Scientist, President, Public Leader. Presentation of the Archival Heritage of Academician of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine Borys Paton

Abstract

The article provides a retrospective review of the personal archival fund of Borys Paton, Academician and President of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (1962―2020), collected by the Institute of Archival Studies of the V. I. Vernadskyi National Library of Ukraine (VNLU), access to the documents of which was opened on the 105th anniversary of the scientist’s birthday at the solemn meeting on November 27, 2023. An online exhibition of the archival documents has also been displayed on the VNLU website. It is shown that the fund managers who are in VNLU staff formed the main groups of documents from the scientist’s personal fund: biographical documents, documents about scientific heritage and research, administrative, public and political activities, photo documents, the scientist’s epistolary and congratulatory correspondence. A review of documents illustrating the scientist’s activities as President of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine and Director of the E.O. Paton Electric Welding Institute, as a scientist-welder, a public figure, a life-loving and sincere person has been made. It is demonstrated that the formed significant documentary resource reconstructs the image of Academician Borys Paton as our contemporary and a person of unusual destiny who worked for Ukraine, headed the Academy of Sciences for more than half a century and left behind a rich spiritual heritage