V. I. Vernadsky's century-old phrase that the history of the Academy «has neither been written yet, nor properly understood by Russian society» remains true even today. While seriously investing in all fields of scientific research, the Academy has paid rather little attention to the study of its own past. The article discusses landmark events in the history of the Academy during the 20^th century, including the revolution, the new statutes of 1927, the move from Leningrad to Moscow, the War, the reforms of the 1960s, and the Chernobyl accident. The USSR's role as a global power depended in no small measure on the Abstracts 219 achievements of science and the work of the Academy. The current reform of the Academy started in the 1990s and is proceeding very slowly. It is nevertheless essential and important to make the preparation and publication of the history of the Academy a national priority, particularly in view of its approaching tercentennial.