Publication activity of Russian scientists in chemistry: looking back and current trends.

The publication activity of Russian scientists in various fields in chemistry is analyzed. Data on the indexing of articles of Russian Empire chemists in Chemisches Zentralblatt and Chemical Abstracts indicate active development of Russian science at the end of the 19th century and its rapid recovery and competitive ability after the First and Second World Wars. The collapse of the USSR dealt a severe blow to the scientific potential of the country, which was among the top five in all areas of chemical science before 1990. Currently, Russian scientists hold the strongest positions in the field of organic, inorganic, and physical chemistry. The number of publications of Russian scientists in foreign journals exceeds 50% of the total number of papers, and one third of the research is carried out with international cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]