In 2009 there will be 18 years since the establishment of the International coordinating council for physics of strength and plasticity of materials.

The history of the Council and its activity were determined by the developments connected with the cancellation of the USSR and, as a consequence, of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR (AS USSR).

On the 5 March 1991 in Kiev there was held a session of the AS USSR Council for Physics of Metals and Alloys chaired by its head member of the Academy of Science of the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (AS UkSSR) V.V.Nemoshkalenko. During the session professor Vladimir Alexandrovich Likhachev, learner and disciple of academician N.N.Davidenkov was elected chairman of one of the three sections of this council – the Section for Physics of Strength and Plasticity. The vice-chairmen of the section became professors Orest Mikhailovich Ivasishin (Institute of Metal Physics AS UkSSR, Kiev), Vladimir Ivanovich Betekhtin (A.F.Ioffe Physical-Technical Institute AS USSR, Leningrad) and Eduard Victorovich Kozlov (State Architecture and Building University, Tomsk).

V.A.Likhachev got his Ph.D. degree in the Leningrad Polytechnical Institute, then he worked in the A.F.Ioffe Physical-Technical Institute of AS USSR and later he became head of the laboratory for Strength of Materials in the Leningrad State University. Owing to his works, vast and profound knowledge he became a recognized leader in the field of physics of strength, plasticity and material science.

On the 11 March 1992 in Saint-Petersburg during the regular Petersburg Readings for the problems of Strength there was a session of the Section for Physics of Strength and Plasticity, where V.A.Likhachev suggested organizing a council meant to substitute this section in connection with the cancellation of the USSR and AS USSR. The session decided to establish the International Coordinating Council for Physics of Strength and Plasticity of Materials (ICC PSPM) on the basis of the existing Section for Physics of Strength and Plasticity. The tasks of the new council should be the coordination of the works in the field of strength and plasticity of materials, retention and development of the previously existing scientific and information area in this field of knowledge for the states formerly constituting the USSR. After the consultations with the other members of the Section for Physics of Strength and Plasticity V.A.Likhachev was unanimously elected chairman of ICC PSPM. O.M.Ivasishin, V.I.Betekhtin and E.V.Kozlov were elected vice-chairmen for the regions. Zinaida Petrovna Kamentseva, senior researcher of the laboratory headed by V.A.Likhachev, was appointed secretary of the council.

ICC PSPM with its office in Saint-Petersburg was established as non-government organization not alternative and not subordinated to any state, ministerial or academic institutions of the former USSR republics.

In March 1996 soon after IV Saint-Petersburg Readings for the problems of strength passed away the organizer and the first chairman of ICC PSPM V.A.Likhachev. In November 1996 during the XXXII conference “Actual Problems of Strength” in Saint-Petersburg the enlarged meeting of the ICC PSPM bureau recommended electing professor V.I.Betekhtin ICC PSPM chairman. This recommendation was supported by the absent members of ICC PSPM in the written form. Also was spoken out a suggestion to organize new regional organizations of ICC PSPM. The ICC bureau recommended professors Alexander Markovich Glezer (Central Research Institute of Ferrous Metals, Moscow) and German Germanovich Taluts (Institute of Metal Physics, Ekaterinburg). Later professor Yuri Romanovich Kolobov (Belgorod State University, Belgorod) was elected the head of an ICC section.

Nowadays to ICC PSPM belong 118 members mainly from Russia, Belarus and Ukraine but also from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan, Poland and Latvia. Unfortunately, many prominent scientists-members of ICC have passed away: academicians G.V.Kurdyumov (Moscow), N.P.Lyakishev (Moscow), Yu.A.Osipyan (Moscow), V.I.Trefilov (Kiev), professors G.G.Taluts (Ekaterinburg), Yu.S.Boyarskaya (Kishinev), R.I.Garber (Kharkov), L.N.Larikov (Kiev), L.G.Orlov (Moscow), V.A.Soloviev (Moscow),A.A.Urusovskaya (Moscow).

It is important to note that ICC includes most prominent and qualified specialists in the field of strength and plasticity physics, among which there are 18 members and corresponding-members of academies of sciences of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus; 18 directors (rectors) and deputy directors of institutes and universities; 55 heads of laboratories or chairs. Vice-chairman of the State Duma Committee for Education is also a member of ICC.

The basic attention ICC pays to the organization of International (in the frames of the Community of Independent States) conferences and seminars. Among these conferences one of the most representative and unique scientific forums is the regular conference “Actual Problems of Strength” held annually (sometimes twice in a year) in different cities since 1980. From 1992 up to nowadays ICC organized 22 such conferences in Saint-Petersburg (1995, 1996, 2001), Veliky Novgorod (1992, 1994, 1997, 2002), Pskov (1993, 1999), Vologda (1992, 2005), Vitebsk (2000, 2004, 2007), Tambov (1998, 2003), Ukhta (1992), Kiev (2001), Chernogolovka (2002), Kaluga (2004), Belgorod (2006), Nizhny Novgorod (2008).

I would like especially mention that after 1992 these prestigious conferences took place also outside Russia – in Ukraine and Belarus. The organizer of the conference in Kiev was the head of the Ukrainian division of ICC, member of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (NASU) Sergei Alexeevich Firstov (Institute of the Material Science Problems of NASU, Kiev). In Vitebsk the conferences were organized by the head of the Belarus division of ICC, professor Vasily Vasilievich Rubanik (director of the Institute of Technical Acoustics of National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, Vitebsk).

Undoubtedly, prestigious are the conferences “Saint-Petersburg Readings for the Problems of Strength” held annually in the Maxim Gorki House of Scientists. The chair of the organizing committee of this event was V.A.Likhachev (since 1997 – V.I.Betekhtin). Especially many participants took part in the work of XIII “Readings” devoted to the 70-th anniversary of N.N.Davidenkov Section for Strength and Plasticity of the House of Scientists; XIV “Readings” devoted to the 300-th anniversary of Saint-Petersburg; XV “Readings” devoted to the 100-th jubilee of academician S.N.Zhurkov; XVI “Readings” devoted to the 75-th jubilee of the first chair of ICC professor V.A.Likhachev; XVII “Readings” devoted to the 90-th jubilee of professor A.N.Orlov; XVIII “Readings” devoted to the 100-th jubilee of corresponding member of AS USSR A.V.Stepanov.

ICC renewed one of the oldest and most representative conferences – Conference on “Physics of Strength and Plasticity of Materials”. This regular conference was held since 1960 once in three years and gathered up to 400 participants. From 1973 to 1995 the Conference took place in Kuibyshev (Samara) on the base of the Polytechnical Institute (now Samara State Technical University - SamSTU). In 2003 after an 8-year time-out this Conference was held in the Tolyatti State University (Samara region) and in 2006 – in Samara (SamSTU).

Members of ICC take active part in organization and maintenance of new scientific conferences and seminars. Since 1992 an International School-seminar "Evolution of defect structure in condensed media" has been held in Altai State Technical University in the city of Barnaul under the organization of professor Mikhail Dmitrievich Starostenkov. The last conference took place in 2008.

A traditional International Seminar "Dislocation Structure and Mechanical Properties of Metals and Alloys" takes place regularly in Ekaterinburg in the Institute of Physics of Metals. Its organizer is professor Nina Ivanovna Noskova.

Since 1996 International Conference "Micromechanisms of plasticity, fracture and Concurrent Phenomena" takes place in G.R.Derzhavin Tambov State University once in three years. Its organizer is professor Victor Alexandrovich Fedorov. The last conference coupled with a school-seminar was in 2007 in the city of Tambov.

Traditional and prestigious becomes the International Conference "Phase Transformations and Strength of Crystals" devoted to the memory of academician G.V.Kurdyumov, initiated and organized since the year of 2000 by professors Alexander Markovich Glezer and Boris Borisovich Straumal. The 5th conference was in the near-Moscow town of Chernogolovka in 2008.

Since 1991 on the basis of Obninsk State Technical University of Atomic Power Technology (town of Obninsk) there has been held a periodic conference "Structure Bases of Material Modification by Means of non-Traditional Technologies". The organizer is professor Vita Sergeevna Khmelevskaya.

In the Orenburg State University once in two years takes place the International Scientific Conference "Strength and Fracture of Materials and Structures" organized by professor Gennady Vsevolodovich Klevtsov. The 5th conference was in the year of 2008.

Since 1996 twice in a year a one-day Moscow seminar "Physics of Deformation and Fracture of Solids" has been organized by professors Alexander Markovich Glezer and Vladimir Iosifovich Alshits.

In 1996 an International Seminar "Modern Problems of Strength" devoted to the memory of V.A.Likhachev was initiated by professor Vladislav Georgievich Malinin. This seminar took place in Veliky Novgorod and Staraya Russa once in two years.

On the basis of the Siberian State Industrial University regularly takes place the scientific-technical conference on the "Actual Problems of Material Science" organized by Professor Victor Evgenievich Gromov.

In 2001 in Saint-Petersburg there was held an International Symposium "Mesostructures" and in 2007 - the 2nd International Symposium for the Physics of Large Plastic deformations. The Leader of these events was Corresponding Member of RAS, Professor Valery Vasilievich Rybin.

Toliatti State University, who in 2002 hosted XV International Conference “Physics of Strength and Plasticity of Materials” by an initiative of Professors Anatoly Alexeevich Vikarchuk and Dmitry Lvovich Merson launched a once-in-two-years International School-Seminar “Physical Material Science”. Three such schools took place in 2004, 2006 and 2007.

One should note that the abstracts and materials of the conferences and seminars held under the aegis of ICC are regularly published in the special issues or in Russian reviewed journals: “Bulletin of the Russian Academy of Sciences: Physics” (Izvestiya Rossiiskoi Akademii Nauk. Seriya Fizicheskaya), “Russian Physics Journal” (Izvesia Vuzov.Fizika), “Deformation and Fracture of Materials” (Deformatsia i Razrushenie Materialov), “Science of Materials” (Materialovedenie), etc. Large work on preparing conferences’ collections of abstracts and articles for publication is done by the ICC Secretary, Ph.D. Elena Vasilievna Chernyaeva (Saint-Petersburg State University).

ICC contributes to bringing up of young skilled scientists: in most abstracts of Ph.D. and Doctor of Science theses (1993-2009) devoted to the problems of strength and plasticity it is noted that the results of the investigations were reported to the conferences, in which ICC took part (listed above).

One should also note that some of the Russian members of ICC are also members of the organized in 2001 Section “Physics of Strength and Plasticity of Materials” (co-chairs A.M.Glezer, V.I.Betekhtin) of the “Scientific Council of RAS for the Condensed State Physics”.

In closing I would like to underscore that the foundation of the International Coordinating Council for Physics of Strength and Plasticity of Materials had as its object firstly the retention of the close relations between different scientific schools and scientific disciplines that have been formed in the USSR. Retaining and further development of these relations is the priority task of the today’s board of ICC, of which a number of active and qualified specialists became part during recent years.