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| Formation | November 27, 1918 (1918-11-27)(official date and the first General Assembly)[1] November 14, 1918 (1918-11-14)(signing of the law by theHetman of Ukraine)[1] |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Kyiv,Ukraine |
| Coordinates | 50°26′42″N30°30′45″E / 50.44500°N 30.51250°E /50.44500; 30.51250 |
Chairman | Anatoliy Zahorodniy[2] |
| Website | www |
TheNational Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU;Ukrainian:Національна академія наук України,romanized: Natsionalna akademiia nauk Ukrainy,pronounced[nɐts⁽ʲ⁾ioˈnɑlʲnɐɐkɐˈdɛmijɐnɐˈukʊkrɐˈjinɪ];abbr.NAN Ukrainy) is a self-governing state-funded organization inUkraine that is the main center of development ofscience 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 theCabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. The presidium of the academy is located atVolodymyrska Street, 54, across the street from theBuilding of Pedagogical Museum, which was used to host theCentral 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.[3]
Over its history, the NAS Ukraine has had these 5 names.
| Names for the Academy | Native language | dates |
|---|---|---|
| Ukrainian Academy of Sciences | Українська академія наук | 1918—1921 |
| All-Ukrainian Academy of Sciences | Всеукраїнська академія наук | 1921—1936 |
| Academy of Sciences of the UkrSSR | Академія наук Української РСР | 1936—1991 |
| Academy of Sciences of Ukraine | Академія наук України | 1991—1993 |
| National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine | Національна академія наук України | since 1994 |
The predecessors of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences were the Ukrainian Scientific Society inKyiv, that due to various circumstances did not develop into a national academy, and theShevchenko Scientific Society in Lemberg (modernLviv).[4]
The initiative to create the institution came from theUkrainian Science Society in April 1917, eight months before the beginning of theSoviet-Ukrainian War. The institution materialized during the time of the firstUkrainian State, whenMykola Vasylenko, at that time the Minister of Education and Arts, proposed the formation of a special commission.[4] Led byVolodymyr Vernadskyi, an academic of theRussian Academy of Sciences, the commission produced a bill for creation of a Ukrainian Academy of Science in Kyiv, a National Library, a National Museum, and other scientific institutions.[4] At the end of June 1918 the creation of the Academy was raised at theUkrainian Science Society Extraordinary General Assembly.[5] By 17 September, a bill for the creation of the Academy had been written, and the statute drafted.[4] On 14 November, 1918, theUkrainian Academy of Sciences was established in law.[6][4] 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.[4]
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 theUkrainian language. Its statute emphasized the all-Ukrainian nature: the members could be not only citizens of theUkrainian State, but also the Ukrainian scientists of theWest Ukraine (at that time citizens ofAustria-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).[7] Among the first academicians were historiansDmytro Bahaliy andOrest Levytsky, economistsMykhailo Tuhan-Baranovsky andVolodymyr Kosynsky, eastern studiesAhathanhel Krymsky andNikolai Petrov, linguistStepan Smal-Stotsky, geologistsVolodymyr Vernadsky andPavlo Tutkovsky, biologistMykola Kashchenko, mechanicStepan Tymoshenko, law studiesFedir Taranovsky. For the post of the President of the Academy, theHetman of Ukraine (head of state)Pavlo Skoropadsky invitedMykhailo Hrushevsky[a] who at that time was the president of theUkrainian Science Society and before theWorld War I served as the president of theShevchenko Scientific Society inLemberg, neighboringAustria-Hungary, but Hrushevsky declined the invitation[9] 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:
Next month there were added following commissions:
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 theDirektoria of theUkrainian 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 theUkrainian language, and full members upon their approval would swear in allegiance to theUkrainian 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 the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences received as its own property the mansion and formerboarding house of countess Levashova. This happened on the order of People's Commissar of Education of the Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic,Volodymyr Zatonskyi. The next day, on 12 February 1919, an extraordinary UAS General Assembly took place, during whichAhatanhel Krymsky passed on the order of Zatonskyi immediately to start the work. Since the late 1920s, in theSoviet historiography that day was considered as the day of establishing the Academy of Sciences, instead of 14 November 1918 when Hetman Skoropadskyi signed the law on creation of the academy.
After several changes of power 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 Levytsky was elected President of the Academy for the next couple of years. In 1921 Levytsky was replaced by newly elected Mykola Vasylenko, however he was not approved by the authorities and soon was replaced with Levytsky. Vasylenko himself was arrested in 1923 and convicted (later released on amnesty).
On June 14, 1921, theCouncil 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 theNarkom of Education. The Academy was renamed from UAS to VUAN (Ukrainian:ВУАН) -All-Ukrainian Academy of Sciences - underlining its importance for Ukrainian territories underPoland,Romania,Czechoslovakia and declaring its intentions to unite within one organization the scientificintelligentsia of all Ukrainian lands. The relationship between members of VUAN and the Soviet authorities soured, while the relationships with the Ukrainian scientists abroad had completely ceased. After historian Orest Levytsky, botanistVolodymyr Lypsky became president of the Academy. Between 1919-1930 103 academicians were elected to the Academy. In 1924-5, the Academy held its first election for foreign members. However, none of the candidates were approved by the Narkom of Education.
Between 1927 and 1930 the takeover of the Academy by the Soviet authorities was completed.Mykhailo Hrushevsky had been candidate for the presidency, but by the end of 1927 Hrushevsky's candidacy was no longer supported by the authorities. He had been considered a counterweight to the "constitutional-democratic" faction led bySerhiy Yefremov and Ahatanhel Krymsky, but the three of them had actually agreed on opposing state interference. The authorities removed Yefremov and his supporters and dropped all support for Hrushevsky, who was arrested in 1931, taken to Moscow, and never returned to Ukraine.Danylo Zabolotny, a microbiologist, was instead put up as president of the Academy, followed byOleksandr Bohomolets in 1930.[10][11]
Repressions against the Academy reached their peak in 1933-1934 and were conducted under the leadership ofPavel Postyshev. Numerous academicians were imprisoned, exiled and deprived of their titles. According toNatalia Polonska-Vasylenko, during the 1930s over 250 members of the Academy became victims of persecution.Humanitarian sciences were hit especially hard. From that time on, technical sciences became the Academy's main focus point. In 1934 it was directly subordinated to theCouncil of People's Commissars of Soviet Ukraine, and in 1936 was deprived of its national status and renamed intoAcademy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR.[11]
After theSoviet annexation of Galicia and Volhynia, in 1940 the property of local branches of the Shevchenko Scientific Society was transferred to the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. After the start ofGerman-Soviet War in 1941 the Academy was evacuated from Kyiv toUfa and then toMoscow.[11]
The non-Soviet Ukrainian Academy of Sciences renewed its activities soon after thecapture of Kyiv by German troops in 1941, electing its presidium and management. It organized weekly scientific lectures and seminars on various topics. Among the questions discussed by the academy underGerman occupation was the possible adoption ofLatin alphabet for theUkrainian language which, was to replaceCyrillic.[12] However, the Academy failed to restore its activities due to opposition from German occupying authorities, which greatly damaged its funds.[11]
The Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR returned to Kyiv in 1944. In 1946 it was headed byOleksandr Palladin. According to a decree of theCentral Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, in 1963 the Academy was subjected to theAcademy of Sciences of the Soviet Union and de-facto turned into its filial. As a result ofRussification, during the 1970s the majority of the academy's publications were issued in theRussian language.[11]
Presidents[edit]
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TheNational Academy of Sciences of Ukraine according to its official status is a higher scientific self-governed organization of Ukraine and was founded on a state property. Theself-government of the Academy is kept in independent determination of its research's thematic and forms of its organization and realization, formation of its organizational structure, solving own issues with administration of research, its financing, and professional cadres, fulfillment of its international scientific relations, free election and collegiality of its governing authority. The Academy brings together full members, corresponding members, and its foreign members, all scientists of its institutions, organizes and conducts fundamental and applied scientific research in the most important issues of natural, technical, social, and humanitarian sciences.
The highest body of self-government of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine is itsGeneral Assembly (Ukrainian:Загальні збори, Zahalni zbory) that consists of full members (academicians) and corresponding members. Except for issues relating to election of full members, corresponding members and foreign members of the Academy, at the General Assembly sessions take part with the right of decisive vote scientists who were delegated by work collective of the Academy's scientific institutions and with the right of advisory vote foreign members, directors of the Academy's scientific institutions, and representatives of scientific community.
In period between the General Assembly sessions the Academy's activities are being administered (supervised) by theNational Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Presidium which is elected by General Assembly on the term of 5 years. The NASU Presidium that was lastly elected in April 2015 consists of 32 persons including president, 5 vice-presidents, Chief Scientific Secretary, 14 department secretaries-academicians, 11 other members. In the Presidium's sessions take part with the right of advisory vote 5 acting Presidium members and 14 NASU Presidium advisers. The presidium meets in the former building of Countess Levashova that the Academy owns since its establishment in 1918. The presidium also directs operations of the Academy's publishing institutions as well as some selected science and other institutions among which are own exposition center, Grand Conference Hall, etc.
In the NASU function 3 sections with 14 departments within them. There also are 6 regional science centers in various regions of the country, which have dual subordination also to theMinistry of Education and Science of Ukraine. The basic elements of the NASU's structure are scientific research institutes and other scientific institutions such as observatories, botanic gardens, arboreta, nature preserves, libraries, museums, other. In 2006 the Academy accounted for 43,613 employees including 16,813 researchers; among them, 2,493 with degree ofDoctor of Sciences and 7,996 with degree ofCandidate of Sciences.
The NASU is responsible for over 90% of all discoveries made in Ukraine, including the transmutation of lithium into helium, the production of heavy water, and the development of a 3-D radar that operates in the decimeter range.
Regional science centers (SCs) are:
The most of institutions of the Academy (212) are placed in the city ofKyiv, following byKharkiv (39) andLviv (27). The Academy is represented at least by one institution in most of the oblasts in Ukraine, except Volyn, Rivne, Ternopil, Khmelnytsky, Vinnytsia, and Kirovohrad.
There are 2 national libraries affiliated with the NASU:
A. Pidhornyi Institute of Mechanical Engineering Problems inKharkiv
The department of General Biology includes a number of parks and nature reserves.
Until 2024, the NASU had two publishing houses:
The NASU has made major contributions to most of the major fields of science.
The Bogoliubov Prize is an award offered by the National Academy for scientists with outstanding contribution totheoretical physics andapplied mathematics. The award is issued in the memory of theoretical physicist and mathematicianNikolay Bogoliubov. The award was founded in 1992.[16][17]
The Academy has awarded its Vernadsky Gold Medal annually since 2004 to the most distinguished academicians.
Kyiv Academic University (KAU)[24] is a pilot research university in Ukraine, established by a government decree on December 14, 2016. It is a state scientific institution under the dual authority of the National Academy and theMinistry of Education and Science of Ukraine.
KAU has 10 departments, 3 research centers (Data Science Research Center, Center for Quantum Technologies, Center for Life Sciences) and Innovation Center. Among its departments are:
KAU's main activities include:
(in Ukrainian)