It is an English translation of the Russian journal of physics, Uspekhi Fizicheskikh Nauk (Russian: Успехи физических наук, Advances in Physical Sciences) which was established in 1918.

The English version has existed since 1958, first under the name Soviet Physics Uspekhi and after 1993 as Physics-Uspekhi.

[2] The founder of the journal, Eduard Shpolsky, was editor-in-chief from 1918 to his death in 1975.

[1] Vitaly Ginzburg, connected with the journal since before World War II, was appointed editor-in-chief in 1998.

In his 2006 Nobel autobiography, Ginzburg called it "a good and useful journal" and credited its "maintenance of the highest level" to long-term editorial manager M. S.