History of the Institute

The Institute of Nuclear Research of the Russian Academy of Sciences (INR RAS, formerly INR AN USSR) was established by Decree of the Presidium of the USSR Academy of Sciences dated December 24, 1970 No. 1051 on the basis of a government decision taken on the initiative of the Department of Nuclear Physics, to create a modern experimental base and develop research in the field physics of elementary particles and high energies, atomic nucleus, physics and accelerator technology, cosmic ray physics, cosmology and neutrino physics.

The decisive role in the creation of the Institute of Nuclear Research was played by Academician Moisei Aleksandrovich Markov, Nobel Prize laureate Academician Ilya Mikhailovich Frank, Academician Nikolai Nikolaevich Bogolyubov, Academician Albert Nikiforovich Tavkhelidze. Thanks to the influence of M.A. Markov, two areas of research were formed at the institute: physics of the microworld - the physics of elementary particles, and large-scale physics - the science of the origin and evolution of the Universe, cosmology. The pioneering ideas of M.A. Markov formed the basis for the creation of modern unique installations and a program of fundamental scientific research at the institute.

Three nuclear laboratories of the Physical Institute of the USSR Academy of Sciences named after. P.N. Lebedev became the basis for the creation of the Institute of Nuclear Research: the Atomic Nucleus Laboratory, headed by Nobel Prize laureate Academician I.M. Frank; laboratory of photonuclear reactions under the leadership of L.E. Lazareva, at the origins of which was Academician V.I. Veksler; neutrino laboratory, widely known thanks to the works of academicians G.T. Zatsepin and A.E. Chudakov.

Thanks to the influence of Academician A.N. Tavkhelidze, a strong theoretical school was formed at the institute. The ideas of A.N. Tavkhelidze formed the basis of the scientific program of the theoretical department created under his leadership.

The department's employees included such world-famous scientists as V.A. Kuzmin, V.A. Matveev, V.A. Rubakov, I.I. Tkachev, V.A. Berezin, Yu.S. Vernov, N.V. Krasnikov, M.E. Shaposhnikov and their students.

The work carried out by scientists from the theoretical department laid the foundation for a number of unique experiments conducted at the institute. Over the years, INR RAS was headed by:
- Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Albert Nikiforovich Tavkhelidze - from the founding of the institute in 1970 to 1987;
- Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Viktor Anatolyevich Matveev - from 1987 to 2014;
- Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Leonid Vladimirovich Kravchuk - from 2014 to 2020;
- Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences Maxim Valentinovich Libanov - from 2020 to the present.