The reviewed work is a monograph written by Soldatova O.N."Inventors and inventive activity in the development of scientific and technical progress of the industry in the Soviet Union (1917-1956)", dedicated to the process of formation and development of mass inventive movement, which made a significant contribution to the economic development of the country, the establishment of science, technology and social progress. Problems of invention are touched - the analysis of standard and legal base, process of formation of the state and public organizations in management, definition of the main stages in invention development, activity of inventors in the conditions of repressive policy of the 1920-1950th. In process of science development the invention become more and more difficult. Contemporaries aren't able to estimate multilaterally and deeply the inventions. The part of technical ideas is embodied in real mechanisms, technology and constructions, necessary for society, many years later on more developed material-technical base. Some historians consider that the majority of modern achievements have in the basis ideas 1940-1960th. Materials of the monography are useful to experts, historians, political scientists, the jurists studying various aspects of invention. Conclusions of the author supplement some sections of economic history, history of patent law, give the chance to use an extensive complex of archival documents.