"An example to follow destroyed"

Physics, biologists, mathematicians and philologists - about the possible closure of the Dynasty Foundation

On May 25, the Ministry of Justice was introduced by Dmitry Zimin's charity fund “Dynasty” in the list of “foreign agents”. The next day, Zimin said that he was stopping his financing, and Medusa said that he was “going deep underground”. Zimin is a rare Russian entrepreneur who invested his money - and in significant volumes - in the development of science and scientific education. The Dynasty financed special schools for young scientists, the Enlightener Award, and publishing. At the same time, the “dynasty” gave money to another fund - the “liberal mission” Evgeny Yasin (also recognized as a “foreign agent”), and also handed the Politicosvet journalistic Prize. It is this, obviously, that was regarded as a political activity that is funded from abroad (that is, from Zimin's foreign accounts). The special correspondent of Medusa Ilya Azar talked with prominent Russian scientists - physicists, mathematicians, biologists, philologists, economists, as well as laureates of the Enlightener Award about what the closing of the Dynasty Foundation threatens Russian science. Scientists agree that there is a “complete disgrace”, officials showed “dementia”, and science in Russia without Zimin awaits the final and “accelerated immersion in swamp mud”.

Fazli Ataullakhanov

Professor of Moscow State University, Director of the Center for Theoretical Problems of Physical and Chemical Pharmacology of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Head of the Laboratory of Physical Biochemistry of the Hematological Scientific Center of the RAMS

There is a complete disgrace. The Zimin Foundation is an absolutely remarkable phenomenon for Russia, when an absolutely disinterested person, without attracting any hype, without responding to all bells, modestly spends his personal - very rather big - money to maintain the level of scientific culture and young scientists. Our education catastrophically falls into the abyss. Despite the fact that the media constantly inspire us, that everything is fine with us, frankly, in Russia, rather, everything is bad. There is nothing similar to what Zimin does.

For example, I have been conducting a school “Modern Biophysics Methods” for a year for senior students, graduate students and young researchers. The vast majority of today's scientists did not even hear the names of these methods! Imagine the level of illiteracy that now reigns in Russian science. We tried to fight this as we could, collecting the guys all over Russia and allowing them to live in Moscow for free for free, while not listening to lectures, but to work on unique ultra -modern devices and installations. They themselves exist only on naked enthusiasm, and the country is still doing everything so that this is not. Our school works in August, but with the closure of the "dynasty" it will die, since no one else wants to give money for it.

Of my students, wolves and Gusimchuk, two young and talented Simin scholarships, worked for five to six years in the United States, but despite the fact that they are in the way, they defended the dissertation in America and returned! They are patriots and want to work in Russia - the Zimin Foundation gives them a scholarship of 60 thousand rubles. They are trying to move Russian science on them, and without this money, I think they will go back to America. And who will be to blame for this? Zimin?

About state support for science. I do not know the possibilities of our state, but it certainly does not want to support our science. It does everything so that our science is dying. The state does not support the release of scientific books, schools. We have received money from the RFFI [Russian fund of fundamental research under the Government of the Russian Federation], but he cannot give more than 100 thousand rubles to school, and we cannot invite children from the periphery for this money.

About what the attack on the "dynasty" is connected with. As far as I heard, Zimin is charged with that he uses money that lies in Western accounts to finance. This is just nonsense, this is a formal reason, a pickup to a person to close the fund. No reason to believe that Zimin is somehow connected with Western organizations-even let the humanitarian-no. Zimin is a loner, he spends only his personal money.

About Putin’s statement that the “dynasty” may have been incorrectly called the “foreign agent”. I don’t really like that in our science it all depends on the word of one person. We begin to do nonsense related to the Academy of Sciences, and Vladimir Vladimirovich must stop them with a personal shout. We begin to destroy the Zimin Foundation, and all the hope that Vladimir Vladimirovich will personally stop this stupidity. This is wrong, he is not a god, it is difficult for him to keep track of all the nonsense that are being done in the field. The point is not even about excesses, just in science there should be a correct transparent system that is not.

Boris Stern

Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, leading researcher at the Institute of Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Astrosmic Center Fian, editor-in-chief of the newspaper Troitsky Option-Science

First of all, this is a moral blow. Moreover, this happens in parallel with the “reform of science” according to the type of reform of medicine and education. A much greater blow was inflicted on the popularization of science and generally on enlightenment. Here the "dynasty" did more than all other organizations of the country together.

There are also RFFF (the most transparent, but poor) and RNF [Russian Scientific Fund], but I know nothing like a “dynasty” in terms of brightness and effectiveness. I myself participated in many educational events in the last year - and watched in real time how the audience grows and clever. But my impression is that science as a continuous environment is already lost. God grant that the islands of real science remain.

There is a purposeful policy - everything should be under control. Any independent manifestations of life irritate power. In fact, this already passed in Soviet times, when at all, no socially significant acts could occur without the sanction of the corresponding party body. The release of a newspaper, similar to the “Trinity option”, could not talk at all. Now we have not yet reached that level, but we are moving. Another example of how the authorities are trying to take control of everything is an attempt to adopt a law on volunteer movement. The policy of total control is obvious, and independent philanthropists such as Zimin do not fit into this policy.

As for the Trinity Option, the contribution of the "dynasty" is a little more than half of our budget. I don’t know how to get out.

Sergey Aleksashenko

The economist, the former first deputy chairman of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, chairman of the jury of the Polit -ProSvet Prize in 2012

I cannot climb into the head to people who do all this. But there are several versions of what is happening that can conflict with each other. Choose any.

Paragraph one: the law is harsh, but this is the law, as the President’s spokesman Dmitry said. Formally, the “dynasty” and “liberal mission” fall under the status of a “foreign agent”, and the dumb bureaucratic machine works as it should be. We will not change the law, and there is nothing wrong with this name. Nobody specially wanted to run into this fund, but it happened. Due to the fact that Putin stated today, such an interpretation has the right to exist. If the president spoke seriously, now someone will write a memorandum that the fund is not actually engaged in political activities, and they recognize their mistake that, they say, Aunt Masha from the Ministry of Justice slightly incorrectly trapped the law.

Clause second: the car works quite sequentially. There is no accident in the collision with the “dynasty” and “liberal mission”. The car fights with dissent consciously, purposefully, and everything that does not fit into the ruling ideology is subject to destruction - or the creation of conditions impossible for existence.

Clause third: It is no secret that Zimin in personal quality participates in democratic movements, discussions and, most likely, by personal money, somehow supported opposition politicians. In a large or small volume - it does not matter. The Kremlin is sure that the protests of 2011-2012 in Moscow financed, and they want to find and roll all the sources in asphalt so that no one else has a desire. Such revenge and at the same time preparations for the election campaign of 2016-2018, so that the opposition does not even have hopes.

About Putin's statement. Putin at one time promised that they would not bankrupt Yukos, so I am not ready to believe that this is a conscious signal. Moreover, the situation with the “dynasty” began last week, but Peskov spoke very hard the day before, and Putin’s statement was made not under the cell, but was transmitted through a source at a closed meeting with businessmen.

About the fact that the authorities are ready to sacrifice scientific projects. Zimin is a rich person, he has money that he can independently dispose of and which cannot be selected. It so happened that from one source, money goes to the publication of textbooks, and to hold the Polit -Pesvet Award. This prize is an impact on a public opinion, which means that in the form of law is political activity. If the authorities are the task of suppressing dissent, then financing of scientific literature is just a side problem, but another priority. Polit -Lesvet is one of the tools for promoting alternative points of view, and it needs to be eliminated for this. This is then to Zimin, maybe people will come and say: “Yes, you create another fund, let it do only science, and we promise you that we will not run into you.”

Sergey Lando

Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Vice-President of the Moscow Mathematical Society, a member of the jury of the Dynasty Foundation contest for young mathematicians

What happened to the "dynasty" is a uniform disgrace. The inclusion of the fund in the list of NPOs performing the functions of a “foreign agent” can only mean one thing - that the law on non -profit organizations should be immediately either canceled or significantly redesigned. In the current form, it prevents the work of non -state organizations supporting the development of Russian science. Not to mention the fact that the decision of the Ministry of Justice inflicted a personal insult to a wonderful person Dmitry Borisovich Zimin. I talked with him a couple of times, familiar with his activities until the foundation of the fund. Undoubtedly, he is an outstanding citizen and patriot of Russia.

As a member of the jury of the Dynasty contest for young mathematicians, I saw the work of the fund and the results of this work from the inside. About a hundred mathematicians throughout the country received the Fund's scholarships, more than fifty mathematical conferences and seasonal schools for young mathematicians were organized with its support. Without this support, many important results would not have been obtained, dozens of articles in leading world magazines have been published, many scientific events would not take place. Separately, I would like to note that the fund finances only research and scientific and organizational activities conducted in Russia. The scholarships take on the obligation to refuse to obtain a scholarship, leaving the country for a long time. It seems to me that the organization of competitions, the procedure for conducting an examination and payment of grants by the Dynasty Foundation can and should serve as a model of the activities of science support funds in Russia.

About the prospects of Russian science without a "dynasty". The possible termination of the activity of the "dynasty" means not only the coagulation of some specific programs. Its direct consequence will also be that in the visible perspective in Russia new private support funds will not be created. And this, in turn, means that research organizations and individual researchers will be forced to be content with the fact that and how the state allocates for research goals. Moreover, the financing method is no less important than its size - private funds are more flexible and better adapted for financing both small projects that can play a key role in the development of science and individual researchers.

About why the authorities attacked the "dynasty." I do not exclude that the Ministry of Justice acted within the framework of the law. I do not exclude that the State Duma, adopting this law, did not set itself the goal of paralyzing the activities of funds for supporting fundamental science. I do not think at all that each separate action of any state body proceeds from the assessment of the consequences of this action for the country as a whole. However, the decision on the Dynasty fund is an inevitable consequence of the adopted law, and therefore it must be abolished.

Victor Sonkin

Candidate of Philology, Specialist in Western European and Slavic Languages, Translator, Laureate of the Enlightener Prize 2013 for the book “There was Rome”

What is happening with the "dynasty" is an unbearable, boundless shame. Not the first, alas, in our memory - but here a very straightforward picture looms. A person who has made up his own mind, the most modest in personal needs and claims, arranges a transparent, competitive, interesting fund, which almost alone pulls the work of education and fundamental science with his own money. The best scholarships for young scientists, grants for the translation and publication of popular books, the only serious prize for non-fiction-at the time of the foundation of the Enlightener the Prize, it was unclear how many years the domestic scientific scientist was enough, and now the jury was overwhelmed with excellent books, and the competition every year is more and more intense. And it is precisely in this that you need to spit. It is Zimin, the present, and not the cardboard patriot, must be finished.

The prospects of the Russian scientific scientist, which have just blossomed and were already picked up to the western, without the "dynasty"-the most deplorable. We lagged behind very strongly, and this gap, thanks to the Zimin fund, was sharply reduced. Restoring this abyss is a couple of years. If this year the Enlightener Award will not be awarded, the book landscape of Russia will die an order of magnitude.

All this is not like a simple bureaucratic zeal. It is like hatred of the country, to its future, to its children, to people who are able to make a thought, to read the book, make a discovery, teach something. It is like betrayal. On dementia, it is also similar, such times - dementia and wrecking are similar to the degree of indistinguishability.

Varvara Gornostaeva

Corpus editor-in-chief, which, with the support of the "dynasty" issues the popular science series "Elements"

We have been cooperating with the Dynasty for a very long time-ten years ago in the Publishing House of Hummingbirds, we began to publish popular science literature in the series Elements. This series is the most serious and well-known popular science series of translation literature. Here the matter is not only and not so much in material support, but in expert assistance in the search and choice of books that it will be very difficult to do without a “dynasty”.

The "dynasty" began this story almost from scratch, because almost no one published scientific and popular literature. She was not in demand, it was risky, and that is why the fund helped publishers. And very quickly, literally in a couple of years, this direction has become incredibly fashionable and popular. This is completely and completely their merit. We do not have a single book of the series “Elements” that we would not print several times, and in today's conditions this is a completely record result.

In addition to the best translated books, of course, work with domestic popular science literature, which was also written with difficulty, is also important, because the authors or publishers have no means. The Enlightener Prize has become a motivation for journalists and scientists. The Dynasty also provided the library of the country's library laureates and finalists of the “enlightener” of the country, the authors were sent on trips with lectures, scientific conferences were held, and publishers received additional grants for promoting lauree books.

About whether the series "Elements" will be published further. In fact, Dmitry Zimin and the “dynasty”, if we talk about books, have completed their mission, and we are now able to publish them separately. But all the same, without a “Enlightener” bonus, without a huge network of enthusiastic and involved people, we will lose a lot. In addition, it is not clear how much we will work. This is a machine that does not stop - now they have gobbled up a “dynasty”, and then they will begin to burn everything else, because in Russia all living things are burned by the state. I think that the publishers will reach quite quickly, and we will again be in isolation and dusk.

About why the blow fell on the "dynasty". One of the main reasons is the Liberal Mission Foundation, which supported the Dynasty. No one, in any case, has not yet interfered with the books of Richard Dokinza. The case is the Foundation of Evgeny Yasin. Liberal ideas, apparently, now interfere with their name, because the “liberal mission” is not the support of Navalny, but a lively, smart, thoughtful conversation that attracts a huge number of young people throughout the country. Это такая сеть, которая последовательно занимается развитием и образованием. Вредная, видимо, вещь.

Сейчас мы в качестве жеста отчаяния собираем в защиту «Династии» подписи людей, издающих, пишущих и читающих книги. Но теперь и просто сказать что-то вслух имеет смысл, даже если это не поможет делу.

Evgeny Yasin

Научный руководитель Национального исследовательского Университета — Высшая школа экономики, президент фонда «Либеральная миссия»

Мы будем, видимо, обращаться в суд. Мы никогда не брали денег у иностранцев, а только у русских, в том числе у фонда «Династия». Сейчас нас обвиняют, что деньги шли из офшорных активов, но, во-первых, офшоры не запрещены, а во-вторых, я и не знал, что деньги оттуда. Никто, уверен, не спорит, что Зимин — русский человек, бизнесмен, причем один из тех, кто составляет гордость страны. Нам вменяют, что мы выступаем с негодными политическими заявлениями. But I do not agree with this. «Либеральная миссия» может по уставу выступать за рыночную экономику и демократию и пропагандировать наши ценности.

Asya Kazantseva

Научный журналист, лауреат премии «Просветитель» за книгу «Кто бы мог подумать! Как мозг заставляет нас делать глупости»

Я оцениваю происходящее с «Династией» как сознательно и цинично выбранный курс на уничтожение популяризации науки в нашей стране, политическую декларацию: «нам не нужно просвещение, и образование не нужно, и наука тоже не нужна». Ничем иным это объяснить невозможно. Минюст не соизволил объяснить, на каком основании он посчитал фонд «Династия» «иностранным агентом», и судя по отрывочным данным, просочившимся в прессу, основания эти абсолютно шаткие и притянутые за уши: вроде как сам Зимин хранит свои деньги в банке за границей и это «иностранное финансирование», вроде как «Династия» финансировала, среди прочего, научно-популярные лекции по политологии, и это «политическая деятельность». То есть объявление фонда «Династия» «иностранным агентом» противоречит и букве закона об НКО (при всех вопросах к самому закону), и главное, принципиально исключает возможность того, что Минюст заботится о благе Родины, потому что немного можно придумать более вредоносных для нашей страны действий, чем препятствование деятельности такого важного фонда, как «Династия».

В том, что касается популяризации науки, проекты фонда «Династия» представляют скелет, вокруг которого строится вся система научпопа. Фонд обеспечивал главное условие деятельности любого научного журналиста — создание информационной среды, поддержку и развитие думающей аудитории. Большинство хороших научно-популярных книг изданы именно при поддержке «Династии». Она организует множество научно-популярных лекций, в том числе привозит в Россию ученых мирового уровня, с которыми иначе встретиться было бы невозможно. Она поддерживает сайт «Элементы», который уже десять лет задает планку качества для новостей о науке. Она поддерживает газету научного сообщества «Троицкий вариант». И это я еще не говорю о проектах по поддержке непосредственно науки и образования, а их тоже очень много.

Без фонда «Династия» разрушится сообщество, появится ощущение бессмысленности и бесперспективности популяризации науки. Но проблема в другом — закрытие «Династии» продемонстрирует научному сообществу, что ничего хорошего с наукой в России происходить не будет, и среди тех, кто способен уехать, очень многие выберут все-таки уехать, потому что преследование «Династии» демонстрирует, что наука в России, с точки зрения власти, вообще не нужна.

Про свой одиночный пикет у здания Минюста. Это, в первую очередь, жест солидарности. Важно, чтобы Дмитрий Зимин и все остальные сотрудники «Династии» понимали, что не вся страна с ума посходила. Что научное и популяризаторское сообщество на их стороне. Мы просто себе не простим, если вообще ничего не попытаемся сделать.

Про заявление Путина. Может быть, и откатят назад. Но кто вернет Дмитрию Зимину потраченные нервы? Страна ему должна памятники при жизни ставить, а она говорит, что он «иностранный агент». It's just a shame.

Mikhail Feigelman

Доктор физико-математических наук, заместитель директора Института теоретической физики РАН им. Л.Д.Ландау

Это проявление безумия представителей власти выделяется даже в ряду многих других в последнее время. Десять лет назад поддержка «Династии» была очень важна в денежном выражении, а в последние годы еще более важна как пример того, как именно можно разумно и честно поддерживать науку и образование. Если угодно, «пилотный проект», который другие источники, в том числе государство, могли бы использовать для подражания и развития цивилизованной системы такой поддержки. Теперь жить здесь и работать в науке будет тяжелее и противнее — нас ждет ускоренное погружение в болотную тину. Пример для подражания уничтожен — тем легче всякой швали действовать, как она умеет, то есть пилить деньги и прикрываться «патриотическими» лозунгами.

Наталья Затеева

Руководитель программ «Форума доноров» , партнерства крупнейших российских и иностранных благотворительных донорских организаций, партнер «Династии»

Это вандализм. Очень хотелось бы думать, что это «перегиб», но, по внутренним ощущениям, скорее тенденция. Для донорского сообщества, как мне кажется, это шок, в первую очередь. И, конечно, — это знаковое событие. Дело не столько в объеме поддержки, хотя он был не маленьким, а в том, что это была независимая поддержка.

Тем более, что сбор частных пожертвований — это одно, а персональная помощь «Династии» талантливым ученым на конкурсной основе, долгосрочная, имеющая в приоритете развитие науки — это, согласитесь, не менее важная история. Для науки это потеря и, боюсь, невосполнимая. Если честно, я сейчас очень эмоционально все это воспринимаю, и анализировать бесстрастно пока не получается.

Victor Vasiliev

Заведующий кафедрой геометрии и топологии факультета математики НИУ-ВШЭ, академик РАН, президент Московского математического общества

Происходящее с «Династией» я воспринимаю не только с омерзением, но и с некоторым эстетическим удовольствием от драматической чистоты сюжета. Это одна из замечательно символичных ситуаций, когда судьба не хуже любого Шекспира сталкивает благородство и свинство, щедрость и мелочность, «дум высокое стремленье» и скудоумную низость.

Помимо чисто материального значения поддержки, оказанной фондом Зимина, она была чрезвычайно важна для морального климата в околонаучной среде — как один из примеров подлинной, искренней и бескорыстной заботы о будущем нашей страны — к сожалению, нечастых в это не очень честное время (в особенности в среде обладающих деньгами либо властью). Напротив, удушение фонда и навешивание на него непристойного ярлыка является замечательной демонстрацией торжества мертвечины, считающей любое проявление жизни оскорблением и угрозой своему существованию.

Раздавая свои (не слишком большие по сравнению с возможностями государства) средства на будущее российской науки и просвещения, Зимин добивался несопоставимо большего коэффициента полезного действия — именно потому, что он раздавал свои собственные денежки, а не «всехние», и находил способ добиться того, чтобы они пошли точно по назначению.

Зимин, например, поддерживал небольшие конференции по стране. Даже если бы Дмитрий Борисович захотел «утереться» и продолжить работу фонда с его нынешним клеймом, вы можете представить себе организатора региональной конференции, который пойдет к своему ректору, мэру или губернатору с предложением организовать конференцию при поддержке «иностранного агента»?

Представители самой «Династии» отказались от комментариев до 8 июня — в этот день состоится заседание совета фонда

Ilya Azar

Moscow