Based on archival materials and other sources, the article examines the evolving working conditions, living standards, and legal status of the Azerbaijani scientific community during the 1920s–1940s. During this period, particular emphasis was placed on stimulating scientific work and improving the financial situation of researchers. The New Economic Policy (NEP), which led to the revival of the private capitalist sector and, consequently, a rise in free-market prices, significantly impacted the living standards of scientists. In the famine-stricken 1920s, Baku became a magnet for many scientists and specialists from the Russian hinterlands – not only for the opportunity to continue their scientific, pedagogical, or professional activities but also as a place of relative stability. Unlike the unruly and faminestricken regions of Russia, the capital of Azerbaijan maintained its status as an “island of calm” and relative material well-being, earning the reputation of a “grain city.” The outbreak of the Great Patriotic War (1941–1945) severely worsened the material and living conditions of the population, including members of the scientific community. Nevertheless, Azerbaijani scientists bravely endured the hardships of wartime. The republic’s government made every effort to ensure that scientists had access to basic necessities, including food and industrial goods. Moreover, issues such as housing conditions, medical care, pensions, access to higher education for their children, deferment from military conscription, and other critical matters were met with consistent support from the government. The study’s findings indicate that these transformations were a direct result of state policies aimed at fostering scientific development and supporting scientific personnel during challenging historical periods.
soviet power; reserchers; financial stаtus; working conditions; legal status; living conditions.