This article analyzes the personal and business contacts of the Czechoslovak chemist Otto Wichterle (1913–1998) with Soviet. These contacts are considered in the context of the development of Soviet-Czechoslovak relations, international scientific relations during the Cold War, and the scientific and technological revolution (especially in the field of polymer chemistry). The examples discussed in the article demonstrate a deep and sincere interest in the development of scientific contacts between scientists of the USSR and Czechoslovakia. Moreover, such a partnership was initially regarded as equal and mutually beneficial. It is demonstrated that personal contacts between O. Wiсhterle and N.N. Semenov, V.A. Kargin, M.I. Rokhlin, and other chemists were allowed to resolve important issues of bilateral scientific interaction at an unofficial level. At the same time, personal initiatives had their limits and possibilities. The article shows that even the good endeavors of chemists in contemporary research areas often ran into a blank wall of the Soviet bureaucracy at various levels, with even the most influential and authoritative scientists being unable to break through it despite titanic efforts. The official construction of scientific ties even with socialist countries was constrained on the Soviet side by numerous prohibitions that were devoid of any common sense. Although the USSR declared a course to develop and strengthen international scientific relations, to increase the influence of Soviet science, and to transfer knowledge and technology, the practices of managing international scientific contacts turned out to be deeply flawed and flawed. O. Wichterle’s calls to judge the success of international cooperation on the basis of real achievements and not on the basis of bravura reports, ceremonial visits of official delegations, and non-binding agreements remained unheard, which, in particular, was demonstrated by his letter to M.V. Keldysh in 1964. As a result, negative trends greatly undermined the authority of Soviet science in the world, including in socialist countries. The article is based on materials from Russian and foreign archives that were researched for the first time.
O. Wichterle; Soviet-Czechoslovak scientific relations; scientific and technological revolution; technology transfer; history of chemistry.