History

The history of our Institute begins with The Institute of Mechanics of the USSR Academy of Sciences, which was founded in May 1939 as a part of the Technical Sciences Division. Prominent Soviet scientists occupied the position of the director of the Institute in different years: Academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences Boris Grigoryevich Galerkin, Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences Nikolay Gur'yevich Chetaev, Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences Alexey Antonovich Ilyushin, Professor A.A. Nikolsky.

The structure of the Institute of Mechanics of the USSR Academy of Sciences included the department of theory of elasticity and plasticity, the department of gas dynamics, the laboratory of durability, the department of aerodynamics, the department of hydrodynamics and filtration, the department of wave dynamics, the department of shell theory, the department of analytical mechanics, the department of dynamic durability, the department of cavitation and water ballistics, and the department of thermo-hydrodynamics. The Institute played a significant role in the development of mechanics in the USSR.

However, in the mid-60s of the 20th century, mechanics faced fundamental problems that were important for the development of all natural sciences in general and technology in particular. These problems were primarily at the junction of mechanics with physics, chemistry and biology.

The Institute for Problems in Mechanics of the USSR Academy of Sciences was conceived as a major scientific center conducting research in the fields of mechanics, which are of considerable relevance in a fairly close perspective for science and technology, but not developed or insufficiently developed by teams of mechanics of industry institutes and universities. The institute was supposed to become a uniting center for mechanics of the USSR, maintaining living links with the main institutions and research teams in the field of mechanics.

The Institute for Problems in Mechanics of the USSR Academy of Sciences was organized on the 8th of January, 1965 in accordance with the Decree No. 385 of 04.12.64 of the Presidium of the USSR Academy of Sciences, signed by the President of the USSR Academy of Sciences M.V. Keldysh in order to ensure the development of research on new problems of mechanics. Alexander Yulyevich Ishlinsky, an eminent mechanical scientist of our time, was the founder and first director of the institute and had been remaining in office until 1989 and the honorary director until the end of his life. Under his leadership, the Institute became the largest scientific center of the country in the field of mechanics.

The Institute for Problems in Mechanics was entrusted with conduction of basic scientific research in new areas of mechanics using the latest achievements of related sciences: physics, mathematics, and chemistry. The main scientific areas included studies on physical gas dynamics (mechanics of combustion, explosion, shock waves and plasma; mechanical action of laser beams); on mechanics of polymers (study of durability of polymers with regard to their physico-mechanical structure and transformations); on chemical mechanics (hydrodynamics of fluidized bed and other multiphase systems, hydrodynamics of reactive systems, mechanics of anomalous fluids); on dynamics of inelastic media (dynamics of heterogeneous systems, in particular, soils at high strain rates); on control theory (problems of optimal stabilization and correction, problems of meeting the motions of controlled systems).

It was noted in the Decree of the USSR Academy of Sciences on the foundation of the institute that the Institute for Problems in Mechanics would be located in the building of the Institute of Mechanics of the USSR Academy of Sciences on Leningradsky Prospekt, but in the same Decree Chernopyatov K.N., authorized by the Presidium of the USSR Academy of Sciences, was entrusted to prepare proposals for the construction of a new building in Moscow.

The new building was built in the South-West of Moscow. In those years, it was clearly visible from still undeveloped Prospekt Vernadskogo. The relocation of the Institute to the new building was accomplished in 1976–1977. In those years, Mikhail Ivanovich Yakushin, a famous experimenter and good organizer, was one of the deputy directors in charge of construction.

Construction of the Institute, 1971–1974

During the existence of the Institute, there have been changes in the subject and structure, triggered both by the development and emergence of new areas of mechanics and the necessity to solve vital practical problems.

In 1989, the Institute was headed by Academician Dmitry Mikhailovich Klimov, who for the next 15 years of being in office was keeping the Institute traditions, which had been established by A.Yu. Ishlinsky.

IPMech RAS. May, 2003

From 2004 to 2015, the Institute was headed by Academician F.L. Chernousko. In 2008, the Institute was named after Academician A.Yu. Ishlinsky, and the memorial plaques to Academicians A.Yu. Ishlinsky and S.A. Khristianovich were opened. Large scientific schools headed by world-famous scientists have been formed over the long history of the Institute.

The memorial plaques to Academicians A.Yu. Ishlinsky and S.A. Khristianovich are unveiled. 2008

In 2015, Academician S.T. Surzhikov was elected as the Director of the Institute. At present, the research laboratories of the Institute carry out fundamental research on a wide range of problems in mechanics and related disciplines under the Basic Research Program of the State Academies of Sciences, within the framework of Federal and target programs, and under programs of international scientific cooperation and under agreements with various organizations in Russia and abroad.

In 2018, doctor of physics and mathematics S.E. Yakush was elected as the Director of the Institute.

Since the organization of the Russian Foundation for Basic Research, the Institute employees annually win 30-40 initiative grants, as well as other support grants. The Institute has connections with related institutions of the Russian Academy of Sciences located in Moscow (A.A. Blagonravov Institute for Machine Science, V.A. Trapeznikov Institute for Control Problems, M.V. Keldysh Institute of Applied Mathematics, V.A. Steklov Mathematical Institute) and in St.-Petersburg (Institute for Problems in Mechanical Engineering of the Russian Academy of Sciences), as well as with the Institutes of the Siberian, Ural and Far Eastern Branches of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

IPMech RAS. Present time

The scientific research of the Institute is applied in areas such as aviation and rocket technology, space research, instrument engineering, robotics and mechatronics, geophysics and mining, tribotechnology, nanotechnology, biomechanics, astrophysics.

The Institute carries out wide cooperation with leading industry institutes and organizations and performs work under contracts with institutions such as Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI), Krylov State Research Center (TsNII. A.N. Krylova), Central Research Institute of Machine Building (TSNIIMash), Moscow Institute of Thermal Technology, S.P. Korolev RSC Energia, Concern CSRI Elektropribor, Ilyushin Aviation Complex, Railway Research Institute (JSC VNIIZHT), All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Natural Gases and Gas Technologies (VNIIGAZ) and many others.

The Directors of the Institute