Academy Of Science Of The Ukrainian SSR

The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU; uk, Національна академія наук України, ''Natsional’na akademiya nauk Ukrayiny'', abbr: NAN Ukraine) is a self-governing state-funded organization in Ukraine that is the main center of development of science and technology by coordinating a system of research institutes in the country. It is the main research oriented organization along with the five other academies in Ukraine specialized in various scientific disciplines. NAS Ukraine consists of numerous departments, sections, research institutes, scientific centers and various other supporting scientific organizations.

The Academy reports on the annual basis to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. The presidium of the academy is located at vulytsia Volodymyrska, 57, across the street from the Building of Pedagogical Museum, which was used to host the Central Council during the independence period of 1917-18.

In 1919–1991 it was a republican branch of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union.Borys Paton.
Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR (АКАДЕМІЯ НАУК УКРАЇНСЬКОЇ РСР)
'. Ukrainian Soviet Encyclopedia.

Names

Over its history, the NAS Ukraine has had these 5 names.

History

Establishment of the Academy

The direct institutional predecessors of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences were the Shevchenko Scientific Society in Lemberg (Lviv) and the Ukrainian Scientific Society in Kyiv that due to various circumstances did not developed into national academy.Shpak, A., Yurkova, O.
National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (НАЦІОНАЛЬНА АКАДЕМІЯ НАУК УКРАЇНИ)
'. Encyclopedia of History of Ukraine. 2010

The initiative to create such an institution came from the Ukrainian Science Society in April 1917, eight months before the beginning of the Soviet-Ukrainian War. However it was finally materialized during the time of the Ukrainian State, when on the proposal of the Minister of Education and Arts Mykola Vasylenko a special commission was formed. Headed by academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Volodymyr Vernadskyi, the commission has drafted a bill about creation of the Ukrainian Academy of Science in Kyiv with its National Library, National Museum, and other scientific institutions. At the end of June 1918 the issue on creation of the Academy was raised at the Ukrainian Science Society Extraordinary General Assembly (June 23 and 28). During July 9 - September 17, 1918 the commission based on the proposed by Vernadskyi a model of Ukrainian Academy of Sciences (UAS) as an academy with universal characteristics has developed a bill for the creation of the Academy, a draft of its statute and staff, estimate. Based on them on November 14, 1918 Hetman of Ukraine Pavlo Skoropadsky signed the Law of Ukrainian State about establishing of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences in Kyiv, and also approved the UAS statute, the UAS staff and its institutions and the order of Ministry of National Education about appointing the first 12 full members (academicians) of the UAS.

According to its original statute, the Academy consisted of three research departments in history and philology (1st department), physics and mathematics (2nd department), as well as social studies (3rd department). Its structural units became permanent commissions and institutes. There were planned 15 institutes, 14 permanent commissions, 6 museums, 2 offices, 2 laboratories, botanical and acclimatization gardens, astronomical observatory, biology station, printing house and national library. All publishing of academy was to be printed in the Ukrainian language. Its statute emphasized the all-Ukrainian nature: the members could be not only citizens of the Ukrainian State, but also the Ukrainian scientists of the West Ukraine (at that time citizens of Austria-Hungary). Foreigners could become academicians as well, but on the resolution of the 2/3 of the active members' composition.

The presidium of newly created academy and its first academicians (three to each department) were appointed by the Ukrainian government, while the future members were expected to be elected by those academicians (as an active members). Among the first academicians were historians Dmytro Bahaliy and Orest Levytsky, economists Mykhailo Tuhan-Baranovsky and Volodymyr Kosynsky, eastern studies Ahathanhel Krymsky and Nikolai Petrov, linguist Stepan Smal-Stotsky, geologists Volodymyr Vernadsky and Pavlo Tutkovsky, biologist Mykola Kashchenko, mechanic Stepan Tymoshenko, law studies Fedir Taranovsky. For the post of the President of the Academy, the Hetman of Ukraine (head of state) Pavlo Skoropadsky invited Mykhailo Hrushevsky who at that time was the president of the Ukrainian Science Society and before the World War I served as the president of the Shevchenko Scientific Society in Lemberg, neighboring Austria-Hungary, but Hrushevsky declined the invitation yet later (sometime after 1923) became a major figure in the Ukrainian Academy of Science (UAS) in Kyiv.

Its official operations the academy started at the end of November 1918 with having several sessions of General Assembly and assemblies of its departments. The first General Assembly (Constituent) that took place on November 27, 1918 academician Volodymyr Vernadsky was elected the President of academy, while the permanent secretary became Ahathanhel Krymsky. The same day, at the sessions of the 2nd and the 3rd departments there were elected as chairmen respectively Mykola Kashchenko and Mykhailo Tuhan-Baranovsky, on 8 December 1918 the chairman of the 1st department was elected Dmytro Bahaliy. All appointments were approved by Hetman Skoropadskyi.

The first institutions of the UAS established in December 1918 were such commissions:
* for compilation of historic and geographic dictionary of the Ukrainian land (director Dmytro Bahaliy)
* for compilation of historic dictionary of Ukrainian language (director Yevhen Tymchenko)
* for compilation of the Ukrainian living language dictionary (director Ahathanhel Krymsky)
* for publishing landmarks of the modern Ukrainian script (director Serhiy Yefremov)
* (archaeographic commission) for publishing landmarks of language, script and history (director Vasyl Danylevych)
* acclimatization garden (director Mykhailo Kashchenko)
* institute of technical mechanics (director Stepan Tymoshenko)
* institute of geodesy, institute of economic conjuncture and national economy of Ukraine (director Mykhailo Tuhan-Baranovsky)

Next month there were added following commissions:
* institute of demography
* in research of common law (director Orest Levytsky)
* in research of social issues (director Mykhailo Tuhan-Baranovsky)
* in research of national economy (director Volodymyr Kosynsky)

First years

During its first years the academy operated during the period of political instability and economical ruin (Ukrainian–Soviet War, Russian Civil War, Polish–Soviet War). The leadership of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences sought its recognition by each new power and principally emphasizing on non-political background of the main science center. Despite the financial hardship, famine, arrests, and emigration of some of its members, the UAS has not only survived as an institution, but developed its structure and directions of research, began to prepare for publication its scientific works.

On 3 January 1919 the Direktoria of the Ukrainian People's Republic has adopted legislatively changes to the UAS statute, according to which there were made provisions concerning printing of works in Ukrainian and foreign languages (volume of publications in foreign language should not exceeded the 1/4 amount of the Ukrainian language), all the UAS officials had to freely possess the Ukrainian language, and full members upon their approval would swear in allegiance to the Ukrainian People's Republic. The Supreme power also has left after itself the right to approve the newly elected members at the UAS General Assembly.

Following occupation of Kyiv by Bolshevik forces, on 11 February 1919 to the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences was handed over as its own property the mansion and former boarding house of countess Levashova on the order of People's Commissar of Education of the Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic, Volodymyr Zatonskyi. The next day on 12 February 1919 there took place an extraordinary UAS General Assembly, during which Ahatanhel Krymsky passed on the order of Zatonskyi immediately to start the work. Since the late 1920s, in the Soviet historiography that day was considered as the day of establishing the Academy of Sciences contrary to 14 February 1918 when Hetman Skoropadskyi signed the law on creation of the academy.

After several change of powers and withdrawal of the Denikin's forces in December 1919 the Bolsheviks permanently established themselves in Kyiv. With the second arrival of Bolsheviks Vernadsky resigned. Orest Levytskyor was elected President of the Academy for the next couple of years. In 1921 Levytsky was replaced by a newly elected Mykola Vasylenko, however he was not approved by the authorities and soon was replaced with Levytsky. Vasylenko after that was arrested in 1923 and convicted (later released on amnesty).

On June 14, 1921, the Council of People's Commissars of Ukrainian SSR adopted a decree "Resolution on the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences", according to which the Academy was recognized as the highest scientific state institution and subordinated to the Narkom of Education. The Academy was renamed from UAS to VUAN ( uk, ВУАН) as the All-Ukrainian Academy of Sciences underlining its meaning for the Ukrainian territories under Poland, Romania, Czechoslovakia and declaring its intentions to unite within one organization the scientific intelligentsiya of all Ukrainian lands. The relationship between the members of VUAN and the Soviet authorities soured, while the relationships with the Ukrainian scientists abroad had completely diminished. After the historian Orest Levytsky the President of the Academy became the botanist Volodymyr Lypsky. Between 1919-1930 to the Academy were elected 103 academicians. In 1924-5, the Academy held its first election for foreign members. However, none of the candidates were approved by the Narkom of Education.

In 1929, two of its members (Serhiy Yefremov and Mykhailo Slabchenko) and 24 corresponding agents (such as Osip Hermaize, Hryhoriy Holoskevych, Andriy Nikovsky

HOME


Content is Copyleft
Website design, code, and AI is Copyrighted (c) 2014-2017 by Stephen Payne


Consider donating to Wikimedia



As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases