VNIIPAS

The All Union Scientific Research Institute for Applied Automated Systems (VNIIPAS/ВНИИПАС) was a Soviet research institute that maintained computer networking, including international digital connections, at official level and was the central node of inner USSR scientific data network called Academset.[1][2]

The entrance signboard at VNIIPAS (Gosteleradio screenshot, 1988)

It existed since 1982 until 1995. It was derived from 1976-established VNIISI/ВНИИСИ which was a partner project of Austrian International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA).

The IIASA at Laxenburg, Austria was created in 1972 as a joint USSR-USA effort to establish global scientific communications through Club of Rome. In 1983 VNIIPAS and George Soros created joint telecommunication venture San Francisco — Moscow Teleport (SFMT) later known as Sovam Teleport ("Soviet-American teleport") that operated digital connections between USSR and USA and later became SWIFT provider for Soviet banking system.