The Karelian Research Centre of RAS (KarRC RAS) is a state public institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences based in Petrozavodsk. It was founded on January 31, 1946. At the beginning of 2010, the centre employed 751 personnel, including 3 Corresponding Academicians, 70 Doctors of Science (DSc) and 214 Candidates of Science (PhD).
According to a 2006 book, KarRC RAS mission was stated as: organization and implementation of basic and applied research under governmental, academy and regional programmes, as well as under assignments from RAS divisions and exploration projects; the coordination of research activities carried out by KarRC RAS units, universities and other scientific organizations, organizations and institutions under ministries and departments, which work in the region; the organization of international scientific cooperation; the training of highly qualified scientific staff; the publication of its own editions (monographic books, volumes of collected papers, express editions, popular science books, brochures, etc.).
History
The KarRC RAS timeline of major events includes: 1930 — Complex Karelian Research Institute was founded 1937 — it was reorganized into the Karelian Research Institute of Culture 1946 — Karelian-Finnish Research Facility of the USSR AS with its scientific and general subdivisions was established 1949 — the Facility was renamed as the Karelian-Finnish Branch of the USSR AS 1956 — the Branch was renamed as the Karelian Branch of the USSR AS 1963 — the Karelian Branch was closed, the divisions became part of ministries and departments 1967 — the Karelian Branch of the USSR AS was reopened as a unity of 6 research institutions 1990 — the Karelian Branch was transformed into Karelian Research Centre of the USSR AS 1991 — became the Karelian Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences 2007 — renamed to the Russian Academy Institution Karelian Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences 2011 — renamed to Federal Public Budgetary Institution of Science Karelian Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences 2014 — renamed to Federal Public Budgetary Institution Karelian Research Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences
Karelian Research Institute (KRI) On the 24th of September, 1930, the Council of People's Commissars of the Autonomous Karelian SSR passed the resolution "On foundation of the Karelian Research (Complex) Institute – KRI". KRI began operating in 1931, and E. Gylling was appointed the director (Vice Director — S. A. Makaryev). KRI was set up to comprise 6 structural units for:
forestry and forest industry
natural productive forces
agriculture
socio-economic
history and revolution
ethnography and linguistics
The units were later on reinforced and enlarged.
In the very first year of KRI operation, 19 expeditions and field trips were organized. Owing to the systematic sampling and collecting work, highly valuable field materials were detected and preserved, and the baseline for scientific research was enriched.
One of the biggest problems for the Institute was the shortage of human resources with relevant qualifications and experience. A wide practice was to invite scholars from Leningrad and Moscow.
Karelian Research Institute of Culture (KRIC) On the 11th of January 1937, the resolution was adopted transforming KRI into the Karelian Research Institute of Culture (KRIC), where only the humanities were retained. Further redundancies and closing of structural units followed. Units of the natural sciences, technical and economic profiles were transferred to corresponding governmental authorities, and the rest were either partially or totally disposed of.
In this period the institute studied the history of Karelia, its culture, languages and folk poetry (Russian and Karelian folklore).
In 1937—1938, political repressions affected the institute's staff even more, and dismissals continued. The institute's vice director S. A. Makaryev, leading specialists E. A. Haapalainen, N. V. Khrisanfov, N. N. Vinogradov, director of the library E. P. Oshevenskaya were arrested and executed on false accusations of setting up an espionage and rebel nationalist organization at the institute.