Tomsk scientists - Stalin Prize winners in the field of science for their achievements during the Great Patriotic War (1941-1945)

In the article, on the materials of official documents, periodicals and personal sources, the achievements of Tomsk scientists in the field of science during the Great Patriotic War that were marked with the Stalin Prize are considered. The perception of this award and its criticism for conjuncture and prejudice in the selection of winners are highlighted. Nevertheless, there was a high symbolic significance of the Stalin Prize. It was the highest form of national recognition for the soviet scientists during the modernisation and the "scientific Renaissance" of the 1930s-1940s, and it was the litmus test of scientific progress in the USSR. From 1942 to 1950, 14 scientists of Tomsk, some of whom were in this city in evacuation, were awarded the Stalin Prize for research achievements during the Great Patriotic War. Eight scientists (physicists V.D. Kuznetsov, M.A. Bolshanina, chemist L.P. Kulev, surgeon A.G. Savinykh, specialist in locomotive construction S.P. Syromyatnikov, histologist A.A. Zavarzin, geologist K.V. Radugin, specialist in mining N.A. Chynacal) in 1942 and 1943, and six scientists were awarded during the postwar years (surgeon D.A. Zhdanov, physiologist B.I. Bayandurov, pharmacologist N.I. Vershinin, botanist V.V. Reverdatto, therapist D.D. Yablokov, biologist B.P. Tokin). Their activities were integrated into the strategic directions chosen and coordinated by the Tomsk Committee of Scientists: research and development of medicinal raw materials, mineral deposits in Siberia, organisation of consultations and scientific support of industrial enterprises, solution to the "Ural-Kuzbass" problem, etc. The scientific context of the discoveries and works that were awarded and their practical application (introduction into industry, medical practice, transport, etc.) are analysed. The perception of these achievements by other scientists, the "large" scientific community, including international recognition, is reflected. The influence of political aspects on the selection of winners is considered. It is concluded that the Stalin Prize in the field of science during the period under review representatively reflected the main achievements of scientists, and it was a marker of research development, including on a regional scale. It is emphasised that, taking into account the impressive monetary value of this award and the privileges accompanying the title, the Stalin Prize was an important part of the "symbolic capital" of the soviet scientist during the Stalin era.

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