Vivat Academia!

Dear editors!

Shells are torn, machine guns are cracking, but Russian companies are not afraid of them. However, the end of May and early June will be marked not only by explosions of shells and bombs, but also by the general meeting of the Russian Academy of Sciences. On the one hand, this is quite ordinary: academics gather twice a year. On the other hand, ordinary, but not quite: this time the elections, academics and memberships will choose their own kinds at the academy.

In general, everyone is also accustomed to this: who, no matter how people recognized by large scientists, can choose, so to speak, comrades and brothers in arms? Those who will receive an academic scholarship from the state. It was so, it will be. The organization is solid, there are hundreds of years - in two years it is planned to celebrate the three hundredth anniversary of the Russian Academy of Sciences. It would seem that only after medieval students shout “Vivat Academia!” And wish new scientific success to the elect to honorary places.

However, we scientists must understand that familiar things cannot be good simply because they are familiar. This also applies to the method of forming the glorious cohort of academicians. We had a powerful science in the USSR, and the collapse of the Union into independent states, the departure of many strong scientists abroad, the tough and chronic underfunding of science in the nineties, it must be admitted, negatively affected the level of our science. And academicians in Russia became noticeably more than it was in the USSR. And since the composition of the electors has become older and scientific criteria - lower, then what is the quality of newly elected?

And the point is not only this, but also that in principle there is such an attraction of unprecedented generosity as the distribution of state money that is not responsible for any responsibility people. Let us imagine that the deputies of the State Duma will choose new members of the parliament in order to replace the dead by voting. Let us imagine that representatives of the top of the executive branch will sit in their places until death and replace in the same way. What will they scream right away? The guard, usurpation of power, gerontocracy!

Indeed, it would be terrible, it would be wild, because the source of power in our country is the people, and it is honest and direct elections that form trust in all deputies, governors and presidents. It is them that the people authorize the actions.

And why are members of the Russian Academy of Sciences are allowed to share the money of the “good uncle” in their limited circle, choosing who to give and whom to refuse? Well, if some scientists chose others as a sign of respect for scientific merit, and no one would pay anyone for this, but no! Give the scholarship, give medical care, respect - what is this approach?! Moreover, give the right to criticize the policy of the authorities with impunity, built on the basis of the national interests of Russia. Why on earth, gentlemen are good?!

Well, everyone would be in the color of the years, they powerfully moved science forward, but there is nothing like that! I do not argue, some academics, of course, made a serious contribution to science about 20-30–40 years ago, but not all. Then there you already need to figure out who is the son, son -in -law, the director of the institute, the governor and, in general, the necessary and useful person. But even those who have contributed years -fourth ago, in what condition are they now? At 80, at 90 ...

I do not argue, there are those who are ninety and in a hundred - cucumbers, can roll vodka with a salty cucumber. But how many are there? Most? And the rest - what do they receive official money for, for what current merits, who and to what heights do they lead?

I think that in this conservatory it is time to correct something in terms of activity and spiritual foster. To begin with, however, it is necessary to clean the ranks: those who do not approve of the policy of the party and the government do not express themselves in support of the special military operation, should be removed from state allowance. The rest should be immediately sent to universities and schools, to factories and factories, in order to be popular and intelligibly, but from a scientific point of view to explain the importance and inevitability of what is happening. And of course, you won’t get off with a single cleaning: there are no guarantees that individual unconscious elements, speculating on their scientific merits, will not penetrate the ranks of academics again. We need a systematic approach: the assessment of all candidates for the Academy from the point of view of political trustworthiness with the relevant authorities, so that it is clear whether this individual is able to work for the benefit of the Motherland, or under the pretext of working for the benefit of all mankind, he will fulfill the tasks of the Washington regional committee. And then we, Russians and patriots, with a clear conscience can say: “Vivat Academia!”

Your Ivan Ekonomov