Russian Academy of Sciences is the leading center of research in the natural, technical, and social sciences in Russia. It is also an institution of higher education and a partner in the International Academic Publishing Company, one of the largest scientific publishers in the world.
Czar Peter I (the Great) founded the Russian Academy of Sciences in 1724 in St. Petersburg. After several name changes, it became the Academy of Sciences of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1925. In 1934, the academy’s headquarters moved to Moscow. The organization adopted its present name in 1991 after the breakup of the Soviet Union. The academy is not a government agency.
The academy has numerous divisions, including chemical-technical and biological sciences, earth sciences, physical-technical and mathematical sciences, and social sciences. Scientists conduct research at hundreds of institutes, laboratories, and scientific centers throughout the country. The agency is also affiliated with about 20 scientific societies.
The academy awards the Lomonosov Medal for outstanding contributions to the sciences. The award is named for Russian poet and scientist Mikhail Vasilyevich Lomonosov, one of the first Russian members to be elected to the academy.
