History of Science and Engineering Annotation << Back ON THE 80th ANNIVERSARY OF INSTITUTE OF ASTRONOMY OF THE RUSSIAN ACADEMY OF SCIENCES B.M. Shustov, D.V. Bisikalo A brief historical background on the creation and development of the Institute of Astronomy (up to 1991 of the Astronomical Council of the USSR Academy of Sciences). The Institute, established in 1936 as the Research Council, whose main task was to ensure the construction of a large observatory of national importance, has evolved into a research centre, which occupies a leading position in the Russia and in some aspects and in the world science. This applies especially to the areas of astrophysics: physics of binary stars, stellar spectroscopy, and also to work with big data in astronomy. The Institute is a leading research organization in the largest international space project «Spektr-UV» and plays a coordinating role in the organization of the Russian system to counter space threats. Keywords: history of astronomy. Contacts: E-mail: bshustov@inasan.ru Pp. 03-14.