Feel the difference

How the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory is embedded in Russian science

After the attachment of Crimea to Russia, the scientific institutions of the peninsula had no choice but to begin a gradual process of embedding into the landscape of the already experiencing not the calmest times of Russian science. The Radio correspondent Freedom spoke with the employees of one of the most significant research organizations of Crimea - the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory (Krao), as well as with Russian astronomers and tried to find out how this process goes.

Although it is formally believed that Krao was founded at the beginning of the 20th century as an amateur observatory built by the merchant Nikolai Maltsev, the Scientific Center arose here only in 1945, after the end of World War II.

“In 1945, trophy research tools were taken out of Germany,” said Sergey Nazarov , a junior researcher and at the same time the head of the Krao trade union organization, “they were looking for a place to place large telescopes. The expeditions showed that there is a place with a good astronomical climate: there is a large number of clear days a year, a stable atmosphere, a large distance to the nearest cities, and therefore a dark darkness. sky."

In the 50s, constant observations began here, over time the observatory grew into a fairly large research center, today about 300 people work here (of which about 80 are scientific employees, the rest are engineering and service personnel), most of whom live in a neighboring village of scientific.

There are more than 20 telescopes in Krao, however, far from the most modern. Yuri Tsap , a leading researcher at Krao, several years ago, elected by the director of the observatory, but never occupied this position, says that not only observation instruments are aging here, but also scientists: “The bulk of the observatory employees arrived at it in 1950-60. They all aged at the same time, and in science it is very important to maintain the continuity of generations. Now there are practically almost no one.”

These problems, well -known to the absolute majority of Russian scientific organizations, in recent years have become exacerbated by the uncertainty of the institutional affiliation of Krao.

“Starting from the age of 45, we were in the field of influence or as part of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR,” Yuri Tsap explained, “it lasted until 1991 before Ukraine has become independent. Since then, our status has not been connected with the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. At first we have been in some committee, then we were attached to the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, in the end we turned into the subordination of the Kiev National University In my opinion, this did not have a very well at the observatory, because we are an academic institution in our status.

It is with the transition to the subordination to Kyiv National University that employees of Krao connect the critical situation in which the observatory was at the beginning of this year. “They decided to transfer us to the Kiev National University at the end of 2012, and on specific conditions: we lost a legal entity, status, independent financing, in fact, became the department at the university,” said Sergey Nazarov , “it was not hidden that there were reductions. We had litigations with the ministry

Sergey Nazarov. Photo from Nazarov’s personal page VKontakte.

Education and science, with the cabinet of ministers who have not led to anything. At the end of 2013, the situation became very serious, almost all employees were transferred to half or a quarter of the rate, the general financing fell half. ”

According to Yuri Tsap , before the decision was made to transfer to the university, a collective meeting was held in the observatory. Most employees wanted to be in the department of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, but "there was a different vision above, in Russia, by the way, about the same thing happens: we are still fraternal countries. There is a trend that science should be, as in the West, at universities."

All winter of 2013-2014, the Crimean Observatory was not heated: there was no money for this, and the employees transferred to incomplete bets were literally on the verge of survival. “Last year, I, a junior researcher, had a full rate, I received in the region of 2000 hryvnias (this is about 8,000 thousand rubles),” said Nazarov , “then I was transferred to the half -time, respectively, the salary dropped to 1000 hryvnias.”

After the attachment of Crimea to Russia, the situation began to quickly improve: already in April the observatory, money was allocated to pay salaries, and their size began to increase. Nazarov’s June salary has already amounted to 16,000 Russian rubles. “The money that has already been given to us actually saved us from starvation,” Nazarov believes. He also called other reasons for optimism that appeared at Crimean astronomers in recent months: for the first time in many years of the observatory, financing was promised to purchase new equipment, the station staff began to more actively invite scientific events in Russia (“Russian organization is much easier to finance the visit of a compatriot than a foreigner,” Nazarov explained). On the other hand, the visits of Crimean scientists to other countries were in question. “Western consulates do not give out visas on Russian foreign passports if you live in Crimea,” Yuri Tsap explained. “So far, we still have Ukrainian foreign passports, but in a few years they will end, and what else, how can we do science next?”

Inviting a foreign scientist to the observatory has also become much more difficult: for residents of most Western countries, a visa -free entry is valid into Ukraine, and to get into the Russian Crimea, they will have to face a Russian visa procedure.

It is too early to judge how the new position of Krao will affect scientific contacts with Ukrainian scientists. Yuri Tsap is optimistic: “Yes, I was removed from one of the dissertation and pedagogical councils. But in Ukraine there are many people who understand that science should be higher than political squabbles, that scientists are a special cohort, that the science of definition is international. As Chekhov said, there is no national science, as there is no national multiplication table.”

However, the DAC, who was at the time of an interview in Kiev, also recognizes a certain cooling of relations with colleagues: "Everyone is perfectly understood, but some wariness is felt. When I begin to say that what is happening in Ukraine, the Ukrainians themselves are guilty, they begin to look at me very displeasure."

It should be noted that the annexation of Crimea DAC did not support: “Since Putin did it, it was impossible to attach Crimea to Russia. I don’t know how it was, I didn’t, I didn’t, but it was impossible. I liked Makarevich’s words: when you have a house, your neighbor, instead of taking buckets and extinguishing, is running out and enough, and even good neighbors do not go into the fire. I took advantage of the situation, but with moral it was not very cool. " When asked whether the CAP is considered a collaborator in Kyiv, he replied that he feels himself the hero of the film by Nikita Mikhalkov: his own among strangers, a stranger among his own.

In 2009, Yuri CAP actively fought with the company "Console", which planned to build a cottage village and an entertainment complex on the territory of Krao. The construction managed to stop, but the DAC made an enemy - the owner of the company Vladimir Konstantinov. According to the CAP, his appointment to the post of new director of the observatory was, despite the elections won, stopped precisely at Konstantinov’s call. In March 2014, Konstantinov became chairman of the State Council of the Republic of Crimea. DAC does not exclude that plans for the construction of entertainment facilities in the observatory

Enterprint advertising Konstantinov

They can be reanimated: “This complex still appears somewhere on the website of the Console. I don’t think that Konstantinov has somehow changed. By the way, he did not use much support in Crimea. A month ago, dozens of dozens, if not hundreds of advertising shields with his image and call to vote for“ United Russia ”-it was very surprised. We have a strange team in a new team.”

Both Sergei Nazarov and Yuri DAC are going to receive Russian passports in the near future. According to Nazarov, almost all the employees of the observatory managed to do this. “Living in Crimea without a Russian passport is very difficult,” explains DSAP . “For example, I have a car. If I don’t have a Russian passport, I can’t re-register it. If you want to stay in the Crimea and feel more or less a person, you will have to exchange a passport.” Along with this, the current DACP trip to Kyiv can be the last for a long time: the Russian passport issued in the Crimea in Ukraine is not considered a document.

The further administrative fate of Krao Tumann, now the observatory is subordinate to the Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Crimea, in the future it will most likely be, like other scientific institutions of Russia, is subordinated to the new bureaucratic body created during the recent reform of the Russian Academy of Sciences - Fano (the Federal Agency of Scientific Organizations). The competence of this organization raises questions among many Russian scientists, now doubts begin to appear among Crimean researchers.

“The reform of the Russian Academy of Sciences, roughly speaking, boils down to the fact that not scientists, but officials, that the directors of the institutes can be some managers, are not necessarily people from science,” the DAC , “and this is absolutely wrong. I recall the academician Peter Kapitsa, who was involved in the Soviet atomic project. Stalin: "Yezhov must know his score."

How much Russian astronomers are happy with the unexpected emergence of a new observatory in the country? Leading researcher at the State Astronomical Institute. P. K. Sternberg Sergey Popov believes that it should not be overestimated the fact that the Krao will become part of the Russian science: “The equipment of the observatory has not been updated for a long time, there are no new levels of high levels, and from the point of view of the astriculum, the place can no longer be called quite good. Crao is difficult to call the advanced center of world astrophysics, although there are separate strong scientists. Investments in the creation of new tools in Existing observatories with good astriculum, in my opinion, would be a more reasonable investment of funds than the investments discussed in the Krao dash base. "

The head of the laboratory has a special astrophysical observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences (SAO RAS) in the Karachay-Cherkessia Sergey Factory another opinion:

Photo of the lunar crater Copernicus made in Krao

"This is a large event for us. Krao is a very strong observatory, there are a lot of active scientists in it, there are young people. The history of observation astrophysics in the USSR is only Krao. There is a wonderful 2.6-meter telescope, several smaller telescopes, there are many smaller ones, there are a radio telescope. Among other things, Krao can take on the role of" forge of astronomical personnel ", for example, I myself, for example,, for example,, for example,, for example,, for example,, for example,, for example, From there.

However, sooner or later the question of competition between the observatory for the already limited budget resources will inevitably arise. The same special astrophysical observatory of the Russian Academy of Sciences is engaged in scientific topics close to the activities of Krao and at the same time has more modern and powerful tools. The decision on the distribution of financing can be dictated by political motives. “Of course, such a problem will arise,” Yuri Tsap is sure, “and not only in science-this applies to all regions. What will be done in the Crimea will be done to the detriment of other regions. Crimea in Ukraine has been packed by 30-40 percent. And this is taking into account the fact that there was cheap electricity, cheap water, now God granted the Crimea for five percent for five percent. The rest will be subsidiaries.