The Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences Under the Liberal Reforms of the 1990s

The aim of the article is to study the problem of developing the conceptual foundations of the reorganization of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SB RAS) on the eve of the collapse of the USSR, their adjustment and implementation in the context of the liberal reforms of the 1990s. The source basis of the research was published materials, mainly articles by Academician V.A. Koptyug, the chairman of SB RAS, and documents currently stored in the funds of the Archives of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The studied documents and materials made it possible to formulate and substantiate the conclusion that the restructuring carried out by the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, as well as the change in the principles and forms of its activity in the 1990s, was undertaken by individual scientific organizations in the country to adapt to the most difficult conditions of the developing crisis. Among the new forms of activity of the SB RAS institutes were: changes in the management structure of the Branch, joint ventures, active use of foreign grants, support from the Russian Foundation for Basic Research in the framework of competitive projects, and others. The institutes of SB RAS learned to earn money and survived together, demonstrating phenomenal achievements in the most difficult conditions. At the same time, it is proved that such measures provided only a temporary effect, making it possible to survive, but the general economic crisis did not allow it to develop to its full potential. Thus, in the 1990s, for the purpose of self-preservation, the researchers of Novosibirsk Akademgorodok actively developed applied areas making it possible to commercialize the obtained results. However, with rare exceptions, the country's industry was not capable of any innovative activity or even planning to introduce new technological developments and modernization. The state had not created conditions for these. In the end, much was produced at a loss. The decline in production, the reduction of budget financing, as well as funding from other sources, caused an increasing destruction of the country's scientific and technological potential with each passing year. The study made it possible to identify the outstanding contribution of Academician V.A. Koptyug, a scientist, thinker and organizer of science, to the preservation of the scientific potential of Siberia. Despite the reduction in budget financing, Koptyug managed to preserve the Siberian Branch as a system. He rightly believed that in many cases the basis for the preparation of state decisions was not fundamental knowledge, but ambition, voluntarism, and sometimes vested interests. Describing this situation as extremely dangerous, the academician and his associates proposed a strategy based on national interests and social priorities, taking into account the resource basis, spiritual and geopolitical features of our country. However, his recommendations, as well as the conclusions of many leading scientists, were ignored by successive governments. As a result, the situation in the scientific sphere of the country developed from crisis to catastrophe. However, the "growth areas" created in the years of the reforms in Siberia made it possible at the beginning of the new century not only to recover, but also to demonstrate the intensification of innovation activity.

Keywords

Authors

References