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Boards of Weights and Measures established
On June 8 (20), 1893 in St. Petersburg on the initiative of Dmitry Mendeleev, scholar and curator of Weights and Measures Models Depot, in order to ‘preserve the uniformity, correctness and mutual correspondence of weights and measures in the state’ was established the Boards of Weights and Measures, the scientific metrological center of Russia.
The Boards of Weights and Measures was the central institution of Finance Ministry; it was in charge of examinations sector in the Russian Empire and was subordinate to Trade Deparment.
Under Mendeleev direction was developed the system of national standards in compliance with the world level of science and technology, were determined exact correlations between the Russian system and metric system of measures enabling to prepare the state for gradual introduction of the international metric system.
The Boards of Weights and Measures was in charge of preserving of the principal models of weight and measure units (prototypes) acknowledged in Russia as well as the copies of models of foreign weight and measure units; producing of exact copies of the principal weight and measure units which were used by regional and provincial examinations institutions for verification of trade weights and measures as well as regular comparison of these copies with principal models; testing and verification of different kinds of special measure devices applied in trade and industry sectors except for alcoholmeters and other engines used for excise; drawing up of comparison tables of the Russian and foreign measures, determining the maximum drawbacks allowable for model and trade measures as well as solution of various metrological issues.
On D. Menteleev’s instruction the inspectors of the Boards of Weights and Measures effectuated sudden revisions at examination institutions as well as at post offices, factories, plants, custom offices, artisan workshops and different commercial institutions during the period of 1893-1897. According to the revisions, in 15 provinces the verification of weights and measures had not been effectuated at all; in 56 of them had been made at quite a low level. The model measures were in shortage; the ones used were out of order, the stamps on the applied measures were either absent or 20 years old.
Under the law of 1901 the Boards of Weights and Measures was charged with heading of local examination houses and their temporary branches, placement of inspectors there and accounting of duties received by the state treasury for stamping of measures and weights.
After the October revolution the Boards of Weights and Measures was subordinate to People’s Commissariat for Trade and Industry; under the decree of the People’s Commissars Soviet of RSFSR of October 19, 1920 it fell under the authority of Science and Technology Department of the Supreme Soviet of the National Economy. In 1922 a new provision on the Boards of Weights and Measures was adopted. In accordance with the document it was divided into two institutions: metrological and examination under the single direction of the president.
In 1931 the Boards of Weights and Measures was reorganized into the All-Union Institute of Metrology and Standardization on the basis of which in 1934 was formed the All-Union Research Metrology Institute.
During the Great Patriotic War a part of the Institute personnel and some of the national standards were evacuated to Sverdlovsk city. The laboratories which stayed in Leningrad such as electrical, manometric, radiological, chemical, etc. were charged with fulfillment of orders coming from front and defense industry. The Time Service of the Institute and the Time Standard continued to operate even during the blockade of the city.
On January 10, 1945 the D. I. Mendeleev All-Union Research Metrology Institute was given the name of the founder of scientific metrology D. I. Mendeleev.
In 1971 the Institute was conferred the Order of the Red Banner of Labor. A significant milestone in its history was the creation of the D. I. Mendeleev scientific production association on its basis in 1977.
In 1994 the association was reorganized into the State enterprise ‘The All-Russian Research Metrology Institute n. a. D. I. Mendeleev’. In July of 1994 under the decree of the RF government, the Institute was conferred the status of the State scientific center of RF. As the State scientific center, the Institute is under the authority of the Education and Science Ministry of Russia and is a member of the State Scientific Centers Association.
Today the Institute is one of the leading world centers of scientific and practical metrology, the head national organization for fundamental researches in the field of metrology and the main center of the Russian national standards.
Lit.: Высшие и центральные государственные учреждения России 1801—1917. Т. 2. СПб., 2001. Из содерж.: Главная палата мер и весов 08.06.1893—[…] 1931. С. 160—161; Гинак Е. Б. Меры и весы [Электронный ресурс] // Метрологический музей Госстандарта России при ВНИИМ им. Д. И. Менделеева. 2003. URL: http://museum.vniim.ru/files/mer.pdf; Гинак Е. Б. «Тут чистая наука тесно переплеталась с практической» // Санкт-Петербургский университет. 2009. № 17; История ВНИИМ [Электронный ресурс] // ВНИИМ им. Д. И. Менделеева. 2001-2013. URL: http://www.vniim.ru/history.html; Младенцев М. Н. Учреждение Главной палаты мер и весов и её деятельность // Временник Главной палаты мер и весов. Ч. 8. СПб., 1907.
Всероссийский научно-исследовательский институт метрологии имени Д. И. Менделеева: сайт. 2001-2013. URL: http://www.vniim.ru.
Based on the Presidential Library’s materials:
Менделеев Д. И. К познанию России: с приложением карты России. СПб., 1907;
Полное собрание законов Российской империи. Т. 13 (1893). СПб., 1897. № 9747. С. 420.