The Private World of Soviet Scientists from Stalin to Gorbachev

The article is dedicated to the book "The Private World of Soviet Scientists from Stalin to Gorbachev" by Maria Rogacheva. The main goal of the author is to trace and characterize the changes that occurred in Soviet society after the death of Stalin on the example of the life of the scientist's community. To achieve this goal, the researcher uses personally collected interviews in the science city Chernogolovka and archival materials, including documents and journalistic works. The goal of the study was to examine the private lives of members of the Soviet scientific community through the case study of Chernogolovka and to map out their relationship with authorities in the USSR. The book describes the history of the scientific community of Chernogolovka as a late Soviet science city from the moment of its creation in 1956 until 1985. It is noted that Academician Nikolai Semyonov played the main role in the foundation of the science city. The author describes the living conditions and political views of the local scientific community. Many years later, life in Soviet Chernogolovka is remembered as prosperous. This contrasts with the description of everyday life, which is known from archival data. The author examines political life and writes about a wide range of opinions in the local scientific community. M. Rogacheva concluding that Soviet scientists counted on the optimism of the post-war years and were part of the Soviet scientific system, concluding an unspoken agreement with the state to support the political course in exchange for resources. The book is an important contribution to the discussion about the relationship between scientists and the state apparatus.