For the first time in historiography, the article summarizes the activities of S. V. Kaftanov on the Soviet atomic program development during his tenure as the GKO Plenipotentiary for Science, Chairman of the Committee on Higher School Affairs of the USSR, Peoples Commissar / Minister of Higher Education of the USSR in the 1940s — 1951. The relevance of focusing on this person is due to the fact that he was one of the first high-ranking statesmen who understood the potential of the military atom and to initiated “work on uranium”. Kaftanov’s contribution to the launch and advancement of the atomic program USSR in the 1940s is highlighted.His participation in sustaining and developing the personnel, scientific, and educational basis of the Soviet atomic program is covered (from the mid-1940s until Kaftanov left the post of Minister of Higher Education of the USSR in 1951). It is delineated the consequences of these efforts for the emerging atomic industry, the Soviet education system, and the training of scientific and technical personnel. The study is based on administrative documents found in archives and published in thematic collections, as well as personal sources. The work illustrates the importance of personal contributions to large-scale undertakings. It supplements of Kaftanov’s scientific biography. Also it fosters a deeper understanding of the mechanisms of interaction between politics, science, and education in the USSR in the designated chronological period.
Natalia Melnikova (Wed,) studied this question.