Russian ethnopsycholinguistics and its implications for translation research

The article presents the sources of communicative models of translation, founded on the results of enthnopsycholinguistic contrastive research conducted by the Department of Psycholinguistics and Communication Theory of the Soviet Academy of Sciences (later: Russian Academy of Sciences). It focuses on the description of the relations within the triads of language-ethnos-culture or language-consciousness-culture. The problems raised by ethnopsycholinguists from the point of view of translation include lacunae and linguistic awareness of the participants of communication, including bilingual communication.

Traditions of the Soviet Academy of Art History in the theses of the Chinese students of I. E. Repin Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture at the turn of the 1950s – 1960s (based on the archival materials)

This article is dedicated to the relevant problem of art history, and determines the degree of impact of the traditions of the Soviet Academy of Art History upon the art education of the People's Republic of China. The fundamental role in this process is assigned to the Chinese students who studied in I. E. Repin Leningrad State Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture of the USSR Academy of Arts during the 1950s – 1960s, as well as their pedagogues and academic advisors. The article analyzes the stenographic materials of state attestation of the four Chinese students of the faculty of Theory and History of Art, who defended their theses in 1959 and 1960. The novelty of this research lies in the fact that the the materials of the Scientific Archive of the Russian Academy of Arts that were not previously used in scientific discourse, namely work with the stenographic materials of state attestation of the selected students, reveal certain peculiarities of art history and art education of the People's Republic of China, description of the tradition of the Soviet Academy of Art History and its impact upon the Chinese education at the turn of the 1950s – 1960s. The Chinese graduates of I. E. Repin Leningrad State Institute of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture have later continued the traditions of the Soviet Academy of Art History, and laid the foundation for education of the future generations of specialists in the field of art. The conducted research determines several relevant trends of the Soviet School that influenced the development of Chinese art history.

Transfer of Ideas in Soviet-American Relations at the Turn of the 1960—1970s (Based on the Example of the Expert Activity of the Institute for US Studies of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR)

Recordings of conversations between Soviet amerikanists (experts for US studies) and American scientists, politicians, public figures, and businessmen became an important information source for experts and for the Soviet party leadership. In the late 1960s — early 1970s these conversations played the role of an informal channel connecting representatives of American and Soviet elites through the Institute for US Studies of the Soviet Academy of Sciences. Using the theory of cultural transfer and the methodology of social constructivism, the author of this article conducts a detailed analysis of an information note that was sent to the Central Committee of the CPSU by the Institute for US Studies in 1969. The note is a recording of a conversation between amerikanists and American businessman Charles Thornton. It contains Thornton’s statements about the perception of the USSR in the United States; Soviet economic development and American-Soviet cooperation opportunities; American principles of management and organization of production. The American experience became a reference for the USSR in the context of détente and the ongoing economic reform. The ideas evoked a potent reaction among the Soviet party elite. There are a lot of marks in the margins of the note made by readers from different departments of CPSU. However, despite the favorable environment and official’s interest, the note was not discussed, and no specific decisions were made. This case-study allows us to raise a number of questions about the Soviet-American transfer of ideas, the image of the United States in the USSR, and the process of making domestic and foreign policy decisions.

Book exhibitions in commemoration of world-famous scientists in the USSR Academy of Sciences: 1943–1944

On the eve of the 75th anniversary of the Victory in the World War II, the authors turned to the previously unexplored subject of organizing book exhibitions to the anniversaries and memorable dates of outstanding scientists in the war period. The article is based on the documents found in Moscow and St. Petersburg Archives of the Academy of Sciences considering the aspects of exhibition activity conducted by the librarians of the USSR Academy of Sciences institutions and, particularly, by the Sector of Special Libraries, in the period of the Great Patriotic War. This, practically not considered previously, aspect of the academic libraries work during in the war period was, determines the novelty and relevance of the study. The authors used the general scientific methodology, applying source study, archaeographic and analytical-synthetic methods of work with documents. Even in the ordeals of the severe war years, in spite of inaccessibility of the majority of academic libraries’ collections for searching the editions needed, the librarians did their best to organize book exhibitions in commemoration of the outstanding foreign and Russian scientists, such as I. Newton, N. I. Lobachevsky and others. Science sessions devoted to the occasion where men of science reported about the worldwide known scientist, always preceded the ceremony of the exhibition opening. Organizing book exhibitions was an extremely difficult task due to the evacuation of the most precious books of academic libraries from Moscow, poor communication between academic libraries and the blockade of Leningrad where the oldest academic library situated. All the exhibitions were prepared on the initiative of the Soviet Academy of Sciences top management and under its auspices. Their purpose was to raise the prestige of science in the Soviet Union. All the people (the representatives of the USSR war allies among them) who attended those exhibitions demonstrated great interest and highly appreciated the librarians’ efforts and praised them for their professionalism, dedication and commitment to their work.

Archive of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR in the Days of Great Trials: 1941-1942

This paper reviews the work of the Archive of the Soviet Academy of Sciences during the blockade of Leningrad in 1941–42. It is based on the archive series that contains a report detailing the work of the 22 Academy’s institutions in Leningrad (11 scientific research institutes, 3 museums, the Archive, the Library, the Geographical Society, etc.) over 7 months of 1942 and prepared for the Presidium of the USSR Academy of Sciences. It lists Archive’s staff members who died or were evacuated during this period. It shows that, even in the hardest days under the blockade, the work in the Archive never stopped. An important part of this work was associated with the activities of the Commission for the History of the USSR Academy of Sciences (KIAN). The paper reviews the history of the KIAN creation under the auspices of the Archive of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR in Leningrad in 1938, soon after forcible liquidation of the Institute for the History of Science and Technology and tragic death of its first director, Academician N.I. Bukharin. A number of outstanding historians-archivists and historians of science – A.I. Andreyev, I.I. Lyubimenko, L.B. Modzalevskii, and others – participated in the work of the KIAN headed by Academician S. I. Vavilov and his deputy, Director of the Archive, G.A. Knyazev. The research and archaeographic work of the Archive’s staff was associated with preparation of publications for the “Scientific Heritage” series (it was established in 1940 upon initiative of the President of the Soviet Academy of Sciences V. L. Komarov with active participation of the eminent historian of science T. I. Rainov). During that period, the editorial work on the second volume of the “Reviews of Archive Materials” (Obozreniya arkhivnykh materialov) was completed and V.F. Gnucheva completed her unique history-of-science book “The Geographical Department of the 18th century Academy of Sciences.” Both books were published after the war, in 1946. The main result of the work of the few Archive’s staff members was safeguarding the precious historical materials and searching for, concentrating, and preserving documentation of evacuated institutions and individual scientists, some of whom were killed by the cold, famine, and diseases. The paper contains data from official reports: quantitative data concerning documents taken into the Archive’s custody in 1941 and in 1942 and processed and described series; it names institutions and scholars, whose documents ended up in the Archive of the Academy of Sciences. By July 31, 1942, the number of fonds in the Archive reached 740. Reports of such Academy institutions as the Institute of Oriental Studies, the N.Ya. Marr Institute for the History of Material Culture, the Institute of Literature, the All-Union Geographical Society, and others allow the scholars to analyze their work associated with the preservation of books and archival fonds and collections. The paper is based on documentary sources that are being introduced into scientific use for the first time.

Nikolay N. Semyonov: a prophet and a tamer of fire and atom energy

The paper is a memoirs of the Honoured scientist of the Russian Federation Konstan­tin M. Dolgov of his communication with Soviet Academy of Science member Nikolay N. Se­myonov – one of the founders of the physical chemistry and the only Soviet Nobel Prize winner in chemistry. The paper provides the analysis of the personality of this prominent scientist, his achievements and his views upon the development of science and interactions between different branches of science.