The building of the first Russian Academy of Sciences is located on Vasilievsky Island in the city of St. Petersburg. For almost 300 years of its existence, the Academy has gone through many reorganizations and has become the leading Russian scientific school.
The founder of the Russian Academy of Sciences was the great Russian Tsar Peter I. He first came up with the idea that young people should be taught science and art not abroad, but in Russia.
The first Academy of Sciences was opened in St. Petersburg
Tsar Peter was engaged in enlightenment until the end of his life, and the project of the Academy of Sciences was one of his last brainchildren. An example of organizing a scientific meeting was the Paris Academy of Sciences, which elected the Russian Tsar Peter as a full member.
It was supposed to gather all Russian scientists within the walls of the first academic institution. They had to teach the young men their subject, compose the first textbooks and teach for an hour a day. And also prepare several students to replace themselves.
The books collected by Peter I formed the basis of the first library at the academy. By the decree of the Senate of January 28, 1724, the first Russian Academy of Sciences was established in the city of St. Petersburg. Councils of foreigners helped organize the educational process, but Tsar Peter could not attend the opening of the academy.
It opened after his death under Empress Catherine I. It was on December 27, 1725. Thus, at the beginning of the 18th century, Russian science acquired an official academic status.
Modern Russian Academy of Sciences
Today the meeting of Russian scientists has 1195 members, of which 471 are academicians, and 724 are corresponding members. The Academy of Sciences of the Russian Federation is engaged in fundamental and applied scientific research.
Scientists are publicly funded and develop the humanities, technical and social sciences, make world discoveries about the laws of the development of man, society and nature.
After the reorganization that took place in 2013, the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences and the Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences were separated from the Academy into separate institutes.
The organization has regional offices and research centers throughout the large territory of the Russian Federation, including Siberia and the Far East. Life is not easy for scientists in the modern world.
Small salaries make them leave Russia and look for luck abroad. Therefore, the government of the Russian Federation has taken a number of measures aimed at improving the life and working conditions of scientists; zones for the development of modern science have been created.
