Academy of Sciences of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic

the highest scholarly institution in the Armenian SSR. Founded in 1943 on the basis of the Armenian branch of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. Located in Yerevan. As of 1968 there were four honorary academicians, 43 academicians, 44 corresponding members, and two foreign members of the academy.

The academy consists of five departments and 21 scientific research institutes. There are departments of physicotechnical and mathematical sciences (scientific research institutes: mathematics and mechanics, physical research, and radiophysics and electronics); chemical sciences (scientific research institutes: fine organic chemistry, organic chemistry, and biochemistry); earth sciences (scientific research institutes: geological sciences, and geophysics and engineering seismology); biological sciences (scientific research institutes: botany, zoology, microbiology, the L. Orbela Institute of Physiology, agrochemical problems and hydrology, experimental biology); and social sciences (scientific research institutes: history, archaeology and ethnography, the R. Acharian Institute of Language, the M. A. Abegian Institute of Literature, economics, art, and philosophy and law). There are also a number of other scientific research institutes including the Biurakan Astrophysical Observatory; a computer center; the Biurakan Opticomechanical Laboratory; laboratories of chemical physics, biophysics, and neurobionics; the Sevan Hydrobiological Station; a department of oriental studies; and others. The library system of the academy—a main library, three branches, and other locations—had more than 1,845,000 items in 1968.

Research is being conducted primarily in terrestrial and extra-atmospheric astronomy; mathematics and cybernetics; radiophysics and radio astronomy; the physics and mechanics of solids (mechanics of new materials, the physics of semiconductors, the physics of polymers, and radiation physics); geology, geophysics, engineering seismology (stratigraphy, tectonics, metallogeny, vulcanology, seismic phenomena and their effect on structures, the development of antiseismic measures); the chemistry of natural and synthetic materials, fine organic synthesis; the biological bases for increased productivity of animals and plants; the functional biochemistry of the nervous system, neurophysiology, neurobionics, and microbiological synthesis; the development of quantitative methods of investigation in the social sciences (economic science, mathematical linguistics, archaeology, and sociological problems); and Armenian studies.

The academy publishes the following journals: Aiastani gitutunneri akademiai zekuitsner (Papers), since 1944, in Armenian and Russian; Astrofizika (Astrophysics), since 1965; Patma banasirakan andes (Historical-Philosophical Journal), since 1958, in Armenian and Russian; Aikakan khimiakan amsagir (Armenian Chemical Journal), since 1957, in Armenian and Russian; Izvestiia (Newsletter, in five series), since 1948; Aiastani kensabanakan andes (Biological Journal of Armenia), since 1948, in Armenian and Russian; Lraber asarakakan gitutiunneri (Herald of Social Sciences), since 1966, in Armenian; Zhurnal eksperimental’noi i klinicheskoi meditsiny (Journal of Experimental and Clinical Medicine), since 1962, in Armenian and Russian; transactions of the institutes; and other scientific literature. It is also preparing the Armenian Soviet Encyclopedia for publication.

Presidents of the Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR have been I. A. Orbeli (1943–47) and V. A. Ambartsumian (since 1947), an academician of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR.