for High Pressure Physics. Dr. Prof. Sergey Leonidovich Mandelstam (later, a corresponding member of RAS) was the first director and ideologist of scientific research areas of ISAN. Core staff was formed by the former members of Spectroscopy Committee lab: S.A. Uholin, Kh.E. Sterin, G.N. Zhizhin, V.B. Belyanin, Ya. M. Kimelfeld, E.Ya. Kononov, M.R. Aliev, S.N. Murzin. The following researchers have moved to ISAN from Lebedev Physical Institute: V.G. Koloshnikov, B.D. Osipov, V.S. Letoknov, R.V. Ambartsumyan, O.N. Kompanets, O.A. Tumanov. V.M. Agranovich moved to ISAN from Obninsk, R.I. Personov - from Moscow State Pedagogical University. S.G. Rautian worked in ISAN since 1971 to 1977. Involvement of famous scientists facilitated the rapid formation of highly skilled research team. At the same time, ISAN personed was being enriched by talented graduates of Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT) who still work in the Institute and play key roles in science worldwide. In 1989-2015 the institute was headed by corresponding member of RAS Prof. Dr. Eugeny Vinogradov. According to Mandelstam's concept, staff of ISAN should not exceed three-four hundred in number. Laboratories of only a handful of researchers made it possible to flexibly change the directions of research and to focus on scientific work instead of administrative concerns. Today, staff of ISAN numbers to 239 employees, including 113 scientists of which 30 are Doctors of Science and 45 are postdocs. ISAN holds the "Chair of Nanooptics and Spectroscopy" at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology (MIPT). ISAN holds the "Chair of Quantum Optics and Photonics" at the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE). Structure Directorial board Director (since 2015) - Prof. Dr. Victor Zadkov Scientific vice-director - Prof. Dr. Leonid Surin Scientific Secretary - Dr. E.B.Perminov Financial vice-director - A.Yu.Plodukhin'' Scientific departments Atomic Spectroscopy Dept. (head - Prof. Dr. A.N.Rybtsev) Molecular Spectroscopy Dept. (head - Prof. Dr. L.A.Surin) Solid State Spectroscopy Dept. (head - Professor of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Prof. Dr. A.V. Naumov) Laser Spectroscopy Dept. (head - Prof. Dr. E.A. Ryabov) Laser Spectral Instrumentation Dept. (head - Prof. Dr. O.N. Kompanets) Theoretical Dept. (head - Prof. Dr. A.M. Kamchatnov) Nanostructures Spectroscopy Lab. (head - Prof. Yu.E. Lozovik) Spectroscopy Experimental Methods Lab. (head - Dr. E.B. Perminov) Main scientific directions Broad-range spectroscopy of atoms, ions, molecules, clusters, plasma, condensed matter (bulk and surface), novel materials with ultrahigh temporal, spectral, spatial resolution. Development of new spectroscopic methods. Laser spectroscopy