November 27 marks the day of the foundation of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, it is also rich in historical events.
Foundation Day of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine
This day reminds of the scientific and cultural progress of Ukraine. This day has special significance due to the celebration of the Foundation Day of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NAS of Ukraine). The commemoration of this event honors scientists who contributed to the development of science, technology and culture of the country with their work.
The National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine was established on November 27, 1918 by decree of Hetman Pavlo Skoropadskyi. It was a significant event that laid the foundations of the scientific life of the young Ukrainian state. The Academy united talented scientists whose achievements became an important contribution to world science. Among the founders were outstanding scientists: Academician Volodymyr Vernadskyi, who became the first president of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, and other well-known scientists.
Since 1962, Paton Borys Yevhenovich has continuously been the president of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (initially the president of the Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR) – the first Hero of Ukraine, twice Hero of the USSR. He was last re-elected as president in 2015. Paton did not submit an application for the General Assembly of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine scheduled for April 16, 2020. He died on August 19, 2020 at the age of 102. Paton believed that “one must be able to work with both the head and the hands. When you eat a pound of salt with the factory people, you will immediately understand what they need from science”, and the formula for happiness is that “people need your life and your activity”.
Today, the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine is a multidisciplinary organization that unites researchers in various fields of knowledge: natural, technical, humanitarian and social sciences. Its institutions deal with solving modern problems, implementing innovative technologies and training new generations of scientists.
Photo: zn.ua
Interesting facts about science in Ukraine
Volodymyr Vernadskyi was one of the founders of biogeochemistry and the first president of the academy. His works on the noosphere influenced the formation of modern ecology.
Kyiv Polytechnic Institute is one of the oldest and most famous technical universities in Eastern Europe, founded in 1898, and has given rise to many inventions in the field of engineering.
KB “Pivdenne” and “Pivdenmash” in Dnipro created launch vehicles that were used to launch satellites and spacecraft as part of international programs.
Ihor Sykorskyi, a well-known aircraft designer born in Kyiv, was engaged in the creation of innovative instruments even in his youth, among which was the first microscope of his own design.
The Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics in Kyiv became a center of developments in the field of genetic engineering, including the decoding of the wheat genome.
Currently, Ukraine occupies a leading place in the world in terms of the number of IT specialists and startups working in the field of artificial intelligence, blockchain and software.
Historical events on this day
1095 – announcement of the First Crusade.
At the cathedral in Clermont, Pope Urban II called for a crusade to liberate the Holy Land from the Muslims. This call marked the beginning of a series of crusades that significantly influenced the history of medieval Europe and the Middle East.
1620 – the pilgrims landed in America.
A group of English settlers, known as the Pilgrims, landed on the coast of the modern state of Massachusetts after arriving on the Mayflower ship. This event marked the beginning of the colonization of North America.
1895 – Alfred Nobel signed his will.
Swedish inventor and industrialist Alfred Nobel decided that his property after his death would be used to create a Nobel Prize fund. This award later became one of the most prestigious in the world.
1897 – the Yenakiiv metallurgical plant was put into operation.
One of the oldest metallurgical enterprises of Ukraine, the Yenakiyiv plant, became an important industrial facility that made a significant contribution to the development of metallurgy in the region.
1918 – the first meeting of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences.
At the first constituent meeting, Volodymyr Vernadskyi was elected president of the Academy, and Agatangel Krymskyi – its secretary. This event laid the foundation of scientific life in Ukraine.
1939 year – creation of Lviv and Drohobytsk regions.
After the accession of Western Ukraine to the USSR, new administrative and territorial units were formed – Lviv and Drohobytsk regions. This became part of the process of integrating these territories into the Soviet state.
1952 year – the first flight of the Lviv trolleybus.
On this day, a new type of transport – a trolleybus – began operating in Lviv. It became a symbol of the progress of the city’s infrastructure and significantly improved transport accessibility for residents.
1971 year – landing of the automatic station “Mars-2”.
The Soviet space mission attempted to land on Mars. Although the spacecraft made a hard landing, the event was an important step in space exploration. “Mars-2” transmitted valuable scientific information that contributed to further missions to the red planet.
November 27, 1701 Anders Celsius was born in the Swedish city of Uppsala, an outstanding astronomer, geologist and meteorologist. At the age of 29, he became a professor of astronomy at Uppsala University, where he founded an astronomical observatory.
Among the scientific achievements of Celsius are:
- accurate measurement of the brightness of 300 stars using a special system of glass plates;
- collecting a collection of 316 aurora observations and proposing a hypothesis about their connection with the Earth’s magnetic fields;
- the most famous discovery is a thermometer scale divided into 100 degrees. It is interesting that at first the scale was reversed: the boiling point of water was marked at 0°, and the freezing point at 100°. Later, the biologist Carl Linnaeus changed it to the one we use today.
The expression “Steam does not break bones” belongs to Celsius.
November 27, 2018 For the first time, the Chernivtsi customs office of the SFS issued a vehicle with European license plates under new preferential customs clearance conditions. The first such car was the 2004 Renault Laguna with a diesel engine and German registration. This was the beginning of a new practice that allowed car owners on “euro-roads” to legally register their vehicles according to simplified rules.
On November 10, 2021, the period of preferential customs clearance of vehicles on “Eurolanes” ended. Preferential conditions for customs clearance were used to encourage owners of European cars to legalize their vehicles in Ukraine, offering a reduction in customs payments.
During the entire grace period, 2.3 billion hryvnias were received in the state budget. These funds became an important additional resource for the country’s economy, and the preferential regime for customs clearance allowed a significant number of Ukrainians to officially register their cars.
November 27, 2017 experts of the World Economic Forum published a ranking of countries by the level of organized crime. Ukraine took 113th place among 137 positions, although the data took into account only the first half of the year. This indicated a high level of organized crime in the country.
In 2020, Ukraine fell in the ranking of European countries by the level of crime, taking 47th place. The situation worsened already in 2021, when in October Ukraine reached the 34th position on this list. Experts recognized the country as having a high level of crime and a low ability of the authorities to effectively counter it.
The rating was formed on the basis of the following criteria:
- The scale and influence of criminal markets.
- The structure and impact of four types of crime:
- mafia,
- criminal networks,
- criminal structures integrated into state bodies,
- foreign criminal organizations.
- State resistance to organized crime.
By comparison, Poland ranked 143rd, and countries with an even worse situation include Congo, Colombia, Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Government of Ukraine took a number of steps to combat organized crime: the Cabinet of Ministers supported the project of the Combat Strategy, and the NSDC introduced sanctions. New equipment was purchased – helicopters, electric scooters and other equipment for law enforcement officers. However, the effectiveness of these measures raised doubts, and by the end of 2021 the situation remained disappointing.
According to Numbeo database statistics, Ukraine received a crime index of 47.42, ranking 80th in the world. The safety index was 52.58, which is slightly above the average level. Qatar was recognized as the safest country with indicators of 12.13 (crime) and 87.87 (security). Experts emphasized that in countries with high crime, some crimes are simply not registered, which distorts the real picture.
In 2022, Global Risk Assessment analysts recognized Ukraine as one of the most dangerous countries in the world. In 2023, Ukraine took 57th place in the security rating among 136 countries with an indicator of 47.42 crimes per 100,000 inhabitants according to official statistics.
Once upon a time, Minister Arsen Avakov, starting reforms in the police force, proclaimed:
“Dear law enforcement officers. You are at the service of the people, of the people. You serve only them. None of you have the moral right to follow orders directed against the people you serve. This is fundamentally important. And for those who have lost their honor and conscience… I will ensure total control over what happens. There will be no arbitrariness!”.
These words sounded beautiful and encouraging, but as time shows, the reality turned out to be completely different.
