ALEXANDER ALEXANDROVICH NIKONOV: HIS LIFE AND CONTRIBUTIONS TO SCIENCE

Abstract

The article is devoted to the history of the life, the creative heritage, and the contributions to agricultural economic science of the academician and last Chairman of the V I. Lenin All-Union Academy of Agricultural Sciences, A.A. Nikonov (1918-1995). The article gives a brief biography of the scientist who was born on the Russian border with Lithuania. The article describes the transformation of his views. His initial deep belief in the ideals of communism was replaced by an extremely critical attitude. His progressive ideas found a deep understanding from Mikhail Gorbachev, the first Secretary of the Stavropol Territory and the future author of “perestroika”. From 1984 to 1992, Nikonov was the President of the Agricultural Academy. Fate so ordered that he would be the last President as well. A.A. Nikonov left behind a powerful scientific heritage. He is the author of more than 300 scientific works, including 27 books and brochures and 146 journal articles. His main and last work was the monograph “The Spiral of Centuries-Old Drama: Agricultural Science and Politics in Russia of the 17-20 Centuries”. This book is the Russian encyclopedia of agricultural economics, and is a textbook of the history of agriculture in Russia. Nikonov’s works are still relevant today. His views on agrarian reform and his ideas on the organization of agricultural science are very important. It would be fair and useful for scientists and students in the field of agricultural science to make the book of Alexander Alexandrovich Nikonov a primary textbook in their studies.