Scientists managed to stop the transfer of a unique base in Gelendzhik to the Kurchatov Institute

Appetites for the Southern Branch of the Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, it seems, had to be temporarily moderated by the Kurchatov Institute. At a March 14 meeting of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the head of the Academy, Gennady Krasnikov, told the audience that the transfer was suspended until “until there is some kind of consensus.” The fact that it is not yet planned is also evidenced by an open letter written by the labor collective of the department to the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin (its copy is in the editorial office). What scientists wrote to the head of the country was studied by the MK columnist.

MK has already reported rather unexpected form of “encroachment” on the property of one of the country’s leading research institutesworking, among other things, under the state defense order program. From the Kurchatov Institute, they simply wrote a letter to the Ministry of Science and Higher Education with a proposal to transfer to them the Southern Branch of the IO RAS in the Gelendzhik region …

Naturally, the Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences itself answered “no!”. A painful issue for scientists was raised on Tuesday, February 28, at a meeting of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Several academicians spoke about it at once: the scientific director of the IO RAS Robert Nigmatulin, the scientific director of the direction of marine ecology of the institute Mikhail Flint and others.

They turned to the President of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Gennady Krasnikov, with a request to help stop the “deal” that could disrupt the work of the huge staff of the institute, which is closely tied to its naval base. Such a transfer is impossible even purely legally, not to mention the damage to science that it may entail.

On March 14, at a regular meeting of the RAS Presidium, Academician Robert Nigmatulin again raised the issue of the Southern Branch of the IO RAS.

– As for what they talked about at the last presidium, – Gennady Krasnikov answered him, – I talked with Falkov (Valery Falkov – Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation. – Auth.) On this issue, actions there have been suspended until there is no something of a consensus.

On the day of the meeting of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences, an open letter arrived at MK: after two weeks of uncertainty, its labor collective decided to express its position on the situation with the department.

Scientists working in Gelendzhik informed the head of state that Mikhail Kovalchuk, President of the National Research Center “Kurchatov Institute”, at the end of January 2023, “initiated the transfer to the operational management of the National Research Center KI of the most important scientific unit of the Institute of Oceanology. P.P. Shirshov RAS, located in the city of Gelendzhik, Krasnodar Territory.

They also drew attention to the fact that in the appeal signed by Kovalchuk, both the scientific significance of the Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences as a whole and the level of research carried out by its employees were deliberately belittled. But if they unite “with the competencies of the National Research Center” Kurchatov Institute “, you will get” an excellent form for obtaining new breakthrough technologies “…

The scientific team of the department was outraged by such conclusions, to put it mildly. After all, the widest range of oceanological research is carried out in South Ossetia! “Currently, the Southern Branch serves as a unique year-round coastal marine testing ground for research and the implementation of many topics of the state assignment in all areas of the IO RAS work,” scientists remind the president of the country.

The data obtained on the basis of the Southern Branch of the Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences serve as the basis for unique studies of more than ten other leading scientific organizations in Russia, including the Space Research Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Applied Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Moscow State University, the Geochemical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Federal Research Center “Fundamental Foundations of Biotechnology” of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the state corporation “Roskosmos ”, etc. They remind that by the decision of Vladimir Putin himself and the Government of the Russian Federation, two carbon polygons have been created here – in the sea and on land. The Southern Branch is developing methods of operational oceanography, which allow obtaining data on the state of the marine environment in real time, radar measurements of waves and currents while the ship is moving, etc.

As for the “property complex” of the Southern Branch of the IO RAS, which is so necessary for the Kurchatov Institute, its employees recalled that in the appeal, Mikhail Kovalchuk hushed up the fact that his NRC already owns “both land plots and specialized research sites on the Black Sea coast , including – in Gelendzhik (Gelendzhik Center for Climatic Testing of the All-Russian Institute of Aviation Materials), Anapa and Sochi.

In the end, employees of the Institute of Oceanology of the Russian Academy of Sciences make the assumption that in fact, under the guise of ephemeral research, “a raider seizure of valuable territory on the Black Sea coast is taking place.” As a result, this threatens to disrupt the fulfillment of state tasks and obligations of the IO RAS, including obligations in the interests of the country’s defense and security.

Not very clear to the staff and their own fate. The authors of the letter note that about 30% of the scientific staff of the South Ossetia Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences are young scientists who specially came here after graduating from the leading universities of the country. After the liquidation of the South Ossetia IO RAS, all of them may lose their jobs, the likes of which are no longer in Gelendzhik.

On February 22, 2023, general meetings of the labor collectives of the Institute of Oceanology RAS and the Southern Branch were held, at which all the employees present unanimously expressed their full support for the administration of the IO RAS and a categorical position against the alienation of the property complex of the Southern Branch and its transfer to another organization.