To the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, Comrade J.V. Stalin

Source: Tom 18

February 2, 1953

On the Conduct of the General Assembly of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Devoted to the Discussion of the Principal Tasks for the Development of Scientific Research in the Institutions of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR on the Basis of the 19th Congress of the CPSU and the Foundational Ideas of the Brilliant New Work by J.V. Stalin, "Economic Problems of Socialism in the USSR"

We report to you that from January 30 to February 2 of this year, a General Assembly of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR was held at the Moscow House of Scientists, devoted to the discussion of the principal tasks for the development of scientific research in the institutions of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR on the basis of the 19th Congress of the CPSU and the foundational ideas of the brilliant new work by J.V. Stalin, "Economic Problems of Socialism in the USSR."

Over 1,000 persons took part in the Assembly -- representatives of the scientific research institutions of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, scholars from the academies of sciences of the union republics, and officials of ministries and departments.

In his opening remarks, Vice-President of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR Academician I.P. Bardin outlined the tasks of the Assembly and noted that the 19th Congress of the Communist Party had armed the Soviet people with the Stalinist plan for the construction of a communist society, had inspired the progressive people of all countries to fight for peace, democracy, and socialism, and had set before Soviet scientists the honorable task of achieving first place in world science.

In conclusion, Academician I.P. Bardin characterized the classic work by Comrade J.V. Stalin, "Economic Problems of Socialism in the USSR" -- a programmatic document of communism -- as a work of decisive significance for the development of all sciences and for scholars in every field.

The report by the President of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, Academician A.N. Nesmeyanov -- "The Tasks of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR in Light of the Decisions of the 19th Congress of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and the Foundational Ideas of the Brilliant New Work by J.V. Stalin, 'Economic Problems of Socialism in the USSR'" -- was devoted to a detailed examination of the tasks of all the divisions of the Academy, its institutes, and institutions.

The great tasks set by the 19th Congress of the CPSU for the current Five-Year Plan, and the still more grandiose future prospects for the construction of communism in our country, require for their fulfillment the most active participation of scientists in all branches of knowledge.

Comrade J.V. Stalin points out that the Soviet country, with its revolutionary habits and traditions, and with its struggle against the stagnation and inertia of thought, creates the most favorable conditions for the flourishing of science.

In his report, Academician A.N. Nesmeyanov noted that our Soviet reality constitutes a remarkable confirmation of Comrade Stalin's words. In the Soviet Union, science plays a role it has never played in the entire history of human society. Soviet science does not wall itself off from the people but voluntarily, and with eagerness, serves them and shares with them all its knowledge.

Two closely interconnected tasks stand before Soviet scientists: the development of major theoretical problems in all fields of knowledge, and the maximum strengthening of the connection between science and practice, with production.

The task of achieving first place in world science is also a quantitative one -- it is necessary to significantly increase the number of scientists, scientific institutes, and laboratories, to ensure an even greater advancement of science in the provinces and in the union republics, and to broaden still further the training of scientific cadres -- but above all it is a qualitative task. It is necessary to raise the quality of scientific work to a high level, making wide use of the method of criticism and self-criticism, and to elevate the standard of ideological work in the education of scientific personnel and in the development of scientific problems.

A.N. Nesmeyanov devoted particular attention to the selection of the principal directions of science, pointing out that the method of dialectical materialism must form the basis for determining the most important scientific directions and for the entire scientific activity of the Academy of Sciences. Proceeding from the directives of the 19th Congress of the CPSU on the development of the national economy of the USSR in 1951-55, the speaker drew concrete conclusions regarding the necessity for the scientific development of specific problems, key questions, and areas of the technical and natural sciences.

Academician A.N. Nesmeyanov went on to note that Stalin's brilliant work "Economic Problems of Socialism in the USSR" represents a landmark in the development of economic science. J.V. Stalin exposed the errors of Soviet economists, revealed their anti-Marxist roots and the great harm they caused to the theory and practice of communist construction, and thereby indicated the paths to the swiftest correction of these errors.

A.N. Nesmeyanov noted the shortcomings and deficiencies in the field of the social sciences at the Academy of Sciences and identified the pressing problems that required development in light of Comrade J.V. Stalin's work and the decisions of the 19th Congress of the Party.

In conclusion, Academician A.N. Nesmeyanov stated that, in order to accomplish the principal task -- to achieve first place in world science -- Soviet science must distribute research work among the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, the republican academies, and the branch institutes in such a way that every scientific institution knows its place in the common cause and devotes itself precisely to what is necessary for the solution of this enormous task.

Academician A.N. Nesmeyanov assured the participants of the General Assembly that Soviet science would organize all its work on the basis of constructive criticism and self-criticism and, constantly guided by the great Stalin's instructions that no science can develop and advance without the struggle of opinions and the freedom of criticism, would fulfill its historic mission and achieve first place in world science.

In the debate on the report of the President of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, addresses were delivered by Academicians A.I. Oparin, E.N. Pavlovsky, K.M. Bykov, M.M. Dubinin, M.A. Lavrentyev, V.V. Vinogradov, O.Yu. Schmidt, A.A. Blagonravov, G.M. Krzhizhanovsky, D.S. Belyankin, A.M. Terpigorev, I.E. Grabar, N.N. Anichkov, N.N. Semyonov, I.G. Petrovsky, V.S. Nemchinov, Corresponding Member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR V.I. Shcherbakov, and others.

On January 31, Corresponding Member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR P.F. Yudin delivered a report entitled "J.V. Stalin's Work 'Economic Problems of Socialism in the USSR' -- the Foundation for the Development of the Social Sciences," in which he noted the enormous significance of J.V. Stalin's work for history, economics, law, philosophy, and the other social sciences. P.F. Yudin characterized Comrade J.V. Stalin's work on the economic problems of socialism in the USSR as a continuation and further development of his classic work on dialectical and historical materialism.

The speaker devoted particular attention to the state of the philosophical, legal, and economic sciences. A critical analysis was applied to a significant number of works in the fields of philosophy, history, law, and economics, whose authors had failed to trace and understand how the old changes under new conditions and how the new asserts itself by making use of the old form.

In concluding his report, P.F. Yudin noted that J.V. Stalin's brilliant work "Economic Problems of Socialism in the USSR" arms the international communist movement with a great weapon in the struggle for the liberation of the working people from the yoke of capitalism. This work inspires the fighters for peace in all countries of the world, for democracy and socialism, in the struggle against the misanthropic ideology of imperialism and against the warmongers.

In the debate on P.F. Yudin's report, critical assessments of their own works and acknowledgments of errors committed were delivered by Academician G.F. Aleksandrov and Corresponding Members of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR K.V. Ostrovityanov and L.A. Leontyev, as well as Professor L.M. Gatovsky.

The address by Academician A.Ya. Vyshinsky was devoted to the exceptional significance of Comrade J.V. Stalin's new work for the science of international law and for Soviet foreign policy and diplomacy. A.Ya. Vyshinsky sharply criticized the current works of certain Soviet legal scholars, pointing out that the writings of Soviet specialists in international law were of little help to our diplomats in their work abroad.

In addition, the General Assembly resolved a number of organizational matters.

The participants in the Assembly adopted with tremendous enthusiasm the text of a letter of greeting to the leader of the peoples, the great standard-bearer of science, the friend of Soviet scholars -- Comrade Stalin.

President of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR

Academician

(A.N. Nesmeyanov)

Scientific Secretary of the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR

Academician

(A.V. Topchiev)