Institute of Applied Mechanics was created on the 21 November 1989 by the Decree of the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR # 926. The main purpose was development in new areas of mechanics using achievement of the related sciences — mathematics, physics, chemistry. Academician Ivan Obraztsov became the first head.

I. F. Obraztsov — Russian scientist in the field of structural mechanics and strength of the aircraft.

In April 1998, he moved to the science supervisor position and Dr.Sc., Prof. Yuriy Yanovsky was elected to head post by employees of IAM RAS.

Yuriy Yanovsky — a prominent scientist engineer, a specialist in the field of non-Newtonian mechanics, rheology, mechanics structured and heterogeneous environment, computational mechanics.

In 1998, the Institute of Applied Mechanics Division has attached Mechanics and mathematical methods in the technological and economic development of the Presidium of Russian Academy of Sciences.

In 2015 the head position took Dr.S. Alexandr Vlasov.

We carry out applied and fundamental research in the following area:

1. Physicochemical mechanics of strength and displacement of solids;
2. Mechanics of structured and heterogeneous medium and adaptive materials and systems;
3. Mechanics of composite structures;
4. Physicochemical mechanics of high-speed processes;
5. Physicochemical mechanics in biological and physiological processes;
6. Physicochemical mechanics gas-liquid or dispersion media, polyphase media with chemically reactive components;
7. Development of the theoretical base of the creation of new technology based on the achievements of physicochemical mechanics and hydro-aerodynamics.