History of the institute

• Laboratory of Chemistry of Nonaqueous Solutions of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR Decree of the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR No. 991, dated October 10, 1974
• Department of Chemistry of Nonaqueous Solutions of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR Decree of the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR No. 293, dated February 23, 1978
• Institute of Chemistry of Nonaqueous Solutions of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR Decree of the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR No. 146, dated January 22, 1981
• Institute of Solution Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences Decree of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences No. 214, dated December 26, 1997
• Institution of the Russian Academy of Sciences "Institute of Solution Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences", Decree of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences No. 274, dated December 18, 2007
• Institution of the Russian Academy of Sciences "G.A. Krestov Institute of Solution Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences", Decree of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences No. 96, dated May 10, 2011
• Federal State-Financed Institution of Science "G.A. Krestov Institute of Solution Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences", Decree of the Presidium of the Russian Academy of Sciences No. 262, dated December 13, 2011

 

The history of the Institute of Solution Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences dates back to 1974 when the Laboratory of Chemistry of Nonaqueous Solutions of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR was opened at Ivanovo Institute of Chemistry and Technology (IICT). The founder and the first director of the Institute was Winner of the USSR Government Award, Honoured Scientist of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic, Associate Member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR Gennady Alekseyevich Krestov, who was Rector of the IICT at that time.

In 1979, the Laboratory of Chemistry of Nonaqueous Solutions was transformed into a department to act as an independent research institution of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. The signing of the document about the establishment of the Department was preceded by a visit of Full Member of the Academy of Sciences A.P. Aleksandrov who came to Ivanovo eighteen months before the document was signed and commended the results of the research and developments in the field of chemistry and chemical engineering achieved by the scientists in Ivanovo. The Institute of Chemistry of Nonaqueous Solutions (ICNS) was first of all meant to become the only academic institution of the Academy of Sciences in Ivanovo, where there were seven state higher educational institutions and several specialized (industry-specific) institutes. One of its main aims was to promote cooperation between these institutions.

 

 

Associate Member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR Gennady Alekseyevich Krestov	Decree No.146 of the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR of January 22, 1981 established the Institute of Chemistry of Nonaqueous Solutions of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR aiming at coordination of the activities of research institutions in the new promising basic research field and practical application of the development results at the enterprises of Ivanovo region. G.A. Krestov was appointed Director of the Institute and soon (on December 29, 1981) was elected Associate Member of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR. At that time Krestov's school was developing the principles of a new structural thermodynamic approach to solvation studies combining two separate directions of solution chemistry and was laying the theoretical foundations of chemistry of nonaqueous solutions. G.A. Krestov and his pupils created a structural thermodynamic theory of solvation that allowed the scientists to produce liquid phase materials with target properties, to use mixed solvents as an effective tool of process control, and to carry out reactions that cannot be realized in traditional pure solvents. The theoretical and experimental studies conducted at the Institute allowed it to develop and implement a whole series of advanced technologies in a number of industries. G.A. Krestov and his team of scientists were awarded the USSR State Award for the outstanding achievements in the field of science. G.A. Krestov, who was a respected scientist and a talented leader, together with his team of researchers made the Institute a scientific center recognized in Russia and abroad.
Full Member of the Academy of Sciences Akeksei Mitrofanovich Kutepov	An important role in the development of the Institute was played by Full Member of the Academy of Sciences Aleksei Mitrofanovich Kutepov, an outstanding Russian scientist who worked in the field of theory of chemical engineering, a winner of awards of the Government of the Russian Federation in the Field of Science and Engineering. A.M. Kutepov headed the Institute in 1994-2001, and in 2001-2004, he was the scientific supervisor of the ISC RAS and headed one of the research laboratories. His firm commitment, active research and managerial work during the hard times of reforms allowed the Institute not only to survive but also to preserve most of its research facilities and personnel. He founded the leading research school of the Institute that later (in 2003) received a grant of the President of the Russian Federation (НШ-1829.2003.3) in the field of chemical hydrodynamics, theory and practice of separation of heterogeneous systems. The leading research school founded by Full Member of the Academy of Sciences A.M. Kutepov continues its work now, and the results of the studies of his numerous pupils acknowledged in our country and abroad are widely used in design, reconstruction and operation of engineering equipment in the chemical industry, in the field of biotechnology and other specialized engineering areas.
Doctor of Chemical Sciences, Professor Anatoly Georgievich Zakharov	Honoured Scientist of the Russian Federation Anatoly Georgievich Zakharov headed the Institute in 2001-2016. Under his leadership, the Institute continued to do research in the field of solution chemistry and, most importantly, in addition to this, it began to develop the technology of liquid phase materials, an area of research representing one of the key priorities for the development of science and technology in the Russian Federation. For the developments in the chemistry and technology of new functional materials and industrial applications of effective technologies of manufacturing produce for textile, medical and engineering purposes, A.G. Zakharov and a team of his colleagues have twice received the Award of the Government of the Russian Federation in the Field of Science and Engineering. And today the team of the Laboratory of Physical Chemistry of Heterogeneous Polymer-Liquid Systems continues its research in this area under his supervision.
Doctor of Chemical Sciences Mikhail Grigorievich Kiselev	The present Director of the ISC RAS is Doctor of Chemical Sciences Mikhail Grigorievich Kiselev, a scientist whose professional interests include physico-chemical studies of the properties of a wide range of compounds in solutions in normal and supercritical conditions. M.G. Kiselev is head of the Laboratory of NMR Spectroscopy and Numerical Methods of Liquid System Investigation.

 The results of the research done by the laboratories of G.A. Krestov Institute of Solution Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences have attracted a lot of attention in the scientific community in Russia and abroad, strengthening and broadening the international cooperation of the Institute's workers with the theoretical and experimental scientists of the world's leading countries. And the leadership of the ISC RAS considers such cooperation to be essential in the modern scientific community. The only way to achieve this goal has always been and will be popularization of the Institute's research results by publishing papers in top-rated international journals, reporting the research results at international conferences and organizing and hosting such conferences.

The main aim of all research institutions of the Russian Academy of Sciences has until recently been basic research for gaining knowledge about the world around us. But the modern concept of an academic institution has been largely transformed. And now, in addition to further development of the theoretical concepts in a certain field of knowledge, a lot of attention is paid to the implementation of the research results in all possible areas of the state’s activity. And since now there are not enough specialized institutes that would deal with applied problems, their functions are also realized by academic institutions.
ISC RAS is now the only Russian specialized research institution whose main research activity focuses on solving fundamental problems of physicochemistry of solutions and theory of liquid state of matter. The importance and relevance of these studies stem from the fact that most chemical reactions, including high-volume chemical industrial processes and "fine" biochemical processes in living organisms, proceed in liquid phase. G.A. Krestov Institute of Solution Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences is among the most prominent scientific organizations of the Russian Federation in basic research in the field of chemistry of solutions and development of the theory of modern chemical technologies of obtaining new promising functional materials using solutions. In the last few years, the Institute has intensified its research into supercritical fluids, ionic liquids and sol-gel processes, supramolecular and biological chemistry. The leading research school founded by G.A. Krestov has made a great contribution to the development of the physico-chemical foundations of creating liquid phase, highly dispersed and nanosized materials and continues its work in order to find practical applications for the developed materials in new industrial processes.
The Institute's research has gained recognition of the Government of the Russian Federation. Five of the Institute's workers received the USSR State Award, thirteen are winners of the Award of the Government of the Russian Federation in the Field of Science and Engineering, six researchers received other Government awards: an Order of the Red Banner of Labour, an Order of Honour, and a medal of the Order of Merit for Service to Motherland, and numerous other medals. Nine researchers of ISC RAS were awarded the title of an "Honoured Worker of the Russian Federation", five - the title of an "Honoured Chemist", three - an "Honoured Worker of Higher Professional Education of the Russian Federation".
Gennady Alekseyevich Krestov used to say that the establishment of the ICNS was the first step on the way to creating of a large academic center in our city. He believed that the future of such center would be in integrating the development of the theory of chemical transformations in solutions with applied research and industrial production, and that the experimental facilities of the research laboratories and close cooperation with leading specialists would considerably broaden the possibilities for teaching students. Much has changed in the life of our country in the last three-plus decades. Unfortunately, some of the plans were not to be fulfilled. But the most important projects have been fully realized.
ISC RAS can be now truly called the center shaping and promoting scientific knowledge in the region, as the Institute often initiates and takes part in realization of a lot of undertakings in the region: establishment of Ivanovo Regional Research Coordination Center as an innovative organization and the Council for Science and Technology under the Governor of Ivanovo region as a regional coordination center; signing of an agreement between the Russian Foundation for Basic Research and Ivanovo region administration about joint funding of regional grants as a form of financial support and promotion of new promising scientific developments. A working group of the ISC RAS is responsible for organizing the participation of Ivanovo region representatives in international salons of innovations and investments. Quite a lot of federal and regional level research projects have been realized jointly by ISC RAS and the Universities of Ivanovo.