The Nuclear Spirit of Geneva. Boundary-Crossing Relationships of Soviet Atomic Scientists after 1955

The 1955 UN-sponsored Geneva Conference on the Peaceful Uses of Atomic Energy
quickly became a symbol for the re-establishment of international scientific cooperation
and knowledge-exchange. It was the first large-scale meeting attended by Soviet atomic energy
specialists – so called atomshchiki – after years of isolation. Starting from this vast gathering,
this article examines the limited internationalization of Soviet nuclear science, stressing the
importance of personal encounters of and direct contacts between scientists from both sides
of the Iron Curtain. Focusing on the role of the Soviet Academy of Sciences as one of the most
influential institutions within the creation and negotiation of border-crossing relationships regarding
nonmilitary uses of atomic energy, it provides insights into the growing international
entanglements of Soviet nuclear research. The establishment of an International Atomic Energy
Agency in 1957 marked yet another milestone in this process. One of the Agency’s main
purposes was to provide a diplomatic platform for the discussion of problems posed by the
nuclear age. By analyzing professional contacts of Soviet scientists and science administrators
with their Western counterparts, this article shows how they sought acknowledgment both
from an international scientific community and from the Party and state authorities. Referring
to an atmosphere of mutual understanding experienced during a total of four major atomic
energy conferences in Geneva between 1955 and 1971, Soviet atomshchiki did much to foster
knowledge exchange across the Iron Curtain and to establish channels of communication to the
West which remained open even in times of growing political tensions.