For a long time in the Soviet Union, some scientists, cosmonauts and other officials were skeptical about UFO issues, without due attention and a scientific approach. Exactly how we at one time treated the work carried out in the West on cybernetics, genetics, as well as the creation of the multipurpose spacecraft "Shuttle" in the USA. However, seeing that the UFO problem was taken seriously in the West, with the cost of millions of dollars, statements among scientists and other officials became more cautious, with an attempt to analyze.
The collection of information about UFO sightings on the territory of the USSR began. And for the first time in the USSR on November 24, 1977, a report was made for the APN employees by the employee of the underwater research section of the USSR Academy of Sciences, candidate of technical sciences V. G. Azhazha “Are we alone in the Universe? Reason in Space. Facts and Hypotheses”. Despite its richness in most cases with unlikely facts about the landing of UFO pilots, the abduction of people for research, about the meeting of the Apollo crews with UFOs during their stay on the Moon, this report, and then its stenographic typewritten article, interested millions of people.
The stream of letters about the facts of the appearance of UFOs on the territory of the USSR began to come to the Academy of Sciences of the USSR, the press and various government organizations. There, it was initially believed that these messages may come from persons who are not aware of the nature of atmospheric or other phenomena. However, every year these messages became more and more.
At the end of February 1984, under the Committee on Environmental Protection of the All-Union Council of Scientific and Technical Societies (VSNTO), a Commission on Anomalous Phenomena in the Environment was established with branches in various regions of the USSR, which, through the periodicals, announced its coordinates (101000, Moscow, Post Office, P. O. Box 664, Commission on AY) in order to collect information about unusual natural phenomena.
V. S. Troitsky, Corresponding Member of the USSR Academy of Sciences, was elected Chairman of the Commission on Anomalous Phenomena, Deputy Chairmen: Academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences G. Pisarenko, Corresponding Members of the USSR Academy of Sciences N. Zheltukhin, V. Migulin, USSR pilot-cosmonaut P. Popovich and others … The composition of the Commission on AY included representatives of various scientific and scientific-technical organizations, services, ministries and departments of the country.
The scientific secretary of the Commission on AY in the Environment A. I. Mordvin-Shchodro in his statement to the correspondent of the newspaper "Soviet Russia" in July 1984 said: “Yes, indeed, in fact there is a number of natural phenomena unknown to science. Their manifestations are extremely diverse, and our commission aims to put an end to discussions about UFOs - are they anomalous natural phenomena or are they contacting extraterrestrial civilizations."
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But the created council on AL is not a scientific center with its own tracking stations, laboratories with the most sophisticated equipment, computing centers, etc., all this would make it possible to really study the nature of UFOs scientifically. At present, the council holds only its own (plenary sessions with a discussion of information from the regions of the USSR about the observed AYs and has its own technical equipment - a projection apparatus and slides of UFOs shot!
No recommendations, no help from the council comes, only a collection of facts with subsequent comments on the probable nature of the phenomena. All of this suggests that the EL board is not fulfilling its purpose.
After all, as scientists rightly believe, the ability to observe, learn depends on what theory you use and whether you are equipped with technology?
The well-known Soviet scientist writer D. Belenkin in his work "Why the Cosmos is Silent" expressed a wise thought: "We want it or not, but we now look at the Cosmos through the prism of existing theories and can see in it something that does not contradict our current ideas about the nature and activity of the mind. And this is the great difficulty of finding contact with a highly developed civilization. Even if they (UFOs) shine above us, even if we observe them point-blank. For it sees not so much the eyes as the mind. And what the mind is not ready to accept either does not exist, or it appears in an unrecognizable guise."
This statement contains the whole difficulty of the problem of studying and cognizing UFOs, whether they are messengers of extraterrestrial civilizations or anomalous phenomena in the environment. To acknowledge or deny something, one must study it well.
In May 1984, Academician A. Logunov, Vice-President of the USSR Academy of Sciences, Rector of Moscow University, told the correspondent of the Trud newspaper on this issue: “I have seen descriptions of anomalous phenomena in the atmosphere before. Now, as far as I know, there are only subjective observations of unusual phenomena and photographs, which provide very little information. However, it cannot be said that there is nothing behind these messages. Scientists must use the full power of modern science to explain nature from its position.
Scientific conscientiousness requires strict consideration of facts that do not fit the existing theories. You cannot sweep them aside without reason. After all, from such "inconvenient" facts modern nuclear physics was born … It is very easy to declare something pseudoscience, this has already happened. As a result, the development of one or another Field of Knowledge was inhibited. In science, nothing can be decided either by a majority vote or by personal authority."
And here is another wise remark on this matter: "Science would cease to be a science if the course of research did not often lead to completely unexpected results that require a radical change in the direction of work" (I. Frank).