kurnakov Institute, regional coordinators tied to centers like Krasnoyarsk Scientific Center, and advisory councils with members from Lobachevsky State University of Nizhny Novgorod and Tomsk Polytechnic University.

Membership comprises professors from Higher School of Economics faculties linked to chemistry, researchers from the Russian Academy of Sciences, engineers from enterprises such as Gazprom Neft laboratories, and postgraduate students from Far Eastern Federal University and Saratov State University. Regional branches operate in cities including Moscow, Saint Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Yekaterinburg, Krasnoyarsk, Kazan, Omsk, Rostov-on-Don, and Voronezh, coordinating with local institutes like the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

Programs include professional development courses in partnership with Mendeleev University, collaborative projects with industrial partners such as Rosneft and Lukoil, and outreach with museums like the Museum of Cosmonautics and the Polytechnical Museum. The Society supports educational initiatives at schools linked to the Russian Academy of Education and organizes workshops involving researchers from the Institute of Catalysis and the Shemyakin–Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry. It runs career fairs aligned with employers including RUSNANO and Rosatom research divisions, and promotes innovation through incubators similar to those at Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology.

The Society sponsors journals and proceedings and collaborates with periodicals such as Russian Chemical Bulletin, Chemistry of Materials-style outlets, and titles produced by the Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia publishing units. It organizes regular conferences and symposia attracting delegates from Moscow State University, the Kurnakov Institute, Novosibirsk State University, Tomsk State University, Saint Petersburg State University, and international participants from organizations like the American Chemical Society, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Max Planck Society, CNRS, and the Royal Society of Chemistry. Major meetings have occurred in venues such as the Lenexpo Exhibition Complex and academic centers like the Russian Academy of Sciences headquarters.

The Society grants medals and prizes named for eminent chemists and collaborates with national awards such as those from the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Government of the Russian Federation science prizes. It has recognized work associated with researchers linked to the Kurnakov Institute, Institute of Organic Chemistry, Skolkovo Foundation innovators, and industrial leaders from Sibur and Rosatom. Honorary memberships have been held by members of the Russian Academy of Sciences, professors from Lomonosov Moscow State University, and researchers associated with the Institute of Catalysis.

Category:Scientific societies based in Russia