Golden Years of Moscow Mathematics

This volume contains articles on Soviet mathematical history, many of which are personal accounts by mathematicians who witnessed and contributed to the turbulent years of Moscow mathematics. In today's climate of glasnost, the stories can be told freely for the first time, with a candor uncharacteristic of the historical accounts published under the Soviet regime. A case in point is the article on Luzin and his school, based in part on documents only recently released. The articles focus on mathematical developments in that era, the personal lives of Russian mathematicians, and political events that shaped the course of scientific work in the Soviet Union. Another important feature is the inclusion of two articles on Kolmogorov, perhaps the greatest Russian mathematician of the 20th century. The volume concludes with an annotated English bibliography and a Russian bibliography for further reading.