One day in the life of the director of the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Dear Colleagues !

I want to tell you about one episode of my life as a director. “I want” is not the right word, I consider myself obligated to do this.

On the morning of March 31, at about 11 o’clock, a letter was delivered to the Institute of Philosophy from the office of the Government of the Russian Federation with the inscription on the envelope “Deliver immediately.” In it, signed by the Deputy Director of the Department of Culture K. Shcherbak, it was reported on the need for the participation of the authorized representative of the institute in the meeting, which on March 31 at 13:00 will be held by the Deputy Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation O. Yu. Golodets on issues related to the comprehensive reconstruction and development of the State Museum Fine Arts named after. A. S. Pushkin. Of course, I went to this meeting, apologizing to the organizers of the Round Table, which was dedicated to the problem of integrity in science and scheduled for 12 o'clock, in which I planned to take part. Upon arrival at the meeting place, I received a list of participants, which included my name, and the agenda, which included the issue of moving the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of Sciences to the building at the address: Moscow, st. Goncharnaya, 12, building 1. However, when everyone entered the meeting room and began to sit down at the table, Mrs. Golodets was surprised by my presence and said that she had not invited me. To my bewilderment that the Institute of Philosophy was summoned by an official letter urgently delivered today from the Government Office, she responded with the same phrase: “I didn’t invite you, I’m sorry that this happened.” This position was all the more strange since the director and deputy took part in the meeting. Director of the Pushkin Museum named after. A. S. Pushkin, and in response to mine: “Sorry, but the issue of moving the Institute of Philosophy will be discussed,” followed: “I have no questions for you.” Discouraged, I ask if this means I should leave the meeting and receive a short, “Yes,” in response.

All this happened publicly, in the presence of about two dozen meeting participants. I perceived the behavior of Mrs. Golodets as offensive - not in a personal sense, of course, because the personal can arise in the space of personal relationships, which I cannot have with Mrs. Golodets, it was offensive to me as the director heading the team of the institute, which, with from the point of view of the good of Russia, on all scales and by all criteria weighs and means more than thousands of people like Golodets. The ethical aspect, however, is not the most important in this episode, and we are not dealing with government officials in order to learn lessons in decency from them.

This episode is indicative from the point of view of what was the attitude towards the institute over the past seven years, when the question of its relocation from the premises it had occupied since its foundation was raised - at no stage were those who made the decision interested in the interests of Institute, nor his opinion. We can only talk about the degree of neglect. It became especially egregious and rude when Mrs. Golodets took charge of it.

That's the whole episode. I considered it necessary to inform the President of the Russian Federation about it and sent a letter to him.

As for the very question of moving the institute, the current situation and immediate prospects, this was reported at the meeting of the Academic Council on April 9 and, I hope, the heads of scientific departments have already informed you.

In a nutshell, the situation is this: the legal prerequisites are now being completed and the actual (primarily repairs) prerequisites for moving to the building on the street are beginning to be created. Goncharnaya, 12, building 1. For now we are talking about an area of ​​2500 m2, which is two times less than what we need. We proceed from the fact that FANO, which is actively and business-likely dealing with this issue, will release at least another 1000–1500 m2 for us in the near future. We have drawn up a work schedule for the move, which, taking into account the timely fulfillment of the relevant conditions by other subjects of this process, assumes the completion of the move by September 30 of this year. The relocation of scientific units will begin no earlier than September and is planned for September.

Director of the Institute of Philosophy of the Russian Academy of A. Sciences A . Huseynov
http://iph.ras.ru/31_03_2015.htm

Comment M. by G .:

I was at the very conference which from torn he was away ... That’s what I don’t understand , why he didn’t say : “But I have questions ” .