On achievements and contradictions in the development of computer technology in the USSR in the second half of the 1950s

Abstract

Introduction. The assessments of a number of well-known economists and historians regarding the scientific and technical policy implemented in the 1950s are directly opposite. Some authors assess this period as a genuine rise, others argue that already in the 1950s the inability of the country to overcome the scientific and technical gap with the leading Western countries was obvious. The relevance of the publication is determined by the need to accumulate positive historical experience in order to gain technological sovereignty. The purpose of the study is to analyze the messages sent to the country leadership by representatives of the Soviet scientific elite and heads of individual departments, reflecting the state of computer technology in the USSR by the mid-1950s. The novelty of the publication consists in studying on the basis of documents introduced into scientific circulation for the first time, which allow deeper and more reliable investigation of the problem of the evolution of state policy in the field of computer technology development in the 1950s. Materials and Methods. The study is based on the analysis of previously classified documents that have now become available, including memos sent to the Central Committee of the CPSU, reports of leading scientists, officials responsible for the scientific and technical development of the country, etc. The methodological basis of the research was the theory of modernization. Analysis. The studied documents contain highly significant data on the state of computer technology development and reflect the authors’ wish to convince the leaders of the country to change the priorities, forms of organization of research activities, and overcome the formal approach. Results. The study concludes that leading experts had an extremely negative assessment of the state of affairs in this area. As arguments that the leadership of the country was able to evaluate, data on the situation in the United States in this area were given. An increasing backlog was predicted in case of rejection of measures.