The past can not be returned. Russia will no longer be a great scientific power

Sergei Kirienko was awarded the title of "Hero of Russia" for his participation in the development of new types of nuclear weapons. Unfortunately, all the valuable developments of domestic scientists created in the Soviet years. These are atomic, space and military technologies. These areas need further development, but there are no ambitious plans for them
Last week, the public learned about two different, but actually interrelated news. Sergei Kiriyenko, who oversees internal policy issues in the Kremlin, turns out to be awarded the title Hero of Russia, and 546 billion rubles are expected to be spent on the implementation of the national project on science.

"Heroic feat" Kirienko was to develop new types of nuclear weapons, which is directly related to scientific technologies. The media and social networks routinely mocked the award, although, in fact, the reason for the irony was a gap in the latest Russian award-winning product line. In Soviet times, there were two "heroes" - "Hero of the Soviet Union" and "Hero of Socialist Labor". Scientists-nuclear scientists and the leaders who created above them, who created the atomic bomb, were awarded the last title. Now, proceeding from the new capitalist realities, the heroes of the socialist labor were removed as superfluous. True, in 2013, returned the "Hero of Labor", but the prestige of this title - no, why Kirienko and the "hero" is simple, which gives rise to irony.

It is worth noting that of the sixteen times Heroes of Socialist Labor - ten - are from the Soviet atomic project. It was the nuclear scientists that the Soviet homeland bestowed most generously. The rocketists did not rise above the heroes of the socialist army twice, like the same Sergei Korolev.

The transfer of the businessman Komsomol Kirienko to Rosatom is quite within the Soviet paradigm of "talented leaders" - "effective managers." Likewise, 60 years ago, Lavrentii Beria, a man without any higher education at all, began to lead the creation of the atomic bomb, and it was not unsuccessful. He achieved the reproduction of the American model in four years - an outstanding result, taking into account the state of the then infrastructure.

Soviet science was primarily a military science, working for defense. Today, the task (based on President Vladimir Putin's decree of May 7, 2018, which requires 546 billion rubles) is to create science in Russia, first of all, a civilian, open world.

Putin set uneasy goals for his subordinates: "ensuring the presence of the Russian Federation among the five leading countries of the world that carry out scientific research <...>, the attractiveness of work in the Russian Federation for Russian and foreign leading scientists and young prospective researchers." In the same place, we are talking about "an outstripping increase in domestic spending on research and development" and on "the development of a network of unique scientific facilities of the" megascience "class, as well as the" creation of at least 15 world-class science and education centers ".

How realistic are these tasks?

Time of budgetary savings

When Joseph Stalin set the task of creating nuclear weapons, then all the resources of the country were thrown at her, and the responsible scientists knew what they would do for failure to fulfill the commission. Today we, fortunately, live in different conditions, and for failure to comply with the instructions of the directive bodies, severe punishments are not provided. Also, fortunately, for the sake of execution at any cost, the latest resources will not be withdrawn. We have already considered this situation in connection with the government's report in March this year, as it failed its promises five years ago. In particular, it was not kept promises that "the internal costs of research and development should have been 2.48% of GDP by 2018." According to the latest published data, this figure is 1.1%.

According to last year's study of the Higher School of Economics, Russia is on the 35th place in the world in terms of budget spending on science. The top five leaders are Israel (4.25%), South Korea (4.23%), Switzerland (3.42%), Japan (3.29%) and Sweden (3.28%). If we look at the situation in monetary terms, Russia is on the tenth place - $ 37.3 billion, while India has $ 50.3 billion, and Taiwan is breathing in the back of the head with $ 33.6 billion. Even Brazil spends more on science - $ 38.4 billion

The next six years is a time of strict budgetary economy. Russia is just starting to get out of the economic recession. Actually, there has been no serious growth for ten years, since 2008. GDP is marking time. As in such conditions to move science forward, but with seven-league steps - it is completely incomprehensible. We have already seen the creation in Moscow of an "international financial center". Before our eyes, the pension reform in Zurabovski failed. And the creation of the Innovation Center Skolkovo did not bring him one iota closer to the Silicon Valley. The Russian government is not responsible for its promises.

Lack of demand for innovation

In Russia there is little demand for innovative developments. If the economy is entirely tied to the extraction and export of hydrocarbons, then it would be naive to wait for the development of knowledge-intensive industries. Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan have become great science-intensive economies, roughly speaking, from poverty. The oil monarchies of the Persian Gulf do not try to keep up with Israel or South Korea in this sense. They develop as an alternative to natural fossil tourism, entertainment, shopping, the provision of financial services. And they also invest money actively around the world.