For citation:
Bersenev, V. L., & Sukhikh, V. V. (2024). Academician A. N. Efimov: The Beginning of the Intellectual Biography. AlterEconomics, 21(1), 103–122. https://doi.org/10.31063/AlterEconomics/2024.21-1.7
Abstract:
Anatoly Efimov, a Soviet academician, exerted a significant influence on the theory, methodology, and practice of long-term planning and forecasting for the national economy during his leadership at the Research Institute of Economics under the State Planning Commission of the USSR in Moscow. However, his foundational years as a scholar and organizer unfolded in Sverdlovsk. This article seeks to explore the early stages of his intellectual journey. Methodologically, the study employs the intellectual history approach, intertwining the history of ideas with an analysis of contextual factors that shaped the emergence, institutionalization, and development of specific viewpoints. The research relies on Efimov’s publications and archival materials from the library of the Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The article suggests that the backgrounds of scholars shape the creation and development of important theories or concepts. Efimov’s varied roles as an economist, including his work in the cooperative movement and industrial production, coupled with his positions as a teacher at the Ural Industrial Institute and the head of the Department of Economics, impacted the organization of his research, choice of topics, and the validity of his conclusions. Particularly noteworthy is Efimov’s practical orientation and steadfast connection with production.
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