This document is an answer to the letter from State Plan of Ukrainian Soviet Socialistic Republic to Academy of Sciences of USSR “About Rationality to Construct Cyclotron in UIPhT” (22 Feb 1940). The answer of academician Petr Kapitsa to this letter was very critical. Kapitsa wrote that UIPhT “during the last several years built a number of research installation but did not finish them. However it started to build new installations. Such activities of UIPhT can’t be considered as normal”. So Petr Kapitsa discouraged building a cyclotron in UIPhT, and this was one of the reasons why this institute did not become the leading nuclear center in USSR.
March 7, 1939
Letter from People’s Commissariat of Power Plants and Electrical Industry to the Council of People’s Commissars of USSR, 'On the Organization of the Research Activities on the Nuclear Atom'
This document was made possible with support from Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY)
Письмо НКЭП СССР в СНК СССР
«Об организации исследовательских работ по атомному ядру»
№ НЭ-107
7 марта 1939 г.
Президиум Академии наук СССР правильно ставит вопрос о необходимости развития исследований атомного ядра ио концентрации этих исследований в системе Академии наук СССР. Правильно и то, что для эффективного использования материальных затрат необходимо техническую базу и кадры сконцентрировать в одном месте.
Народный комиссариат электростанций и электропромышленности считает, что таким местом с успехом может быть Украинский физико-технический институт (УФТИ), бывш[ий] НКТП в г.Харькове, который, в связи с разделением НКТП, намечен к передаче Академии наук СССР.[1] Этот институт располагает прекрасной материалыю-технической базой для работ по ядру, на создание которой уже затрачены большие средства.
На территории этого института помещается Лаборатория ударных напряжений (ЛУН) АН СССР, для которой заканчивается строительство большого 3-этажного корпуса.
УФТИ владеет большой благоустроенной территорией и хорошим жилым фондом. Оба эти института располагают квалифицированными кадрами с большим опытом по конструированию и сооружению технических средств для ядерной физики.
Если для этого института изготовить новый современный циклотрон, а также сосредоточить в нем кадры квалифицированных исследователей из Ленинградского физико-технического института, то будет достигнута концентрация сил и средств, иАкадемия наук СССР получит мощный исследовательский центр по атомному ядру. Пpиэтомотпадает необходимость в дополнительных крупных затратах по созданию такогоцентрав Москве.
Народный комиссар электростанций и
электропромышленности Первухин
[1]В марте 1939 г. на совсешании наркомов в связи с реорганизацией НКТП СССР было решено «... до утверждения СНК CCCРпроекта расnределения научио-исследовательских учреждений ...» возложитъ руководстно УФТИ наНКЭП СССР (РГАЭ. Ф.7297, оп.28. д.10, л.47). Возможно, именнонa зтом этанеМ.Г. Первухин - в будущем один из организаторов работ по атомному проекту - виервыеприобщился к этой проблеме. В 1939 г. УФТИ был nереданАН УССР.
Letter from the People’s Commissariat of Power Plants and Electrical Industry[i] to the Council of People’s Commissars of USSR[ii] “On the Organization of the Research Activities on the Nuclear Atom” No. NE-107, March 7, 1939
The Presidium of the Academy of Sciences of USSR correctly raises a question about the necessity of nuclear atom research and the concentration of this research in the system of the Academy of Sciences of USSR. It is also correct for efficient use of materials to concentrate technological infrastructure and human resources in one place.
The People’s Commissariat of Power Plants and Electrical Industry supposes that such a place could be located in the Ukrainian Institute of Physics and Technology (UIPhT), the former NKTP in Kharkov, which will be transferred to the Academy of Sciences of USSR because of the separation of NKTP[iii]. This institute has good facilities and resources for nuclear atom research. For the constructing of these facilities a large amount of money has been already spent.
The Laboratory of Impulse Voltage (LUN) of the Academy of Sciences of USSR is located on the territory of this institute. The three-floored building for this laboratory is now almost completed.
UIPhT has a landscaped space with good residential areas. Both these institutes have qualified staff with large experience in the construction of technical infrastructure for nuclear physics research.
If a modern cyclotron is constructed for this institute and if the qualified staff of researchers from the Leningrad Institute of Physics and Technology is concentrated here, there would be a concentration of resources and costs, and the Academy of Sciences of USSR will receive a strong nuclear atom research center. In this case there is no need to spend resources for creating this kind of center in Moscow.
The People’s Commissariat of Power Plants and Electrical Industry
Pervukhin
[i] A Russian abbreviation of the title of this governmental authority is NKEP [note by editors of Atomic Project of USSR”]
[ii] A Russian abbreviation of this title of the Soviet government is SNK, which will be used hereinafter [note by editors of Atomic Project of USSR”]
[iii] In March 1939 during the meeting on reorganization of NKTP of USSR it was decided to subordinate UIPhT to NKEP of USSR “until approving of the project of research institutions division by SNK [Russian abbreviation of council of People’s Commissars – the name of the Soviet government)” (See: Russian State Archive of Economy. Fond No.7297, Series 28, Document 10, Page 47). Probably M.G.Pervukhin who became later one of the organizers of the atomic project activities was involved into this problem for the first time at this stage. [note by editors of Atomic Project of USSR”]
In this letter the Soviet minister proposed to the Soviet government to concentrate the nuclear research in Ukrainian Institute of Physic and Technology (UIPhT) and to locate in Kharkov the nuclear scientists from Leningrad Institute of Physic and Technology because Kharkov institute had very good base for the nuclear studies. If this proposal was realized Kharkov could become more important Soviet nuclear center than Moscow or Sarov. In any case this letter of people’s commissar recognized the prominent role of the Ukrainian Institute of Physic and Technology (UIPhT) in the Soviet nuclear science.
Author(s):
Associated Places
Associated Topics
Document Information
Source
Atomic Project of USSR: Documents and Materials, Volume 1, Part 1, Document No. 18, pp. 52-56. Obtained and translated for NPIHP by Oleksandr Cheban.
Rights
The History and Public Policy Program welcomes reuse of Digital Archive materials for research and educational purposes. Some documents may be subject to copyright, which is retained by the rights holders in accordance with US and international copyright laws. When possible, rights holders have been contacted for permission to reproduce their materials.
To enquire about this document's rights status or request permission for commercial use, please contact the History and Public Policy Program at HAPP@wilsoncenter.org.
Original Uploaded Date
2015-02-09
Type
Letter
Language
Record ID
121628
Donors
Carnegie Corporation of New York (CCNY)