A Painful Cure for Ailing Academy

摘要

Perched on a gentle rise above the Moskva River in Moscow's Sparrow Hills district, the Russian Academy of Sciences's (RAS's) new presidium complex, twin towers crowned with ornate sculptures known affectionately as the "golden brain," is the seat of power of Russia's scientific elite. These days, however, the view from Sparrow Hills is bleak. In recent weeks, the academy has faced a forced merger, the appointment of a new overlord with no background in science, and now, a painful downsizing.