3. History of science and technique

T.R. Hryshchenko

Ph.D in History, Head of the Sector of Science Center for History of Agrarian Science

National Scientific Agricultural Library of the National Academy of Agrarian Sciences

 

BRANCH PERIODICAL JOURNALS AS THE POWERFUL INFORMATIONAL SOURCE OF SCIENTIFICALLY-ORGANIZATIONAL ACTIVITY OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE OF UKRAINE IN 1918–1927

 

The problem of the place and role of periodicals in the scientific and organizational support for the agricultural sector of Ukraine is complex and multifaceted. At each stage of socio-historical process periodicals covering not only scientific knowledge, but also served as their promoter.

Agricultural journals attracted attention in many aspects – bibliographic, source, historical and scientific. In the 20–30-ies of XX century pawned network management of agriculture and science , research institutions, and organizations , as well as the formation of the periodical industry in Ukraine .

The study of Ukrainian periodicals in this period involved L. Bykovskiy, V. Ihnatiyenko, V. Ilinskiy, P. Zlenko, D. Lysychenko, J. Mezhenko, M. Saharda et al.

Today the saved source periodicals can be in many cases the only means of reconstruction and in-depth study of complex unexplored individual stages of development of agricultural science and research affairs. Periodicals marked multilateralism play significant events and information saturation.

Historians are increasingly turning to periodicals – scientific, industry, science-fiction, general. The process of rethinking historical events, returning the names undeservedly forgotten scientists legacy which has remained largely reflected only in the pages of periodicals. First and foremost among them should be called victims of the repression in the period, who worked in the Agricultural Scientific Committee of Ukraine – O. Vanheym, M. Wolf, E. Oppokov and so on.

Advances in various fields of agriculture, communications and the life sciences, and other issues and problems found in the pages of bright lighting periodicals. Journals in hot pursuit reflect reality and are an effective means of scientific communication, significantly contributing to the rise of agricultural science. Over time they have become a powerful source of more or less accurate, but the actual day – specific information on a wide variety of events. Some materials are preserved only in the pages of periodicals, which undoubtedly is an important scientific fact.

The first attempt to coordinate research activities of state, public and private institutions in agriculture was conducted in 1918 with the organization in Kiev Agricultural Scientific Committee of Ukraine, which became the highest nationwide agricultural research organization in almost all areas created his cell.

During the 20- ies of XX century marked burst of scientific creativity and left for posterity outstanding achievements and discoveries in the field of agriculture and related sciences. At this time powerful galaxy of eminent scientists Ukraine, most of which formed in the best traditions of the imperial epoch: A. Bychyhin, D. Vilensky, E. Votchal, K. Giedroyc, A. Dushechkin , E. Zaslavsky, M. Egorov , B. Yenken, I. Ivanov, M. Kulishov , G. Makhov , B. Rozhestvensky, V  Sazanov, A. Sapyehin , A. Sokolowski , V. Tayirove, G. Tanfilev, A. Yanata and many others.

According to the Committee of the Press in the late twenties years of last century in USSR there were 21 publishers, representing more than 98% of books and 12 small printers (Publishing Department agencies and academic institutions). Formation planned system of agricultural publications mainly concentrated in institutions: Publications Department of Land Affairs of the People's Commissariat of the USSR, Agricultural Scientific Committee of Ukraine and the State Publishing House of Ukraine. Currently, there are major central journals: “Journal of Agricultural Sciences”, “Agricultural Experimental Deed”, “Agronomy”, “Soviet Peasant”, “Young Researcher” and others, the value of which is difficult to overestimate today.

In the twenties years of last century Agricultural Scientific Committee of Ukraine played a significant role in the revival of publishing. The research work was crucial institutions with a hard period of the state of new social and political order. Committee on the first day of its foundation paid much attention to the spread of agricultural knowledge print media and their conservation. Agricultural Scientific Committee of Ukraine together with research stations (the Commissariat institutions USSR) gave 85% of all agricultural scientific publications.

Bibliographic Bureau and Population Section at Agricultural Scientific Committee of Ukraine performed work on the collection, preservation in the Library Committee and the sectored distribution of knowledge. It is said that created the Central Agricultural Library of Agricultural Scientific Committee of Ukraine in Kiev, which had more than 100,000 titles, and the library at Agricultural Scientific Committee of Ukraine Commissariat which had more than 30,000 titles. According to our calculations, during 1918–1927 periodic heritage of Agricultural Scientific Committee of Ukraine has more than 25 publications.

In conclusion, it should be noted that out of the journals as an effective living cell exchange of information on science and research branch of the case, a variety of scientific developments and powerful tools for science popularization paid considerable attention from leading national coordinating center of Agricultural Scientific Committee of Ukraine. It made a significant contribution to the national agricultural science and research deed and development of agricultural publishing.

Branch periodical journals at the beginning of the XX century were not only a reflection of the life of agricultural science and its consequences, but also a powerful factor in the establishment and progressive development of the science.