The great break in the Moscow mathematical front (translation from English and notes by A. I. Volodarskij) (Q2713196)

The author describes some aspects of the so-called cultural revolution in the Soviet Union which took part at the end of the 20s. He follows the course of this socialist alternation at one of its most important centres, the Institute of Mathematics and Mechanics of Moscow State University. The transformation coincided with the removal of D. F. Egorov (1869-1931) as head of the commission for course contents in 1924 and his resignation as director of the institute at the end of 1929 or at the beginning of 1930. The article is based on new documents from the archives which became accessible in the 90s. From them a resolution of the graduate students of the institute is published at the end of the article for the first time. The resolution written in a radical tone was addressed specifically to the question of the performance of societal work by graduate students. The author considers also the role of D. I. Rajkov (1905--) and I. G. Petrovskij (1901-1973) in this process of transformation and the attempts of graduate students to preserve academic integrity while paying lip service to the radical resolution.