The Role of Russian Science Schools in Adoption and Development of Mechanization and Electrification in Agriculture in Russia (1920–2023)

Abstract

The article analyzes the establishment and development of agricultural engineering science schools and their role in the adoption of agricultural mechanization and electrification in Russia in 1920–2023. The logic of the research conducted following scientific methods and procedures required definition of the key periods (pre-World War II 1920–1940 period, post-World War II 1945–1990 period, and the more recent 1991–2023 period). In the prewar period, the fundamentals of agricultural engineering science were developed to lay a strong foundation in science. The agricultural machinery development and introduction tended to come to the fore. The postwar period is characterized by the rapid development in all the spheres of agricultural mechanization and engineering, dealing with new agricultural machinery design, research methodology improvement, new, more efficient engineering technologies provision, and consolidation of efforts of representatives from the field of agricultural engineering science, including machinery and equipment manufacturers and testing experts. In the early 1990s, a significant reorganization was carried out in the field of engineering and technology of the Russian agricultural industrial complex. The Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences was established. Within the framework reforms of the Russian Academy of Sciences in October 2013, two state academies, the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences and the Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, were set to merge with the Russian Academy of Sciences to form a single institution, the Russian Academy of Sciences. In 2016, the Federal Science Agency for Research Organizations in Russia intended to arrange a network made up of standard research institutions and affiliate members to create the federal science centers, based on the research institutes focusing on related areas of research interest. Disciples of Academician Vasily P. Goryachkin work for these research institutes and centers. They develop the rich scientific heritage of Vasily P. Goryachkin, upgrading the agricultural engineering science and technology policy system to a higher level with the use of the best scientific traditions in Russia.