The Institute foundation in Leningrad dates back to 1929.

A well-known chemistry physicist, academician V .A. Kistyakovsky, who dealt with special colloid electrochemistry problems, was asked by the Presidium of the Academy of Science of the USSR to organize a laboratory of electrochemistry.

In 1934 when moving from Leningrad to Moscow within the Academy, the Laboratory obtained the statutes of the Institute of Colloid Electrochemistry.

The first Director of the Institute was academician Kistyakovsky, who had headed the Institute till 1939.

The Institute was headed by the academician A. N. Frumkin from 1939 till 1949. Taking into account the changes into researches, the Presidium of the Academy of Science of the USSR confirmed the decision of reorganization the Institute of Colloid electrochemistry into the Institute of the physical chemistry

Academician A.N.Frumkin was also the Head of the Electrochemistry department, which lately, in 1957, had given start to a separate Institute of the Physical Chemistry.

In 1990 more and more laboratories of the Institute became to pay an attention to new trends of research, and in 2002 the Laboratory of new physicochemical problems was founded, which is being headed by the academician RAS A. Yu. Tsivadze.

The department of the Institute "Physicochemistry of nano and supramolecular system" was founded esteblished under the Scientific Council of The Institute. The laboratory was founded as a result of the union nine Institute's laboratories and drawing up some outstanding specialists from the other laboratories from the Institute. The new created department is being headed by the Academician A. Yu. Tsivadze.

In 2003 once more new laboratory of "Division and determination of radiactive elements" was founded. It is being headed by the academician B. F. Myasoedov.

According the resolution №65 of the Presidium RAS from 24 february 2004 the Institute of Electrochemistry is joined to the Institute of physical chemistry RAS.

The Institute collaborates with Academies of Science, the Institutes and Universities of USA, Canada, U. K., France, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Japan, Korea, Australia, Italy, Belgium and other countries. The scientists of the Institute take an active parts in international symposiums, conferences, their scientifical works are being translated and published in many countries in the world.

The Institute cooperates broadly in the applied science with concerns of the Ministry of Atomic Industry and other Russian concerns; fulfils the contracts with different firms and scientifical centers of France, Germany, USA, India, Korea and other countries.

By present time there are scientifical schools with rich traditions and high scientifical potential of all foregoing trends in the Institute.

• Institute of Physical Chemistry, the USSR Academy of Sciences