The P. L. Kapitza Institute for Physical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences was founded in 1934 as a unique initiative to enable Pyotr L. Kapitza to continue his research in the Soviet Union after his return from England. According to Kapitza, the institution was given the somewhat unconventional name Institute for Physical Problems to emphasize that its focus would not be confined to a single area of knowledge. Instead, it would address "known scientific problems, the scope of which will be determined by the personnel, the scientific staff who will work in it."