Russian scientists against misconduct in forensic humanities and legitimation of pseudoscience  

The Council publishes the open letter of Russian scientists against the usage of pseudosciences for forensic expert examinations.

On 3 May 2023, a comprehensive examination report of the so-called «destructological expertise», which was the basis for the arrest and pre-trial detention of the theatre director Yevgeniya (Zhenya) Berkovich and playwright Svetlana Petriychuk, was submitted to the court.

The text was prepared by a group of persons: Roman Silantyev (described in the case files as a “historian, religious studies scholar, destructologist”), Galina Khizriyeva (“destructological linguist”) and Elena Zamyshevskaya (“destructologist, clinical psychologist, sociologist”). They are all affiliated with Moscow State Linguistic University, where a laboratory for “destructology” — “applied science aimed to study the most dangerous destructive formations from a comprehensive perspective” — was established in 2018.

“Destructology” is not listed as a normative field of science and education officially recognized in Russian Federation. It is also absent from international scientific field. Publication on this topic amount to the creation of only one author (Roman Silantyev).

A new science comes into being not because someone proclaims it (as in the case of destructology), but by making discoveries within it that are recognized by the scientific community. This has not happened. And this is the similarity between destructology and such pseudosciences as somatipology (body shape divination), Human Design (new astrology) and linguistic wave genetics (DNA hologram).

It is unacceptable that persons with pseudoscientific and anti-scientific beliefs participate in the preparation of expert examination reports in humanities for court hearings, they thereby mislead the court. We should especially note that this is happening against the backdrop of an increasing number of centres like the «Destructology Laboratory», which gather together people with pseudoscientific positions, but receive orders for official state expert examinations, which leads to the legitimization of pseudoscientific fields.

In recent years, many erroneous decisions have been made relying on such «expert examinations». This is detrimental not only to the lives of individuals and their loved ones, but also to the image of the country, its judicial system, and Russian science in general.

The genuine mission of science is to describe and examine a studied object impartially, not to identify enemies of the society. Attempts to present the situation differently lead to significant social distortions.

If you would like to join this open letter and sign it, we ask you to write to the Chair of the Council, Anna Kuleshova — to the email kuleshova@publication-ethics.ru

UPD: Signatures are added as soon as they are received and processed. 204 researchers have signed this open letter by this moment.

List of signatories:

• Alexander Chaplik, physicist, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences
• Yuri Kostitsyn, geochemist, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences
• Mikhail Danilov, Dr. Sci. in Physics and Mathematics, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences
• Sergei Stishov, professor, Dr. Sci. in Physics and Mathematics, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences
• Evgeny Alexandrov, D. Sci. in Physics and Mathematics, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Chairman of the Commission on Pseudoscience RAS
• Fyodor Uspensky, D. Sci. in Philology, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences
• Olga Solomina, D. Sci. in Geography, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences
• Roman Mizuk, particle physicist, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences
• Nikolay Rosanov, physicist, Chief Research Associate of Ioffe Institute RAS
• Anna Pichkhadze, D. Sci. in Philology, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences
• Svetlana Burlak, D. Sci. in Philology, Professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Leading Research Associate of the Institute of Oriental Studies RAS
• Andrey Desnitsky, D. Sci. in Philology, Professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences
• Vasily Vlassov, D. Sci. in Medicine, Vice President of the Russian Society for Evidence-Based Medicine
• Alexandra Arkhipova, Cand. Sci. in Philology, Senior Research Associate of the Centre of Theoretical Folklore Studies of RANEPA
• Anna Kuleshova, Cand. Sci. in Sociology, Council on the Ethics of Scientific Publications (Russia)
• Larisa Melikhova, Cand. Sci. in in Physics and Mathematics, Project Manager in “Dissernet” community
• Andrei Rostovtsev, physicist, co-founder of “Dissernet” volunteer network community
• Nikolai Podosokorsky, Cand. Sci. in Philology, Senior Research Associate of the Research Centre “F.M. Dostoyevsky and the World Culture” of IWL RAS
• Alexander Panchin, Cand. Sci. in Biology, Senior Research Associate of Institute of Information Transmission Problems RAS (Kharkevich Institute), member of the Commission on Pseudoscience RAS
• Alexei Kassian, D. Sci. in Philology, comparativist
• Dmitry Dubrovsky, Cand. Sci. in History, Faculty Member of the Faculty of Social Sciences in Charles University, Prague
• Petr Talantov, member of the The RAS Commission for Counteracting the Falsification of Scientific Research
• Georgy Kurakin, biologist, science communicator, Member of the Royal Society of Biology
• Irina Kostyuchenko, Cand. Sci. in Physics and Mathematics
• Andrey Zayakin, Cand. Sci. in Physics and Mathematics, co-founder of “Dissernet” volunteer network community
• Andrey Kozlov, D. Sci. in Biology, Leading Research Associate of Lomonosov Moscow State University
• Iskender Yasaveev, sociologist, D. Sci. in Sociology, specialist on social constructionism problems, theory, construction, and discourse of social problems, media, and deviant acitivies, repressive criminal policy as a social problem
• Maria Kozlova, Cand. Sci. in History, Associate Professor of National Research University Higher School of Economist
• Veronika Kostenko, Cand. Sci. in Sociology
• Mikhail Gelfand, D. Sci. in Biology, Professor, Member of Academia Europaea, Member of the RAS Commission for science popularization
• Boris Shtern, physicist, D. Sci. in Physics and Mathematics
• Irina Starodubovskaya, Cand. Sci. in Economics
• Michail Maiatsky, University of Geneva, associated scholar, laboratory LABEAC
• Olga Krokinskaya, D. Sci. in Sociology, Professor
• Anastasia Novkunskaya, PhD in Social Sciences, Associate Professor at the Department of Sociology of European University in Saint-Petersburg
• Tatyana Schmankevich, Cand. Sci. in Sociology
• Vadim Lurye, D. Sci. in Plilosophy
• Viktor Vasiliev, D. Sci. in Physics and Mathematics, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences
• Sergey Zenkin, D. Sci. in Philology, Member of Academia Europaea
• Alexander Kabanov, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Professor of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill
• Evgeny Amelchenko, Cand. Sci. in Biology, neurobiologist
• Olesya Kirtchik, PhD in Sociology, National Centre of Scientific Research (CNRS, France), Leading Research Associate of National Research University Higher School of Economics till March 2022
• Maria Akhmetova, Cand. Sci. in Philology, Senior Researcher at RANEPA
• Oleg Voskoboynikov, D. Sci. in History, Tenured Professor of National Research University Higher School of Economics
• Vladislav Paverman, Cand. Sci. in Geology and Mineralogy, Institute of the Earth Crust SB RAS
• Victoria Leghkikh, Cand. Sci. in Philology, Technical University Munich
• Ksenia Eritsyan, Cand. Sci. in Psychology, Associate Professor of the Department of Sociology, Saint-Petersburg School of Social Sciences and Area Studies of National Research University Higher School of Economics
• Evgenii Kurbatov, Cand. Sci. in Physics and Mathematics
• Alexander Lifshits, Cand. Sci. in Philology
• Alexei Oskolski, D. Sci. in Biology, Komarov Botanical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (BIN RAS), University of Johannesburg
• Polina Volkova, D. Sci. in Biology
• Maria Yelenevskaya, Cand. Sci. in Philology, Technion-IIT
• Konstantin Sonin, Cand. Sci. in Physics and Mathematics, Professor at the University of Chicago
• Alexander Dmitriev, PhD in Sociology, University of Manchester
• German Zhigachyov, Professor, Cand. Sci. in Pedagogy
• Viktor Selyutin, Cand. Sci. in Physics and Mathematics, Leading Researcher of the Southern Scientific Centre RAS (Rostov-on-Don)
• Vladislav Degtyaryov, Candidate of Culturology, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Human Philosophy of the Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia
• Shimon Iakerson, D. Sci. in History
• Irina Antoschuk, Research Associate at the STS Centre of European University at Saint-Petersburg
• Andrei Kirillov, Candidate of History of Arts, theatrologist
• Svetlana Kozhayeva, Candidate of History of Arts
• Maksim Golovanov, PhD, D. Sci. in Philology
• Larisa Fialkova, Professor at the The Department of Hebrew & Comparative Literature, University of Haifa
• Georgy Levinton, Professor Emeritus of Anthropological Dept. European University at St. Petersburg
• Andronik Arutyunov, Cand. Sci. in Physics and Mathematics, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Control Sciences RAS, Co-Chair of «University Solidarity» Trade Union
• Leonid Chubarov, Andrey Tsaturyan, Professor
• Oleg Khukhlayev, Cand. Sci. in Psychology
• Alexander Zorin, Cand. Sci. in Philology, Orientalist, employee of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
• Roman Suleymanov, Cand. Sci. in Medicine, Associate Professor at the Department of Psychiatry and Medical Psychology
• Alexander Nozik, Cand. Sci. in Physics and Mathematics, Director of the Scientific Programming Centre of MIPT
• Andrey Tsaturyan, D. Sci. in Physics and Mathematics, biophysicist
• Dmitry Rogozin, Cand. Sci. in Sociology
• Alexandra Veselova, D. Sci. in Philology, Senior Researcher, Institute of Russian Literature RAS (Pushkin House)
• Sergey Shokarev, Cand. Sci. in History
• Yulia Fedotova, Cand. Sci. in Law
• Olga Sedakova, Cand. Sci. in Philology, Academician of the Ambrosian Academy
• Aleksander Shubin, Cand. Sci. in History
• Sergey Chernykh, D. Sci. in Economics, Professor, Chief Researcher at the Institute of Economics RAS
• Igor Sokolov, physicist, University of Michigan
• Roman Gorodnichev, Junior Researcher at the Yuri M. Lopukhin Federal Research Centre for Medical and Biological Chemistry at the FMBA Russia
• Andrey Moskvitin, Cand. Sci. in Philosophy, Associate Professor
• Alexander Yermalitsky, Cand. Sci. in Medicine
• Elena Sergusheva, archaeologist, Cand. Sci. in History
• Mikhail Tamm, Cand. Sci. in Physics and Mathematics
• Sergey Mylnikov, Cand. Sci. in Biology, Soros’ Associate Professor
• Pavel Kolosnitsyn, archaeologist, researcher at Yaroslav-the-Wise Novgorod State University
• Mikhail Gorshkov, Cand. Sci. in Physics and Mathematics, Cand. Sci. in Engineering, Head of the V.L. Talrose Institute of Petrochemical Physics RAS
• Leonid Zhmud, D. Sci. in Philosophy, historian
• Ulyana Neklyudova, Cand. Sci. in biology
• Yulia Anokhina, Cand. Sci. in Philology, independent theatre and film researcher
• Yulia Florinskaya, Cand. Sci. in Geography
• Alexey Bobrovsky, D. Sci. in Chemistry, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences
• Dmitriy Rudenkin, Cand. Sci. in Sociology
• Alexei Chernyshev, D. Sci. in Biology, Chief Researcher at A.V. Zhirmunsky National Scientific Center of Marine Biology
• Mikhail Sokolov, Cand. Sci. in Sociology
• Mikhail Vysotsky, physicist, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences
• Ksenia Fedosova, Cand. Sci. in Philology, anthropologist, educator, independent researcher
• Olga Efremova, Cand. Sci. in Chemistry, Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry
• Alexander Balobanov, Cand. Sci. in Philosophy
• Sergei Troitsky, Cand. Sci. in Philosophy
• Yuri Pustovoyt, Cand. Sci. in Political Science, Leading Researcher at the Centre for the Study of Social Problems of Modern Youth, Siberian Institute of Management (branch of the RANEPA)
• Nikolai Koposov, D. Sci. in Philosophy
• Andrei Kalinichev, physicist, Cand. Sci. in Physics and Mathematics
• Nikolai Borisov, D. Sci. in Engineering
• Alexander Zelnitsky, Cand. Sci. in Philosophy, Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Philosophy of Saint Petersburg State University
• Olga Mitrenina, Cand. Sci. in Philology, Associate Professor, linguist
• Andrei Borodikhin, Cand. Sci. in Philology, Leading Researcher, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences
• Alexander Kobrinsky, D. Sci. in Philology. Professor
• Elena Iarskaya-Smirnova, Cand. Sci. in Sociology, Head of the International Laboratory for Social Integration Research at the National Research University Higher School of Economics
• Alexander Artyukhov, Cand. Sci. in Biology, Researcher at Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University
• Pavel Kudyukin, Cand. Sci. in Political Science, historian, sociologist, co-chair of the «University Solidarity» trade union
• Mikhail Filippov, Professor of Political Science, Binghamton University.
• Igor Medvedev, oceanologist, Cand. Sci. in Physics and Mathematics, Leading Researcher at the Shirshov Institute of Oceanology RAS
• Lyubov Davydkina, Cand. Sci, in Psychology
• Alexei Timofeev, Cand. Sci. in Biology, physician, biologist
• Yulia Prozorova, Cand. Sci. in Sociology
• Oleg Lekmanov, D. Sci. in Philology
• Alexander Sherstobitov, Cand. Sci. in Political Science
• Sofia Andreeva, Researcher at the Institute of Archaeology of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem
• Oleg Mironov, Ph.D., psychologist, UNESCO Chair in Technical and Vocational Education and Training
• Katarina Muradyan, Cand. Sci. in Philology, member of the Moscow Union of Writers, member of the Moscow Union of Journalists
• Karim Khaliullin, Cand. Sci. in Philology, Senior Lecturer at the Higher School of Economics (Saint-Petersburg)
• Svyatoslav Polyakov, Cand. Sci. in Sociology
• Tamara Markarova, Cand. Sci, in Philology, Associate Professor
• Vladimir Khutarev-Garnishevsky, Cand. Sci. in History
• Elvira Gepting, Cand. Sci. in Philology
• Sergei Erofeev, sociologist, Rutgers University, USA (former Vice Rector of the National Research University Higher School of Economics)
• Svetlana Korolyova, Cand. Sci. in Philology
• Tatiana Krasavchenko, Cand. Sci. in Philology
• Elena Pivovarova, Cand. Sci. in Biology
• Pavel Petrukhin, Cand. Sci. in Philology
• Elena Timofeeva, Cand. Sci. in Biology
• Mikhail Lashkevich, Cand. Sci. in Physics and Mathematics, Researcher, Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics RAS
• Yana Solovieva, Cand. Sci. in Philology, folklore scientist
• Evgeny Lysenko, biologist, Cand. Sci. in Biology
• Natalia Nepomnyashchishchih, Cand. Sci. in Philology, Senior Researcher, Institute of Philology SB RAS
• Ekaterina Amerik, D. Sci. in Physics and Mathematics, mathematician
• Tatyana Glushko, Cand. Sci. in Geography
• Kira Kovalenko, Cand. Sci. in Philology, Researcher at Institute for Linguistic Studies RAS
• Yury Yershov, lawyer, Cand. Sci. in Law
• Alexander Arkhipov, linguist, Cand. Sci. in Philology
• Leonid Golub, physicist, Professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences
• Sergey Bershitsky, Cand. Sci. in Biology, biophysicist
• Alexander Kukalev, Cand. Sci. in Biology, Researcher at Berlin Institute for Medical Systems Biology
• Vitaly Zimin, clinical psychologist
• Sergey Starikov, Cand. Sci. in Physics and Mathematics
• Pavel Polyan, Professor, D. Sci. in Geography
• Svetlana Kleiner, Cand. Sci. in Philology
• Vladimir Blinov, D. Sci. in Biology, Professor at the Department of Historical and Political Sciences, Tomsk State University
• Mikhail Rozanov, Cand. Sci. in Biology, Assistant Professor at the Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University
• Ekaterina Fok, Cand. Sci. in Chemistry, Senior Researcher at Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry RAS
• Elena Berezovich, D. Sci. in Philology, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences
• Timur Maisak, linguist, Cand. Sci. in Philology
• Ekaterina Bichun, MD, neurologist, Cand. Sci. in Medicine
• Sergei Nikolaev, D. Sci. in Philology, Reading Researcher at the Institute of Slavic Studies RAS
• Leonid Gurwits, astrophysicist, professor, Member of the International Academy of Astronautics
• Denis Pashchenko, Cand. Sci. in Engineering, MBA, doctoral candidate in Economics
• Dmitriy Musolin, D. Sci. in Biology, Associate Professor
• Anton Rasin, Cand. Sci. in Chemistry
• Nadezhda Ershova, Cand. Sci. in Philosophy, Associate Professor
• Dmitry Sukhoruchkin, Researcher, Leading Engineer, Institute for Problems in Mechanics RAS
• Nikolai Rozov, D. Sci. in Philosophy, Professor
• Alexander Krivoshey, Cand. Sci. degree applicant, Department of Philosophy, Saint Petersburg State University
• Valentina Tanailova, social anthropologist, Researcher at Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology RAS
• Georgy Cherepenko, Cand. Sci. in Law, Senior Lecturer at the Department of Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure and Criminalistics of State University of Education, Leading Forensic Expert at ANO “Sudebny Expert”
• Irina Popravko, Social Anthropologist, Cand. Sci. in History, Associate Professor at Tomsk State University
• Yuri Shubik, D. Sci. in Medicine, Professor
• Pavel Kostogryzov, Cand. Sci. in History
• Alexander Kuznetsov, D. Sci. in Biology
• Igor Sivaev, D. Sci. in Chemistry
• Alexander Zheltov, D. Sci. in Philology
• Nataliya Kondratova, Cand. Sci. in Psychology
• Elena Zheltova, D. Sci. in Philology
• Vladimir Magun, Cand. Sci. in Psychology, sociologist
• Alexandra Panyutina, Cand. Sci. in Biology
• Ekaterina Afanasyeva, Cand. Sci. in Law, Associate Professor at Moscow State University
• Margarita Gorokhova, Cand. Sci. in Psychology, Associate Professor, psychologist
• Dina Stepanova, Cand. Sci. in Medicine, pharmacologist
• Tatyana Skorokhodova, D. Sci. in Philosophy, Cand. Sci. in History
• Stanislav Ivanov, Cand. Sci. in Engineering
• Anna Dybo, D. Sci. in Philology, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences
• Nadezhda Buylova, Cand. Sci. in Philology
• Ivan Shirobokov, anthropologist, Cand. Sci. in History
• Sergey Bogdanoff, Cand. Sci. in Physics and Mathematics, physicist, Supervisor of the Experimental Physics Club of the RAS Centre for Science in Chernogolovka
• Natalia Ryzhova, D. Sci. in Economics, Professor of the Russian Academy of Science
• Salavat Abylkalikov, PhD in Sociology, Demographer
• Pavel Lebedev, Cand. Sci. in History, Associate Professor, Russian State University for the Humanities
• Nataliya Rushkevich, molecular biologist, Shemyakin-Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry RAS
• Arseniy Shabanov, Junior Researcher at the Institute for Nuclear Research RAS, Faculty Member at Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology
• Anton Morkovin, biologist, Zoological Museum of Moscow State University, Dachverband Deutscher Avifaunisten
• Sergei Valkov, Cand. Sci. in Physics and Mathematics, Associate Professor of the Physics Department, lawyer, human rights defender
• Sergei Popov, Professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences, ICTP (Trieste, Italy)
• Dinara Gagarina, Cand. Sci. in Education, Digital Humanities researcher
• Sergey Chernyshov, Candidate of Historical Sciences, Senior Research Fellow, National Research Tomsk State University
• Alexey Filin, Cand. Sci. in Physics and Mathematics, Professor, Temple University, Philadelphia
• Yury Ilinsky, Cand. Sci. in Biology, geneticist
• Maiya Yadova, Cand. Sci. in Sociology
• Ivan Maximov, Associate Professor, Lund University, Sweden
• Mikhail Nikitin, senior researcher, A.N. Belozerky Institute of Physico-Chemical Biology
• Ilya Zubarev, Cand. Sci. in Biology, Cell Signaling Regulation Laboratory
• Daria Andreeva, neuroscientist, Researcher at Biomed X Institute
• Vladimir Popov, Cand. Sci. in Biology, Head of the Translational Medicine Laboratory, Faculty of Medicine, Moscow State University
• Nikolai Nikitin, physicist, Associate Professor, Cand. Sci. in Physics and Mathematics
• Anton Karpishkov, theoretical physicist, Cand. Sci. in Physics and Mathematics