Gleb Vassilievich Wataghin: Physics, University and Politics in Brazil (1934-1949)

In 1934, the Russian-Italian physicist Gleb Vassil’evich Wataghin arrived in Brazil as part of an Italian diplomatic mission to organize the instruction of physics at the new Universidade de São Paulo. Still in the country, he returned to his Russian origins after Brazil’s declaration of war against Italy and the other Axis countries in 1942. This article discusses how Wataghin asserted his Russian nationality to help him stay there and adapt his work. It analyzes Wataghin’s path according to the methodological concept of intellectual scientists to investigate his political engagement with the organization of the scientific field, considering his work as a professor and a physicist, and his national origins. By examining the relevant sources to reconstruct his itinerary, social networks and generation, the authors consider the scientist’s intellectual outlook. They conclude, among other, that Wataghin's involvement in São Paulo's Russian community, specifically the Russian Red Cross, made him the target of investigation and repression by the State Department of Political and Social Order of São Paulo. After World War II, being a physicist further aggravated suspicions of the authorities. This affected Wataghin’s work environment and social network, which were also under investigation.