Izvestiia Akademii Nauk SSSR

(Proceedings of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR), scientific journals of sections and divisions of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. It is one of the traditional periodical publications of the academy and dates from the first academic journal, Commentarii (1728–51), and the successive serial publications that replaced it: Novi commentarii (1750–76), Acta (1778–86), Novi acta (1787–1806), Mémoires (1809–30), and Bulletin (1836–1906). The last of the series in pre-revolutionary times, Izvestiia imperatorskoi Akademii nauk (Proceedings of the Imperial Academy of Sciences), was begun in 1907.

Publication of Izvestiia Akademii nauk SSSR began in 1925. It was issued in physicomathematical and humanities sections beginning in 1928 and, beginning in 1931, in mathematics, natural sciences, and social sciences sections. In the 1930’s, after the formation of eight divisions within the academy, the journal began to be published in seven series in all the natural science divisions, as well as in the technical sciences. The series Otdelenie literatury i iazyka (Division of Literature and Language) was begun in 1940; in 1951, Seriia geograficheskaia i geofizicheskaia (Geography and Geophysics Series) was divided into two publications. After the reorganization of the academy in the 1960’s and the formation of four sections and 17 divisions within it, Izvestiia Akademii nauk SSSR began to be published in 20 series in Moscow and Novosibirsk. (The body of which each series is the organ, as well as the year in which it began publication under that name and the number of issues per year, is indicated below within parentheses.) All series of Izvestiia Akademii nauk SSSR publish articles and communications on subjects in their particular field. The only exception is Seriia fizicheskaia (Physics Series), which publishes only scientific reports on problems of physics that have been read at general meetings of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR or at congresses and conferences organized by the academy. Series of Izvestiia Akademii nauk SSSR that were being published as of the end of 1971 are listed in the following paragraphs.

The Section of Physical-Technical and Mathematical Sciences publishes six series: Seriia fizicheskaia (Physics Series, organ of the section, since 1936; 12 issues a year), Seriia matematicheskaia (Mathematics Series, Division of Mathematics, since 1937; six issues a year), Energetika i transport (Power Engineering and Transportation, Division of Physical-Technical Problems of Power Engineering, since 1963; six issues a year), Mekhanika tverdogo tela (Solid-state Mechanics, Division of Mechanics and Control Processes, since 1966; six issues a year), Mekhanika zhidkosti i gaza (Liquid and Gas Mechanics, Division of Mechanics and Control Processes, since 1966; six issues a year), and Tekhnicheskaia kibernetika (Technical Cybernetics, Division of Mechanics and Control Processes, since 1963; six issues a year).

The section of Chemical Engineering and Biological Sciences publishes four series: Seriia khimicheskaia (Chemistry Series, organ of the section, since 1936; 12 issues a year), Seriia biologi-cheskaia (Biology Series, organ of the section, founded in 1935; six issues a year), Metally (Metals, Division of Physical Chemistry and the Technology of Inorganic Materials, since 1959; six issues a year), and Neorganicheskie materialy (Inorganic Materials, Division of Physical Chemistry and the Technology of Inorganic Materials, since 1965; 12 issues a year).

The Earth Sciences Section publishes four series: Seriia geologicheskaia (Geology Series, Division of Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry; since 1936; 12 issues a year), Fizika Zemli (Physics of the Earth, Division of Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry; since 1965; 12 issues a year), Fizika atmosfery i okeana (Physics of the Atmosphere and Ocean, Division of Oceanography, Physics of the Atmosphere, and Geography; since 1965; 12 issues a year), and Seriia geograficheskaia (Geography Series, Division of Oceanography, Physics of the Atmosphere, and Geography; since 1951; six issues a year).

The Social Sciences Section publishes two series: Seriia ekonomicheskaia (Economics Series, Division of Economics, since 1970; six issues a year) and Seriia literatura i iazyka (Literature and Language Series, since 1940; six issues a year).

From 1957 to 1962 the Siberian Division of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR published Izvestiia Sibirskogo otdeleniia Akademii nauk SSSR (Proceedings of the Siberian Division of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR) as a single edition. Since 1963, four series have been published in which the research conducted in scientific institutions and higher educational institutions in Siberia and the Far East is published: Seriia tekhnkhes-kikh nauk (Technical Sciences Series; three issues a year), Seriia khimicheskikh nauk (Chemical Sciences Series; six issues a year; contains works on inorganic, organic, and, in part, physical chemistry, except for areas dealt with by the specialized journals of the Siberian Division of the academy—Strukturnaia khimiia [Structural Chemistry] and Kinetika i kataliz [Kinetics and Catalysis]), Seriia biologicheskikh i meditsinskikh nauk (Biological and Medical Sciences Series; three issues a year), and Seriia obshchestvennykh nauk (Social Sciences Series; three issues a year).