The first female scientists in soviet physics - professors of Tomsk University V.M. Kudryavtseva, N.A. Prilezhaeva, M.A. Bolshanina: gender aspects of professional-adaptive practices

In the article separate episodes from the life of the first female scientists - Doctors of Science in Soviet physics, professors M.A. Bol-shanina, V.M. Kudryavtseva, N.A. Prilezhaeva, are highlighted. Their professional development took place in Tomsk, the largest cultural center of North Asia. A brief review of the Russian-language historiography of gender studies in the history of science and education is given. At the center of the article is the problem of professional-adaptive practices of the first female scientists in conditions dominance of traditional social values. The context of the gender policy of the Soviet state and the socio-economic and political conditions, against which, in the 1920's, they received higher education in Tomsk (M.A. Bolshanina, V.M. Kudryavtseva) and Leningrad (N.A. Prilezhaeva) universities, are considered. Separate episodes from their biographies, that illustrates a situation of prejudices and gender asymmetry in scientific societies of that period, are considered. It is emphasized that Bolshanina, Kudryavtseva and Prilezhaeva achieved significant success both as scientists and as organizers of science, having thus passed the path of gender resocialization and becoming, along with M.A. Levitskaya, the first women-physicists in the USSR, awarded the degree of Doctor of Sciences. Their role models in the images of a scientist, teacher and science leader are reconstructed on the materials of periodicals and memoirs of contemporaries. It is noted that in these hypostases they showed such qualities that in the gender realities of those years were perceived as “masculine”. This is austerity, dedication, diligence, orderliness, “iron” principles, etc. It is emphasized that in these models the individual features of their mentors in the scientific world, first of all by Professor V.D. Kuznetsov, were reflected. A conclusion, that the practices of gender socio-psychological reformatting became the main professional adaptation mechanism of the first female scientists in Soviet physics, and the main factor of their success in the science of the context dominance of traditional social values was the “masculine” gender behavioral styles in the images of a scientist, teacher and science leader, is made. Attention is drawn to the fact, that the reception of these role models as a method of a gender emancipation influenced the personal life of these women-professors, which reflected, in particular, in their rather ascetic lifestyle.

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