Russian Academy of Sciences

A long time ago, a leader named Peter the Great wanted to learn.

He wanted his people to know more about science.

He started a special group in 1724. A smart man named Leibniz helped him.

This group was for study and learning.

It was once a school too. Later, it became a place for research.

Today, the group is in Moscow. It has many buildings and libraries.

Many people work there to find new things. It is a very big team!

The Russian Academy of Sciences is a large group for science.

It helps many people study the world.

Long ago, a leader named Peter the Great wanted to learn. He traveled to Europe to see new ideas. A smart man named Gottfried Leibniz helped him.

Leibniz suggested making a place for science and art. Peter followed this advice. He started the academy in 1724.

At first, the academy was also a school. Later, it became a place for research. This means people work there to find new facts. The academy has many parts. It has libraries, hospitals, and many research centers.

Today, the main office is in Moscow. The academy is very big. It has many branches in different parts of Russia. Some branches are in the Ural mountains. Others are in the far east or in Siberia. Thousands of people work there. Many members are chosen for their great work. Being a member is a very big honor.

The Russian Academy of Sciences, or RAS, is a huge network for science.

It is not just one building. Instead, it includes many research institutes across the Russian Federation. The academy also runs libraries, publishing units, and even hospitals. It works to help people study everything from math to nature. This large group helps organize scientific work for the whole country.

Being a member of the academy is a very big honor. There are three main types of members. These are full members, called academicians, and corresponding members. There are also foreign members who live in other countries. To become a full or corresponding member, a person must be a citizen of Russia. Some members were elected before the USSR ended and now live in different nations. Being chosen is based on a person's great scientific work.

The story of the academy began a long time ago. Peter the Great was a leader who wanted to bring new ideas to Russia. He traveled to Western Europe to see new inventions. During this time, he talked with a smart man named Gottfried Leibniz.

Leibniz suggested creating a place for arts and sciences. He thought the academy should have many foreign scholars as professors. Following this advice, Peter founded the academy in January 1724.

In the early years, the academy was both a school and a research center. Later, the university part was dissolved. This left research as the main part of the institution. Over many years, the name changed several times. It was even called the Imperial Saint Petersburg Academy of Sciences. Today, the main headquarters are located in Moscow. The academy is now a non-profit organization that is chartered by the government.

The academy is spread out across many different places. It has 13 specialized scientific divisions and several large branches. For example, the Siberian Branch was started in 1957 by Mikhail Lavrentyev. It has research centers in cities like Novosibirsk and Irkutsk. There is also an Ural Branch and a Far East Branch. These branches allow scientists to work in many different regions. Many famous universities also use the staff and tools from the academy's institutes.

The Russian Academy of Sciences, often called the RAS, is the national academy of Russia. It is a massive network of scientific research institutes spread across the Russian Federation. Beyond research, the academy manages various scientific and social units. These include libraries, publishing units, and even hospitals. The organization serves as a central hub for scientific advancement in the country.

The academy functions through a complex system of divisions and branches. It currently consists of 13 specialized scientific divisions. To manage different regions, it also uses four territorial branches and 15 regional scientific centers. The structure of these scientific divisions is subject to change through splitting or fusion. This organization allows the academy to oversee a vast range of scientific disciplines simultaneously.

There are several large territorial branches that help organize research geographically. The Ural Branch was established in 1932 under chairman Alexander Fersman. It operates research centers in cities like Yekaterinburg, Perm, and Chelyabinsk. The Siberian Branch was founded in 1957 by Mikhail Lavrentyev. This branch includes centers in Novosibirsk, Tomsk, and Irkutsk, employing over 12,500 scientific researchers.

Other branches extend the academy's reach to the edges of the country. The Far East Branch includes several scientific centers, such as the Primorsky Scientific Center in Vladivostok. It also manages centers in Khabarovsk, Sakhalin, and Kamchatka. The St. Petersburg Branch is a newer addition, having been established in 2023. These branches ensure that scientific expertise is available in many different parts of the Russian Federation.

Membership in the RAS is a highly prestigious honor based on scientific contribution. There are three distinct types of membership: full members, known as academicians, and corresponding members. There are also foreign members who live outside of Russia. To be elected as an academician or corresponding member, a person must typically be a citizen of the Russian Federation. However, some members elected before the collapse of the USSR are now citizens of other countries.

The numbers associated with the academy are quite large. In 2013, the RAS included 1,008 institutions and other units. At that time, about 125,000 people were employed by the network. Of those, 47,000 were dedicated scientific researchers. As of January 2, 2026, the academy had 1,960 living Russian members. This total includes 841 full members and 1,119 corresponding members, along with 445 foreign members.

The history of the academy traces back to the early 18th century. Emperor Peter the Great wanted to modernize Russia by introducing new ideas from Western Europe. He corresponded with Gottfried Leibniz, a famous mathematician and philosopher. Leibniz suggested creating an institution for arts and sciences led by foreign scholars. Following this guidance, Peter founded the St. Petersburg Academy of Sciences in January 1724.

In its early years, the academy served as both a university and a research center. However, the university portion was eventually dissolved, leaving research as the primary mission. Over the centuries, the academy underwent several name changes. It was known as the Imperial Saint Petersburg Academy of Sciences before the Soviet period. Today, the academy is a non-profit organization headquartered in Moscow. It remains a vital part of the global scientific community.

The academy also maintains strong connections with higher education. While Russian universities are not under the direct supervision of the RAS, they work closely together. Leading institutions like Moscow State University and Novosibirsk State University use the staff and facilities of RAS institutes. Some faculty members even use a specific arrangement called the "Phystech System." This collaboration helps bridge the gap between specialized research and university learning.