Russian physics under a ban: the United States imposed sanctions against leading scientific institutions of the Russian Federation

Extremely unpleasant news for Russian science came from the United States: the Americans expanded the anti-Russian sanctions list to include a number of Russian academic institutions working in the field of fundamental physics. In fact, this is a golden fund of civil science, firmly integrated into international scientific projects.

Russian physicist and public figure Andrei Rostovtsev commented on this event:

“The world is slowly going crazy. Countries are racing to see what else to do and how to demonstrate their zeal to punish the Russians. Either visas are canceled, then borders are closed, then unfortunate teachers are threatened with prison terms as serial killers, and now they ran into the Academy of Sciences. Of course, this is much easier than dealing with thieves, corrupt officials and their families, or specifically those responsible in the current situation.

Looking at the list of sanctioned academic institutions, one gets the impression that bibliometric data was used to select them. Who has the highest Hirsch ? Where did Nobel laureates work? Who has made the greatest contribution to international scientific projects? The Russian regime could not even dream of such a gift (as, indeed, in the story with visas and teachers). How much effort has been spent on the fight against academicians - very smart people are superfluous in this country. And here on the nose is the election of the President of the Russian Academy of Sciences. That's lucky!

So, on the list:

1. Institute of Applied Physics RAS in Nizhny Novgorod. (IAP RAS - 15 members of the RAS, 120 Doctors and 325 Candidates of Sciences.) World leader in the creation of super-powerful microwave generators (gyrotrons). Just recently, on September 13, the first gyrotron complexes were sent from Nizhny Novgorod to France to heat the plasma in the international thermonuclear reactor ITER. In 2015, Academician A. M. Sergeev, who became President of the Russian Academy of Sciences in 2017, was elected to the position of Director.
2. Physical Institute named after P.N. Lebedev Academy of Sciences, Moscow (FIAN - 24 members of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 243 Doctors of Science and 491 Candidates of Science) Seven Nobel Prize winners in physics worked at FIAN at different times. A track detector was created for the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider at FIAN. FIAN also participates in BELLE-II (Japan), OPERA (CERN) and other major international experiments.
3. A.F. Ioffe Physical-Technical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg. (PTI RAS - 15 members of the RAS, 250 Doctors of Sciences and 650 Candidates of Sciences.) Works performed at the Institute were awarded Nobel Prizes twice. FTI is a participant in the work on the creation of the international thermonuclear reactor ITER.
4. Institute of Semiconductor Physics A.V. Rzhanov SB RAS, Novosibirsk (IPP named after A.V. Rzhanov SB RAS - 7 members of the RAS, 49 doctors and 131 candidates of sciences).
5. Institute of Theoretical Physics. L.D. Landau RAS, Chernogolovka (ITF named after L.D. Landau - 9 members of the RAS, 34 Doctors of Science and 22 Candidates of Science).
6. Physico-Technological Institute. K.A. Valiev RAS, Moscow (FTIAN - one academician, two corresponding members of the RAS, 12 doctors and 22 candidates of science.)
7. Institute of Spectroscopy RAS, Moscow, Troitsk. (ISAN - 30 Doctors and 45 Candidates of Sciences.) Co-founder of the International Virtual Nanofilm Institute.

The list, to be sure, is impressive. However, not all readers agreed with the pathos of the author. They considered these measures quite adequate and lying in line with the anti-Russian policy of the West, which seeks to deprive our country of everything that even remotely contributes to strengthening its economy and military power. Well, and besides, also to encourage all more or less talented Russian scientists to emigrate, which will only play into the hands of Western science.

Here are just a few comments on the subject:

- It is sad, but the idea of apolitical budget (very smart and talented) organizations is confirmed. To put it bluntly: pay money for our favorite profession, the rest does not interest us. Bomb or flowers.

- I like this! Hirsch Hirsch, but the goal and dream of the Dissernet project will finally be achieved: all pseudoscientific garbage will go down the toilet. Oh, will the great Russian science suffer in this? But even if we believe the data of the Secretary of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences, it barely exceeds 2% of the world's contribution. The real ones will remain real and appreciated, despite all the difficulties, and the rest - the lady from the stagecoach, the scientific horse is easier.

- Well, all I can say is that you physicists are in good company. Skoltech was included in this list a long time ago, although it also has nothing to do with the special operation. They just ban organizations that are strong in science and development. Therefore, for example, there is no Moscow State University and Kurchatnik (Kurchatov Institute for Nuclear Research, ed.)

- Most likely pressure on teams of international projects to be more willing to leave the country.