History of Science 24 www.irs-az.com 4(23), WINTER 2015 Isa HABIBBEYLI, Academician, Vice-President of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences The Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan – Past and Present www.irs-az.com 25 History of Science Presidium building. Photo of the 1930s n the distant past, various organizations, academies and societies were created in various countries aim- Iing to promote the development of science for so- cial progress. Similarly, the Azerbaijani National Acad- emy of Sciences appeared as an objective necessity and played an important role in the development of science, culture and other spheres of social life, in the formation and deepening of social thought and in the strengthening of the national intelligentsia. The acad- emy served as a kind of locomotive for scientific and technological progress and as a forge of public opinion, and later took a leading position in the struggle for the state independence of Azerbaijan, actively contribut- ing to the national awakening of the people and the growth of its identity. The predecessor of today’s Academy was the so- Architectural design of «Ismailia» building. 1914. ciety to explore and study Azerbaijan created in This is where the Presidium of the Academy of 1923. Activities of the society aimed to give concrete Sciences was based afterwards guidance for scientific research and organize expedi- tions and scientific debates, but it was unable to imple- Scientific-Research Institute, which was tasked to ment systematic fundamental research. In 1929, the carry out studies of political and economic nature and CEC of Azerbaijan established an Azerbaijani State deal with educational and methodological challenges. 26 www.irs-az.com 4(23), WINTER 2015 First full members of the Presidium (ANAS). 1945. Lower row (from left to right): S.Vurgun, I.Esman, U.Hajibayov, A.Alizadeh, President of the Academy M.Mirgasimov, I.Shirokogorov, A.Grossgeym, M.Topchubashev. Standing: Y.Mammadaliyev, M.Ibrahimov, S.Azizbayov, G.Huseynov, Mir-Ali Gashgay, S.Dadashov, M.Useynov. For this reason, this organization also failed to achieve a ethnography and archeology, botany, zoology, energy, significant recovery in the scientific field. Nevertheless, physics and soil science were established at the branch. it should be stated that the society to explore and study In addition, the increase in organizational status soon Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijani State Scientific Research made it possible to establish independent institutes at Institute did a lot to concentrate scientific personnel the branch - geology, history, geography, oil and chem- and coordinate their work, paving the way for the future istry, language and literature. The studies carried out by Academy of Sciences. scientific institutions differed for their more systematic On 29 December 1932, the Azerbaijani depart- and regular character, meeting more the requirements ment of the Transcaucasian branch of the Academy of socio-economic and cultural development in the of Sciences of the USSR was established. Based on country. Important scientific results were achieved the scientific basis that existed at that time, the new sci- in chemistry, geology, geography, botany and en- entific institution turned out to be more effective than ergy, increasing the authority of the Azerbaijani its predecessors. The department had special sectors for branch all over the USSR. Along with this, ahead of research into individual areas, which were soon trans- the 800th anniversary of the great Azerbaijani poet formed into independent research institutes. The Azer- and thinker Nizami Ganjavi, academic units for baijani department was headed at various times by such humanities and social sciences carried out great prominent scholars as Franz Levinson-Lessing (1861- research, translation and publishing work, which 1939), Ruhulla Akhundov (1897-1938), Ahad Yagubov was an important event in the whole of Soviet science. (1908-1979), Jafar Kazimov (1897-1968), Arthur Zifeldt- During this period, a solid foundation was laid for sys- Simumyagi (1889-1938), Heydar Huseynov (1908-1950), tematic research into history, archeology, ethnography Aleksey Klimov (1894-?), Vali Khuluflu (1894-1939) and and linguistics. Among the most important research Yakov Kozin (1896-1973). However, the multi-tiered sys- projects carried out in the early years of the Azerbaijani tem of subordination, on which academic institutions academic institutions are the drawing up of the first acted, made management difficult. On 25 October geological map of Azerbaijan, the beginning of re- 1935, the Azerbaijani branch of the USSR Academy of search into volcanology and Mesozoic history, the Sciences, headed by Academician Levinson-Lessing, discovery of unique therapeutic oil in Naftalan, the was created on the basis of the department. The cre- publication of a three-volume collection of materi- ation of the Azerbaijani branch marked a new level of als about the flora of Azerbaijan and a geographical science management in Azerbaijan and was a step for- atlas of Azerbaijan. ward in this area. Sectors of chemistry, geology, history, In light of the aforesaid, the establishment of the www.irs-az.com 27 History of Science Building of the Presidium of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences Academy of Sciences of the Azerbaijan SSR on 27 Ganja (then Kirovabad), Khankendi (then Stepanakert) March 1945 can be called quite natural. At the root and Guba, a scientific library was established and the of the Academy were leading scientists and cultural Zardabi Museum of Natural History was opened. figures of Azerbaijan - Mirasadulla Mirgasimov (1883- World-renowned scientist and chemist Yusuf 1958), Uzeyir Hajibayov (1885-1948), Mirza Ibrahimov Mammadaliyev made a great contribution to Azerbai- (1911-1993), Samad Vurgun (1906-1956), Yusuf Mam- jani academic science. He was educated in Moscow by madaliyev (1905-1961), Joseph Yesman (1868-1955), Academician Zelinskiy and in 1943, was awarded the Abdulkarim Alizadeh (1906-1979), Aleksandr Grossgeim degree of Doctor of Science and the title of professor. (1888-1948), Shamil Azizbayov (1906-1976), Heydar Thanks to his talent and organizational abilities, Mam- Huseynov (1908-1950), Mirali Qashqai (1907-1977), Sa- madaliyev won universal prestige and respect. He dis- dig Dadashov (1905-1946), Mikail Useynov (1905-1992), covered high-octane petrol, which played a crucial Ivan Shirokogorov (1869-1946) and Mustafa Topchu- role in the victory of the Soviet Union over fascism bashov (1895-1981). At the general meeting of the and was widely used in aviation. For this product, Academy on 31 March 1945, the well-known medi- the Azerbaijani scientist was nominated for the No- cal scientist and honored worker of science of the bel Prize, but behind “the Iron Curtain” one could only republic, Academician Mirasadulla Mirgasimov, was dream of it. Instead, in 1946, the remarkable scientist was elected first president. In his time, sectors of geology awarded the Stalin Prize “for achievements in the field of and chemistry, physical-technical sciences, oil, biology chemical industry”. By the way, in the same way Acade- and agricultural sciences and social sciences were es- mician Mustafa Topchubashov was nominated for the tablished at the Academy, and they included 16 scien- most prestigious award for the invention of a device that tific institutions. Along with this, scientific bases of the made it possible to detect shrapnel in the body, but of academy were organized in the cities of Nakhchivan, course, he could not expect to receive an award. 28 www.irs-az.com 4(23), WINTER 2015 Members of the Presidium of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences after 70 years (2015). From left to right, sitting: Garib Mammadov, Tofig Nagiyev, Isa Habibbayli, Akif Alizadeh (President of the Academy of Sciences), Ibrahim Guliyev, Ahliman Amiraslanov, Nargiz Akhundova; standing: Fuad Aliyev, Nazim Mammadov, Teymur Karimli, Fakhraddin Gadirov, Dilgam Tagiyev, Ismayil Hajiyev, Rasim Aliguliyev. Academician Mammadaliyev served as president of From 1962 to 1967, the Academy of Sciences was the Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan twice - in 1947- headed by Academician Zahid Khalilov. This period 1950 and in 1957-1961. This period was marked by im- is characterized mainly by the development of physical portant steps aimed at the comprehensive development and mathematical sciences. The director of the Institute of science in the republic. On the initiative and under of Mathematics and Mechanics, Academician-Secretary the leadership of Mammadaliyev, the Shamakhi Astro- of the Department of Earth Sciences at the Academy physical Observatory, the Institute of Manuscripts of Sciences, Zahid Khalilov (1911-1974), is the founder and the Scientific Research Institute for Chemistry of the Azerbaijani school of mathematics. In turn, in Sumgayit were created. He laid the foundations of under President Rustam Ismayilov (1909-1972), who strong and systematic oil science in Azerbaijan, carried had a doctor’s decree in technical sciences, Azerbaijani out a lot of work on the formation and development of academia saw a twist towards integration with industry, leading scientific petroleum institutions. Yusuf Mam- and the role of scientists in the creation of the petro- madaliyev is the founder of the Azerbaijani scien- chemical complex in Baku and Sumgayit expanded. For tific school of petrochemistry, which gained recogni- his contribution to the expansion of ties between sci- tion not only