The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU; , ; ) is a self-governing state-funded organization in Ukraine that is the main center of development of science and technology by coordinating a system of research institutes in the country. It is the main research-oriented organization, along with the five other academies in Ukraine, specialized in various scientific disciplines. NAS Ukraine consists of numerous departments, sections, research institutes, scientific centers and various other supporting scientific organizations.
The NASU reports annually to the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. The headquarters of the academy is located at Volodymyrska Street in Kyiv. From 1919 until 1991, the academy was a branch of the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union.Borys Paton. Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR (АКАДЕМІЯ НАУК УКРАЇНСЬКОЇ РСР). Ukrainian Soviet Encyclopedia.
Names Over its history, the NAS Ukraine has had these five names.
Names for the Academy Native language dates Ukrainian Academy of Sciences Українська академія наук 19181921 All-Ukrainian Academy of Sciences Всеукраїнська академія наук 19211936 Academy of Sciences of the UkrSSR Академія наук Української РСР 19361991 Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Академія наук України 19911994 National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Національна академія наук України 1994
History
Establishment of the Academy The predecessors of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences were the Ukrainian Scientific Society in Kyiv, which, due to various circumstances did not develop into a national academy, and the Shevchenko Scientific Society in Lemberg (modern Lviv).
The initiative to create the institution came from the Ukrainian Science Society in April 1917, eight months before the beginning of the Soviet-Ukrainian War. The institution materialized during the time of the first Ukrainian State, when Mykola Vasylenko, at that time the Minister of Education and Arts, proposed the formation of a special commission. Led by Volodymyr Vernadskyi, an academic of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the commission produced a bill for the creation of a Ukrainian Academy of Science in Kyiv, a National Library, a National Museum, and other scientific institutions. At the end of June 1918, the creation of the Academy was raised at the Ukrainian Science Society Extraordinary General Assembly.Mahdalina Bukhalska. Documents about life and work of Academician Nikolai Petrov (ДОКУМЕНТИ ПРО ЖИТТЯ ТА ДІЯЛЬНІСТЬ АКАДЕМІКА МИКОЛИ ПЕТРОВА) . State Archive Service of Ukraine. By 17 September, a bill for the creation of the Academy had been written, and the statute drafted. On 14 November 1918, the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences was established in law.Закон про заснування Української Академії наук в м. Києві (Law about creation of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences in the city of Kyiv). Law of Ukraine #710. November 14, 1918. (official document) and also approved the UAS statute, the UAS staff and its institutions and the order of the Ministry of National Education about appointing the first 12 full members (academicians) of the UAS.
According to its original statute, the Academy consisted of three research departments covering history and philology (first department), physics and mathematics (second department), as well as social studies (third department). Its structural units became permanent commissions and institutes. There were planned 15 institutes, 14 permanent commissions, six museums, two offices, two laboratories, botanical and acclimatization gardens, an astronomical observatory, a biology station, a printing house, and a national library. All publications of the academy were to be printed in Ukrainian. Its statute emphasized the all-Ukrainian nature: the members could be not only citizens of the Ukrainian State, but also Ukrainian scientists of West Ukraine (at that time citizens of Austria-Hungary). Foreigners could become academicians as well, but with the resolution of 2/3 of the active members' composition.
The presidium of the newly created academy and its first academicians (three for each department) were appointed by the Ukrainian government, while the future members were expected to be elected by those academicians (as active members).National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (Національна академія наук України). Ukrainian Electronic Library. Among the first academicians were historians Dmytro Bahaliy and Orest Levytsky, economists Mykhailo Tuhan-Baranovsky and Volodymyr Kosynsky, eastern studies Ahathanhel Krymsky and Nikolai Petrov, linguist Stepan Smal-Stotsky, geologists Volodymyr Vernadsky and Pavlo Tutkovsky, biologist Mykola Kashchenko, mechanic Stepan Tymoshenko, law studies Fedir Taranovsky. For the post of the president of the Academy, the Hetman of Ukraine (head of state) Pavlo Skoropadsky invited Mykhailo Hrushevsky, who at that time was the president of the Ukrainian Science Society and before World War I served as the president of the Shevchenko Scientific Society in Lemberg, neighboring Austria-Hungary. Hrushevsky declined the invitation,Ruslan Pyrih. Mykhailo Hrushevskyi and academy: unrealized presidency (1924–1928) (МИХАЙЛО ГРУШЕВСЬКИЙ І АКАДЕМІЯ: НЕРЕАЛІЗОВАНЕ ПРЕЗИДЕНТСТВО (1924—1928 рр.). Visnyk Natsionalnoyi Akademiyi Nauk Ukrayiny, 2016. yet later (sometime after 1923), he became a major figure in the Ukrainian Academy of Science (UAS) in Kyiv.
The Academy started official operations at the end of November 1918 with several sessions of the General Assembly and assemblies of its departments. At the first General Assembly (Constituent) that took place on 27 November 1918, academician Volodymyr Vernadsky was elected the President of the Academy, while the permanent secretary became Ahathanhel Krymsky. On the same day, at the sessions of the 2nd and the 3rd departments, Mykola Kashchenko and Mykhailo Tuhan-Baranovsky were elected as chairmen, respectively. On 8 December 1918, the chairman of the 1st department was elected Dmytro Bahaliy. All appointments were approved by Hetman Skoropadskyi.
The first institutions of the UAS established in December 1918 were such commissions:
for compilation of a historic and geographic dictionary of the Ukrainian land (director Dmytro Bahaliy) for compilation of a historic dictionary of the Ukrainian language (director Yevhen Tymchenko) for compilation of the Ukrainian living language dictionary (director Ahathanhel Krymsky) for publishing landmarks of the modern Ukrainian script (director Serhiy Yefremov) (archaeographic commission) for publishing landmarks of language, script and history (director Vasyl Danylevych) acclimatization garden (director Mykhailo Kashchenko) Institute of technical mechanics (director Stepan Tymoshenko) Institute of geodesy, institute of economic conjuncture and national economy of Ukraine (director Mykhailo Tuhan-Baranovsky)
The next month, the following commissions were added:
Institute of demography in research of common law (director Orest Levytsky) in research of social issues (director Mykhailo Tuhan-Baranovsky) in research of national economy (director Volodymyr Kosynsky)
First years In its early years, the academy operated during the period of political instability and economic ruin (Ukrainian–Soviet War, Russian Civil War, Polish–Soviet War). The leadership of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences sought its recognition by each new power and principally emphasized the non-political background of the main science center. Despite the financial hardship, famine, arrests, and emigration of some of its members, the UAS has not only survived as an institution, but developed its structure and directions of research, and began to prepare for publication its scientific works.
On 3 January 1919, the Direktoria of the Ukrainian People's Republic adopted legislative changes to the UAS statute, according to which provisions were made concerning printing of works in Ukrainian and foreign languages (the volume of publications in foreign languages should not exceed 1/4 of the amount in the Ukrainian language), all the UAS officials had to freely possess the Ukrainian language, and full members, upon their approval, would swear in allegiance to the Ukrainian People's Republic. The Supreme power also retained the right to approve the newly elected members at the UAS General Assembly.
Following the occupation of Kyiv by Bolshevik forces, on 11 February 1919 the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences received as its own property the mansion and former boarding house of Countess Levashova. This happened on the order of People's Commissar of Education of the Ukrainian Socialist Soviet Republic, Volodymyr Zatonskyi. The next day, on 12 February 1919, an extraordinary UAS General Assembly took place, during which Ahatanhel Krymsky passed on the order of Zatonskyi to immediately start the work. Since the late 1920s, in the Soviet historiography that day was considered the date of establishment of the Academy of Sciences, instead of 14 November 1918, when Hetman Skoropadskyi signed the law on the creation of the Academy.
All-Ukrainian Academy of Sciences After several changes of power and the withdrawal of Denikin's forces in December 1919, the Bolsheviks permanently established themselves in Kyiv. With the second arrival of the Bolsheviks, Vernadsky resigned. Orest Levytsky was elected President of the Academy for the next couple of years. In 1921, Levytsky was replaced by the newly elected Mykola Vasylenko; however, he was not approved by the authorities and soon was replaced with Levytsky. Vasylenko himself was arrested in 1923 and convicted (later released on amnesty).
On June 14, 1921, the Council of People's Commissars of Ukrainian SSR adopted a decree "Resolution on the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences", according to which the Academy was recognized as the highest scientific state institution and subordinated to the Narkom of Education. The Academy was renamed from UAS to VUAN () – All-Ukrainian Academy of Sciences – underlining its importance for Ukrainian territories under Poland, Romania, Czechoslovakia and declaring its intentions to unite within one organization the scientific intelligentsia of all Ukrainian lands. The relationship between members of VUAN and the Soviet authorities soured, while the relationships with the Ukrainian scientists abroad had completely ceased. After historian Orest Levytsky, botanist Volodymyr Lypsky became president of the Academy. Between 1919 and 1930, 103 academicians were elected to the Academy. In 1924-25, the Academy held its first election for foreign members. However, none of the candidates were approved by the Narkom of Education.
Between 1927 and 1930, the takeover of the Academy by the Soviet authorities was completed. Mykhailo Hrushevsky had been a candidate for the presidency, but by the end of 1927 Hrushevsky's candidacy was no longer supported by the authorities. He had been considered a counterweight to the "constitutional-democratic" faction led by Serhiy Yefremov and Ahatanhel Krymsky, but the three of them had actually agreed on opposing state interference. The authorities removed Yefremov and his supporters and dropped all support for Hrushevsky, who was arrested in 1931, taken to Moscow, and never returned to Ukraine. Danylo Zabolotny, a microbiologist, was instead put up as president of the Academy, followed by Oleksandr Bohomolets in 1930.