The atmosphere of criticism does not stand up

On August 14, it became known that Yuri Kozlov, director of the Institute for Theoretical and Experimental Physics (ITEP), which is part of the National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute", demanded that Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Mikhail Danilov write a letter of resignation

Director Kozlov named the reason with surprising frankness: they say that Danilov creates an atmosphere of rejection of the new law on the Russian Academy of Sciences. The scientific community reacted immediately: this is another attack on freedom of opinion, without which the normal existence of science and its institutions is unthinkable.

The Institute of Theoretical and Experimental Physics, one of the strongest physical centers in the country, was transferred to the Kurchatov Institute at the end of 2011, after which the science there became much worse, scientists began to quietly quit or find “alternate airfields” for themselves, keeping their job at ITEP nominally - as belonging to an honorary brand. And now a new scandal. Mikhail Danilov is a well-known experimental physicist, corresponding member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, a member of many international committees that make key decisions in the field of high energy physics (in particular, on the Large Hadron Collider). He was recently removed from his post as Deputy Director of ITEP. Now he has been asked to resign. Few doubt that the orders regarding Danilov come from the director of the Kurchatov Institute, Mikhail Kovalchuk. This is his style. He has already survived from the "coop" of several prominent scientists who have shown a lack of loyalty. Now the line for dismissal has reached Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Leonid Ponomarev, who criticized Kovalchuk at a meeting of the General Physics Department of the Russian Academy of Sciences in May this year.

Mikhail Danilov will not disappear. He has a place to work, and his salary at the institute is currently about 6 thousand rubles. We are talking about science, about the employees under his supervision, about students: Danilov heads the department at the famous Physics and Technology Institute (MIPT) and actively participates in the work of the department at the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute (MEPhI). A statement in support of Danilov has already been posted on the website of the Society of Scientific Workers, signed by a number of well-known scientists - academicians and corresponding members of the Russian Academy of Sciences and open for signing by everyone. The letter contains a demand to immediately cancel the "shameful decision" to dismiss "an active scientist with a worldwide reputation." “We believe,” the appeal says, “that the upcoming dismissal of M.V. Danilova takes the confrontation between scientists and officials from science to a completely new level: the era of open repressions against the best domestic scientists begins.