Heading the Academy. An unknown page in the history of struggle of Petersburg scientists for their rights (1746)
In the given article an unknown episode from the history of formation of Russian science and the Russian-West European scientific connections of the second quarter of the 18th century is investigated. The struggle of scientists of Petersburg Academy of Sciences against the Russian bureaucracy lasted for two decades (the plot is described by the author in the monograph At Sources of Democratic Traditions in the Russian Science. Sketches of History of Russian-German Scientific Connections. - Novosibirsk: Science, 2003), before they managed to get their best. The opposition abounded with bright scenes, uncompromising collisions of characters, persons, fates, ups and downs of the participants of the drama. One of such unforgettable episodes was in spring of 1746 when, having conceded to the pressure of scientists, the government was compelled to transfer its control over the Academy. In the article the senatorial decree of March 6, 1746, the historic session of the Academic Conference of March 10, 1746, and the struggle of scientists against the academic bureaucracy in the conditions of the changed balance of forces are thoroughly analysed. Studying the senatorial decree, the author comes to a conclusion that the delegation of power in the Academy from the officials to the scientists was a compelled, unnatural measure the government was forced to take. Conceding to the professors, the Russian power opened a way to ideas and relations alien to Russia. For the first time in the Russian society entirely consisting from noble and bureaucratic institutes, an establishment was created (a public institution!) which was based on democratic management principles. Describing the session of the Conference on March 10, the author restores event hour by hour. The article provides facts the history of science did not know about till now - the participation of the Russian side in the question of power distribution in the Academy, strengthening of the anti-bureaucratic front, estimation of events in the European scientific circles, etc. The struggle of scientists against bureaucracy in the conditions of the changed balance of forces, as the author shows, took new forms, but did not weaken and left an indelible trace in the history of Russian and European science.