Chemical Science in Sverdlovsk, 1920s–1950s: Emergence of Key Research Themes and Schools

Abstract

The paper presents an overview analysis of development of chemical research in the city of Sverdlovsk in 1920s–1950s. The author, relying on the theory of frontier modernization, proposes the concepts of frontier and support-point development of Soviet science. The frontier development was associated with peripherality, concentration of efforts in extractive (mining) industries, and a lack of resources for growth. The result of such frontier development was the emergence of a research-educational complex which, by the mid-1930s, included deeply integrated branch research organizations, institutes of the Academy of Sciences, and universities. The leading role was played by physical chemistry of metallurgical processes (and particularly electrochemistry), chemistry of wood and coal, inorganic and analytical chemistry. By the end of 1930s this chemical complex started to lose its frontier characteristics, which is evident from the effort of coal chemists led by I. Ya. Postovsky to develop the pharmaceutical chemistry. Due to the evacuation of enterprises and institutes from the western parts of USSR during the Great Patriotic War, the chemical complex of Sverdlovsk acquired a support-point character associated with the appearance of duplicate centers on the periphery. The new branches of chemical science emerged, for instance, the chemistry of polymers and the chemical machine-building. The implementation of the Soviet atomic project in Urals in late 1940s — early 1950s completed the paradigm shift in development of chemical science in Sverdlovsk, laying the foundation for the transformation of the city into a leading center of materials science. © 2021 Institute of History and Archeology of the Ural Branch of RAS. All rights reserved.