The article studies the opposition to pseudoscientific publications in the USSR in the 1960 — first half of the 1980s. Archival materials from the collections of the State Archive of the Russian Federation (GARF), the Russian State Archive of Socio-Political History (RGASPI), the Russian State Archive of Literature and Art (RGALI) were used. The relevance of the claimed topic is determined by the wide distribution in the modern information space of pseudoscientific publications. The origins of such a situation should be sought in the 1960—1980s, when pseudoscience in various forms became a factor in social consciousness. The article shows the spread of pseudoscience in the USSR in various popular magazines. Moreover, in some cases, the management of magazines preferred such publications. Pseudoscience has become a complex and controversial phenomenon in the spiritual life of Soviet society. Its spread was largely triggered by the atmosphere of the “thaw”, when it became possible to discuss previously forbidden problems. To a certain extent, pseudosci-ence reflected the crisis of ideology, the distrust of the population in official science. The main way to counter pseudoscience was censorship prohibitions carried out by the central censorship department — Main Administration for Safeguarding State Secrets in the Press (Glavlit). Another way of counteracting antiscientific publications was counter-propaganda in the press, on the pages of popular science publications. Some groups of the Soviet intelligent-sia, mainly scientists, took the initiative to counter pseudoscience. However, the effectiveness of these was extremely low. Criticism of pseudoscience was perceived with disbelief. Critical publications served as an additional source for one or another unscientific concept.
For citations:
Komissarov V.V. Techniques and methods of counteraction to para-scientific publications in the USSR in the 1960s and early 1980s, Ivanovo State University Bulletin, Series: Humanities, 2023, iss. 1, pp. 86—97.