12.6 Russian Mechanics in the Post-Soviet Period
153
400 universities in physical-technical, technological, and mathematical areas! New
universities invited (and still do) leading scientists and talented specialists from all
over the world.
The position of mechanics in new Russia and the attitude toward it at the state
level radically changed. During the first 10 years, the authorities discontinued the
system of scientific institutes of the defense industry that actively worked over
many fundamental problems of mechanics. Multiple highly qualified engineers and
scientists who previously worked in the organizations of the Ministry of Medium
Machine Building and then in the Ministry of Atomic Energy and Industry along
with well-equipped laboratories became non-demanded. The further elimination of
mechanics is described in detail in the lecture [7] of the Corresponding Member
of the USSR Academy of Sciences at the Department of Technical Sciences (Mechanics), the Academician at the Department of Energy, Engineering, Mechanics
and Control Processes (theoretical and applied mechanics, engineering and machine
science), Secretary Academician of the Department, Professor G. G. Cherny. The
below information is taken from this lecture read by G. G. Cherny at the Moscow
Polytechnical Museum in 2008.
By the decision of authorities with the acquiescence of the Russian Academy
of Sciences (RAS) and the entire scientific and technical community, mechanics
was excluded from the list of fundamental sciences, and developments in the field
of mechanics were excluded from the list of key technologies of federal value.
The Russian Ministry of Education and Science conducts no contests for works
in mechanics problems. After changing the RAS structure, the Department of
Mechanics, Engineering, and Control Processes became the part of the Department
of Energy, Engineering, Mechanics, and Control Processes. The leading role of
mechanics in the previous department in the new structure of the department was
lost.
The number of mechanical departments at technical universities greatly decreased due to their aggregation into departments of applied mechanics and
modeling. Recently, the term “mechanics” has been eliminated from the names
of university faculties and institutes. The Mechanics Institute at Saint Petersburg
University was actually eliminated. At Ulyanovsk State University, the Mechanical
and Mathematical Faculty became the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer
Technologies. There are multiple examples of this kind. Even at Moscow State
University, the “Mechanics” qualification that existed for more than 70 years has
transformed into “Mechanics and Mathematical Modeling” under the pressure of
the Ministry of Education and Science, and the qualification passport has almost
no description of mechanics, since it concerns only mathematical modeling. The
curriculum for specialists in “Applied Mechanics” at either classical or technical
universities (“Dynamics and Strength of Machines”, “Designing, Engineering and
Production of Aircraft,” etc.) has no such discipline as “Plasticity Theory.” The
discipline of “Experimental Methods of Studying Structural Strength” was allocated
with 72 h at the Space Faculty of Moscow Aviation Institute, while 400 h were
allocated for physical culture.
153
400 universities in physical-technical, technological, and mathematical areas! New
universities invited (and still do) leading scientists and talented specialists from all
over the world.
The position of mechanics in new Russia and the attitude toward it at the state
level radically changed. During the first 10 years, the authorities discontinued the
system of scientific institutes of the defense industry that actively worked over
many fundamental problems of mechanics. Multiple highly qualified engineers and
scientists who previously worked in the organizations of the Ministry of Medium
Machine Building and then in the Ministry of Atomic Energy and Industry along
with well-equipped laboratories became non-demanded. The further elimination of
mechanics is described in detail in the lecture [7] of the Corresponding Member
of the USSR Academy of Sciences at the Department of Technical Sciences (Mechanics), the Academician at the Department of Energy, Engineering, Mechanics
and Control Processes (theoretical and applied mechanics, engineering and machine
science), Secretary Academician of the Department, Professor G. G. Cherny. The
below information is taken from this lecture read by G. G. Cherny at the Moscow
Polytechnical Museum in 2008.
By the decision of authorities with the acquiescence of the Russian Academy
of Sciences (RAS) and the entire scientific and technical community, mechanics
was excluded from the list of fundamental sciences, and developments in the field
of mechanics were excluded from the list of key technologies of federal value.
The Russian Ministry of Education and Science conducts no contests for works
in mechanics problems. After changing the RAS structure, the Department of
Mechanics, Engineering, and Control Processes became the part of the Department
of Energy, Engineering, Mechanics, and Control Processes. The leading role of
mechanics in the previous department in the new structure of the department was
lost.
The number of mechanical departments at technical universities greatly decreased due to their aggregation into departments of applied mechanics and
modeling. Recently, the term “mechanics” has been eliminated from the names
of university faculties and institutes. The Mechanics Institute at Saint Petersburg
University was actually eliminated. At Ulyanovsk State University, the Mechanical
and Mathematical Faculty became the Faculty of Mathematics and Computer
Technologies. There are multiple examples of this kind. Even at Moscow State
University, the “Mechanics” qualification that existed for more than 70 years has
transformed into “Mechanics and Mathematical Modeling” under the pressure of
the Ministry of Education and Science, and the qualification passport has almost
no description of mechanics, since it concerns only mathematical modeling. The
curriculum for specialists in “Applied Mechanics” at either classical or technical
universities (“Dynamics and Strength of Machines”, “Designing, Engineering and
Production of Aircraft,” etc.) has no such discipline as “Plasticity Theory.” The
discipline of “Experimental Methods of Studying Structural Strength” was allocated
with 72 h at the Space Faculty of Moscow Aviation Institute, while 400 h were
allocated for physical culture.