All-Union Institute Research Articles

Role of the all-union institute of experimental medicine in the development of neurology in the Soviet Russia

Since 1930, on the initiative of the writer Maxim Gorky, idea of the director of the Iinstitute of experimental Medicine in Leningrad L.N.Fyodorov was being worked out on organization of All-Union Institute for comprehensive study of man. By decree of Council of People's Commissars of the USSR dated October 15, 1932 “On the All-Union Institute of Experimental Medicine in Moscow.”

НАУЧНОЕ НАСЛЕДИЕ ПРОФЕССОРА Ф.Х. БУРУМКУЛОВА (К 85-ЛЕТИЮ СО ДНЯ РОЖДЕНИЯ)

Professor F.Kh. Burumkulov holds a special place among the well- known scientists who have contributed to the development of the strengthening and restoring machine parts. The graduate of the Bauman Moscow State Technical University, he devoted his entire adult life to scientific research on testing machine parts, coating methods, introducing innovative equipment and technologies into repair production. (Research purpose) The research purpose is in presenting the main scientific achievements of F.Kh. Burumkulov, evaluating their contribution to solving the problems of restoration and hardening of parts in modern conditions. (Materials and methods) The article presents literary data, scientific works, archival materials, the most significant publications of F.Kh. Burumkulov, his students and associates. (Results and discussion) The article describes the main stages of the professor's activity. In 1965 he graduated from the Bauman Moscow State Technical University, the branch of "Tracked and wheeled vehicles". F.Kh. Burumkulov studied there in graduate school and in 1968 defended his PhD thesis on the topic "Study of steady-state forced oscillations of the transmission of a multi-drive wheeled vehicle 8x8". They pointed out that after defending his dissertation, he worked at the All-Union Institute of Standardization and Metrology and worked his way up from a senior teacher to a deputy director for academic affairs. From 1980 until the last days, the scientist worked in the VNPO "Remdetal", which was repeatedly renamed (currently – FNAC VIM). The article presents the achieved results and scientific contribution at each stage of its activity. (Conclusions) The scientific heritage of Professor F.Kh. Burumkulov includes more than 250 scientific works, including 7 monographs and 75 inventions. The results of his scientific achievements are recognized by the scientific community; he has trained 2 doctors of sciences and 10 candidates of technical sciences.

Л. С. Выготский и ученики: результаты коллективной научной деятельности в первой половине ХХ в.

Within the framework of the study of collective forms of arranging national scientific activity the paper presents the outcomes of the activity of the groups organized by L. S. Vygotsky at the Institute of Experimental Psychology, the Experimental Defectologic Institute, the All-Union Institute of Experimental Medicine, and the Academy of Communist Education named after N. K. Krupskaya. The analysis of the titles and contents of the works published from 1924 to 1950 revealed the fact that prevailing number of researches were fundamental, a third part of which, however, had a practical orientation. The author has come to the conclusion that collective research activities were of importance for realization of L. S. Vygotsky’s general psychology ideas and methodological sets in the course of solving practical tasks in child and educational psychology, defectology, neuropsychology, and pathopsychology that were significant for public.

Professor V.A. Waldman and his family: a contribution to Russian medicine

Outstanding representatives of the St. Petersburg medical dynasty from the Waldman family: V.A. Waldman, his son A.V. Waldman and sister A.A. Waldman made a huge contribution to the health care of our country. The founder and first head of the department of faculty therapy at the Leningrad State Pediatric Medical Institute, Viktor A. Waldman, is an outstanding therapist, cardiologist, rheumatologist, classic of domestic medicine, a successor to the best traditions of the Botkin school. Cardiovascular pathology was studied clinically and experimentally by him and his staff, the pathogenesis of various forms of rheumatism was studied, methods for its diagnosis and treatment were developed. He did a great job of creating the rheumatological service of the city, for the first time founded in Leningrad cardiac rheumatology rooms at large enterprises, and later on a cardiac rheumatology clinic. Arthur V. Waldman son of V.A. Waldman, a prominent pharmacologist, head of the department of pharmacology of the 1st Leningrad Medical Institute named after academician I.P. Pavlov, academician of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR made a significant contribution to the study of the mechanism of action of various pharmacological substances on synaptic transmission of excitation in the central nervous system. A large series of works by A.V. Waldman is devoted to the pharmacology of emotional stress, the problem of the experimental study of emotions and means of controlling them. Alisa A. Valdman sister of V.A. Waldman, a pathologist, an employee of the All-Union Institute of Experimental Medicine, studied the role of nervous and hormonal regulation in the development of the infectious process, which she studied on a paratyphoid model for enteric infection in laboratory animals.

Agricultural science in the Soviet Union in 1945-1965

The law on the five-year plan for the restoration and development of the national economy of the USSR for 1946-50 provided for a significant increase in the volume of agricultural machinery. It was necessary to introduce into agricultural production new high-performance tractors, self-propelled combines, mounted machines with hydraulic control, specialized machines for technical, tilled, forage crops. (Research purpose) The research purpose is in analyzing the achievements of agricultural engineering science in the USSR in 1945-1965. (Materials and methods) Author studied the history of agricultural engineering science development in the USSR in the post-war period on the basis of archival materials and scientific literature. The sources have shown that the creation of new agricultural machinery required the development of research methods, new more effective technologies for design work and the consolidation of efforts of agricultural engineering science, testers and manufacturers of equipment. (Results and discussion) The article presents an analysis of the development of scientific research and technical developments aimed at improving agricultural technologies and agricultural machinery, and intensifying agricultural production. Author have found regional specialized research institutes, specialized design bureaus, and zonal machine-testing stations were established during the period under review. The article notes that the Department of Mechanization of the All-Union Academy of Agricultural Sciences has been significantly strengthened. A crucial role in the development of agricultural engineering science played the leading research institutions in the country, the All-Union Scientific and Research Institute of Mechanization of Agriculture, All-Union Institute of Electrification of Agriculture, All-Union Scientific and Research Technological Institute of Repair and Operation of Machine and Tractor Park, Research Tractor Institute and the National Institute of Agricultural Engineering and Agricultural Universities - Moscow, Azov-black sea, Chelyabinsk, Kharkiv institutes of agricultural mechanization, Rostov and Kirovograd institutes of agricultural engineering. (Conclusions) Thanks to the efforts of academic and university scientists, designers and testers, the latest agricultural machines and equipment were created, the introduction of which made it possible to fully meet the country's needs for food and agricultural raw materials.

In pursuit of the research group of L. S. Vygotsky

Despite the fact that L. S. Vygotsky is a prominent figure in the history of Russian psychology due to the unique contribution to the development of scientific thought and organization of work of the new scientific center, the research group under his authority becomes the subject of a separate research for the first time. This article discusses the results of biographical analysis based on the historical-psychological sources, published testimonies of his contemporaries, such as memoirs, conversations and interviews, scientific autobiographies, transcripts of speeches, biographical articles, and published archival materials. The novelty of the implemented by the author research approach consists in reference to the research activity of L. S. Vygotsky and his scientific school from the perspective of theory of the collective. It is determined that due to the work in different institutions and different goals of research activity, the group of scholars under the authority of L. S. Vygotsky cannot be defined as a collective. The leader of Soviet psychology and defectology was a head of several interrelated research groups: since 1924 at the premises of the Institute of Experimental Psychology, since 1929 – the Experimental Institute of Defectology and the Academy of Communist Education named after N. K. Krupskaya, since 1932 – the All-Union Institute of Experimental Medicine. In order to manage the effective research work of the groups, L. S. Vygotsky applied his creative, pedagogical and organizational skills. The scholar implemented a democratic management approach based on the uniformity of administration, cognition, and communication. L. S. Vygotsky’s scientific school was united by a progressive experimental and practice-oriented research program, sensitive to the public needs in building the theory and system of psychological assistance in the USSR.

Investigations by N.I. Vavilov and his influence on the promotion of introduction, collection study and breeding of cucurbitaceous crops

Nikolai I. Vavilov, an outstanding scientist and leader of the All-Union Institute of Plant Industry, has played a significant role in the development of studies of the global collection of cucurbitaceous crops, their introduction and practical use. Such classical treatises by Vavilov as the Field Crops of the South-East; The Law of Homologous Series in Hereditary Variation; Intergeneric Hybrids of Melons, Watermelons and Squashes ; and Selection as a Science , had a special importance for the study and use of genetic resources in breeding. Vavilov’s works have promoted the research on cucurbitaceous crops by such VIR scientists as K. I. Pangalo, N. E. Zhiteneva, M. K. Goldgausen, V. V. Arasimovich, A. I. Filov, T. B. Fursa, M. I. Malinina and the others. The comprehensive studies of the cucurbit collection have resulted in the development of taxonomy of different species, theoretical and practical bases of breeding, as well as in the identification of valuable accessions for the use in breeding. The versatile evaluation of the cucurbit collection and its use in targeted breeding programs at the Kuban Experiment Station of VIR have resulted in the creation of numerous cultivars of cucurbitaceous crops which are currently cultivated in this country.

The problem of initial stage of mass production of penicillin in the USSR

The article analyzes the problems of initial stage of mass production of penicillin in the USSR on the basis of documents of the State archive of the Russian Federation. The analysis covered declassified documents of the funds of the Narkomzdrav of the USSR, the Council of Ministers of the USSR, the A. M. Gorky All-Union Institute of Experimental Medicine (VIEM). The secret correspondence of the People's Commissar of Health Care with the Government, with the Head of the Department of Biochemistry of Microbes and experimental production laboratory of VIEM Z. V. Ermolieva, with Directors of plants for organization of production of penicillin is analyzed. The transcripts of meetings and orders of the People's Commissar of Health Care are considered. It is demonstrated that development of production facilities and provision of health care with antibiotics was an extremely difficult task. Its solution was complicated by many factors such as the inaccessibility of advanced methods of deep fermentation, general technological backwardness, organizational problems associated with specificity of management and public decision-making. It is established that during 1944 the main producer of penicillin was the laboratory of VIEM and serial production of penicillin at the Karpov enterprise and plant of endocrine drugs in Moscow began only in late 1944, and amount production was were extremily not enough. In this situation, in early 1945, G. A. Miterev, the People's Commissar of Health Care, raised the question of buying plants for the production of penicillin in the United States. However, the final decision was not taken by the government. The attempt to devote part of the resources of the Central Military Sanitary Department of the Red Army for ensuring public health with antibiotic failed. In 1945, enterprises of the People's Commissariat of Meat and Dairy Industry were involved in the production of penicillin. At all enterprises of the USSR in the end of 1945, production of antibiotic was carried out by surface fermentation and liquid penicillin was produced, except for the A. Mikoyan Moscow meat-packing plant, where the production of drug in dry form was established. The outdated technologies and limited scale of production determined lower productivity of enterprises, which did not allow to cover the needs of health care even approximately.

Ученый, наставник, педагог (к 90-летию со дня рождения Александра Соломоновича Михлина) [16.02.1930–30.10.2007

This article is dedicated to the memory of ScD (Law), Professor, Honored scientist of the RSFSR Aleksandr Solomonovich Mikhlin and to the 90th anniversary of his birth. Aleksandr Solomonovich Mikhlin was born in Moscow on February 16, 1930. In 1951, he graduated from the Moscow law Institute, after which he worked as a legal adviser in the system of the Ministry of Railways. In 1954, he entered the full-time postgraduate course of the All-Union Institute of Legal Sciences of the Ministry of Justice of the USSR. In 1959, he defended his PhD thesis on the topic “Consequences of crime in Soviet criminal law” (under the scientific supervision of a well-known scientist in the field of criminal and correctional labor law, ScD (Law), Professor B. S. Utevskiy). After the defense, he worked for some time as a legal adviser, and in 1962–1965 as a scientific Secretary of the Research Institute of Technology and Chemistry. In 1965 he joined the All-Union Scientific-Research Institute of public order protection at the Ministry of public order of the RSFSR, which later was reorganized into All-Union Scientific Research Institute of the MIA of the USSR (all-Russian Research Institute of the MIA of Russia), where he worked the rest of his life. Since the end of the 60s (with the participation and also under the leadership of A. S. Mikhlin) for 30 years (in 1970, 1975, 1979, 1989, 1994, 1999) the work to prepare and conduct special censuses of convicts was carried out. A huge amount of unique information was obtained on persons sentenced to various punishments, as well as on suspects and accused for committing crimes in custody. Based on the materials of a special census in the late 60s, A. S. Mikhlin began working on his ScD thesis, which was defended in 1974 on the topic “The Identity of convicts sentenced to imprisonment and the problems of their correction and re-education”. After 1997 A. S. Mikhlin became involved in interpretation and explanation of newly adopted legal acts. Under his scientific supervision and direct participation, scientific and practical comments of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, the Penal Code of the Russian Federation, the Federal law on detention of suspects and accused for committing crimes, and the Criminal Procedure Code of the Russian Federation were prepared and published. Thematic judicial collections of current decisions of the Plenums of the Supreme Courts of the USSR, the RSFSR, and the Russian Federation, as well as textbooks on criminal law, penal law, and criminal procedure, were very popular. Three editions of the monograph on the death penalty were also published (in Moscow in 1997 and 2000, and in London in 1999, in English). In total, Professor A. S. Mikhlin published more than 550 scientific papers, more than 1000 printed pages, including more than 100 monographs, textbooks, commentaries, manuals on criminal and correctional labor (penal) law in various publications in Russia, the former Soviet Union Republics, as well as in the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Belgium, Romania, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Germany, and Bulgaria.

Sources of eyespot resistance in winter wheat

Purpose. The study of collection samples of winter wheat for resistance to the causative agent of eyespot on artificial infectious background and the identification of effective sources of resistance among them for use in breeding. Methods. Field (creation of artificial infectious background, accounting expression of the disease) and laboratory (isolation of the pathogen Pseudocercosporellaherpotrichoides in pure culture, inoculum production. During 2016–2018 on the fields at the plant protection department of the V. M. Remeslo Myronivka Institute of Wheat of NAAS 173 collection samples of various ecological and geographical origin on artificial infectious background of Pseudocercosporella herpotrichoides (Fron.) created by spraying winter wheat plants in early spring (tillering stage) with mycelium homogenate developed from strains of the local population of the pathogen. Accounting expression of the disease was carried out in the phase of milk and wax ripeness of winter wheat according to the N. I. Vavilov All-Union Institute of Plant Production method (1976). Results. During period of the research, no winter wheat variety samples immune against eyespot pathogen was detected. The average eyespot progress on plants during the years of the research varied from 12.2 % (2017) to 31.3 % (2018). Among the material studied, 28 samples of winter wheat samples had relative resistance against eyespot, 13 collection samples were the best Mukhrau (GEO), Ignis (SVK), Lukillus (AUT), Rada (SVK), Famulus (DEU), Beres (HUN), SG-RU8096 (CZE), LIMAN (ROU), Bluskawice (POL), Patriarkh (RUS), Reia (UKR), Zysk (UKR) и Gerek (TUR) which for three years of the research in the field on artificial infectious background showed stable relative resistance to this pathogen. 116 winter wheat varieties showed relative susceptibility, the rest showed susceptibility and high susceptibility to eyespot pathogen in the late stages of organogenesis. Conclusions. Thirteen sources of relative resistance to eyespot pathogen have been identified, which are valuable source material for breeding varieties resistant to the pathogen Рseudocercosporella herpotrichoides (Fron.).

The Organization of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences: Stage I. The Decree of the USSR Council of People's Commissars "On Establishment of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences" (June 30, 1944)

The activities of the Secretariat of K. E. Voroshilov, the Deputy Chairman of the USSR Council of People's Commissars during June 1944 resulted in adoption of the Charter of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences, lists of academic research institutes, lists of candidates to full and honorary members of the Academy and other documents (the USSR Council of People's Commissars Decree # 797 of June 30 1944). The Charter had such peculiarities as electiveness of the top official of the Academy by the General Meeting under organizational and financial control of the USSR Council of People's Commissars. The organized Academy consisted on 60% of the USSR central research institutes and only on 40% of theoretical and clinical departments of the All-Union Institute of Experimental Medicine. At that, out of 38 institutes that the USSR Council of People's Commissars expected to re-subordinate to the Academy, only 25 were included into final choice basically at the expense of reduction of number of clinical institutes. The final version of the list of candidates to full members of the Academy included 56 names instead of 80 and the list of honorary members increased from 10 to 18. At relatively equal scientific deserts preference was given to personalities aged of 50-70 years (90,5%), Russians by nationality (80%), males (97%), residing in the Russian Soviet Federal Socialist Republic (88%). The average age of candidates was 61 year, candidates to honorary academicians - 74 years, and 74% 0f candidates to members of Academy were unaffiliated. The leading role in organization of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences at the first stage, including its adoption played K. E. Voroshilov who was involved both in organization, development and reorganization of the A. M. Gorky All-Union Institute of Experimental Medicine. in 1932-1944 and preparation, including endorsement and editing of all package on needed documents to be presented at the meetings of the Politburo of the Central Committee of C. P.S. U.(B.) of June 29 1944 and the USSR Council of People's Commissars of June 30 1944.

Early diagnostics of bread winter wheat varieties for drought tolerance

Purpose. To conduct assessment of bread winter wheat varieties for resistance to osmotic stress and to identify the most resistant genotypes to moisture deficiency in the early stages of vegetation. Methods. The experiments were carried out in 2016 and 2017, according to methodical recommendations of All-Union Institute of Plant Industry (ed. by V. F. Dorofeyev, 1974). Drought tolerance of 56 bread winter wheat varieties of various geographical origins was analyzed by previously disinfected seed germination (during 7 days at temperature of 20–21 °C) on solutions with sucrose concentrations corresponding to 16 and 18 atm of osmotic pressure. The varieties studied were differentiated by the ability of 7-day seedlings to form 3, 5 or other number of primary embryonic roots. Seeds sprouted under similar conditions on distilled water were the control. Results. A number of varieties were identified that significantly exceeded the standard variety Podolianka by the proportion of sprouted seeds on sucrose solutions, including the varieties MIP Kniazhna, Rozkishna and Horlytsia myronivska. On average over the years of research, germination ability of these varieties was 86, 79, 82 % and 78, 66, 55 %, respectively at 16 and 18 atm. On the 7th day of germination the varieties studied have formed mainly 3 or 5 primary roots. Seeds of the varieties of Myronivka breeding formed usually 3 embryonic roots, more than 60 % of the standard variety Podolianka seeds had 5 roots. Conclusions. According to the percentage of seeds germinated on osmotic solutions of different concentrations (16 and 18 atm), drought tolerance ranks for 56 wheat varieties of bread winter wheat of different geographical origin were determined. The Ukrainian varieties MIP Kniazhna, MIP Valensiia, Horlytsia myronivska, Rozkіshna, Statna, Shchedra nyva, and Zіra had high indices of seed germination on sucrose solutions, which significantly exceeded the standard. The varieties Hordovyta, Statna, Podolianka were distinguished by high percentage of seeds with 5 embryonic roots. Thus, the possibility of diagnosing drought tolerance of winter wheat varieties according to the indices of seed germination on sucrose solutions and to the number of primary roots formed on the early stages of seed germination has been shown.

С.В. ІВАНИЦЬКИЙ – ФУНДАТОР ВЕТЕРИНАРНОЇ ГЕЛЬМІНТОЛОГІЇ В УКРАЇНІ

Serhiy Vsevolodovych Ivanytskyi was born in July 1895 in Bessarabska Gubernia (Moldova) in the family of petty bourgeoises. There were six children in the family three sons and three daughters. After finishing the gymnasium in 1915 S. V. Ivanytskyi entered Warsaw veterinary institute that was evacuated to Moscow. From 1918 to 1919 he continued his education in Donskoy veterinary institute (DVI, Novocherkask) and at the same time he worked as a ”servant” at the department of animal hygiene. After graduation from the institute there was a try to mobilize him for the army but he was recognized unusable for the military service. Instead he got a job of the local epizootic doctor in Novocherkask and a junior doctor of the scab field hospital, he took an active part in the eradication of cattle plague (rinderpest). Then he managed to get the post of an assistant at the department of pharmacology and recipe. He worked in DVI from 1919 to 1921. He was sent to Kherson antirabies station in order to test the drug. Soon after the station was closed and Serhiy Vsevolodovych had to solve the dilemma “What to do?” He stayed there and soon after he became the head of the veterinary department in Kherson region and then in Odesa region. From 1926 to 1934 S. V. Ivanytskyi was an assistant, a specialist, chief of the helminthology department in the Institute of research and practical veterinary medicine (Kharkiv), where the helminthology laboratory was established by him. From 1926 to 1930 he was posted four times to the helminthology department of the All-Union institute of experimental veterinary medicine (Moscow) to specialize in helminthology under supervision of Professor K. I. Skryabin. From 1927 to 1929 S. V. Ivanytskyi was in charge with the Ukrainian helminthological expeditions № 2, 3 and 4. By the results of the above expeditions for the first time in the USSR he introduced the planned regular general dehelminthisation of sheep and dogs, control of stray dogs, rational organization and placement of water trough system for sheep under field conditions on the sheep-breeding farms of Ukraine. The above system was demonstrated at the All-Union agricultural exhibition and its author got a diploma and a prize (bonus). During his work in the Institute of experimental veterinary medicine in Kharkiv S. V. Ivanytskyi trained 6 doctors-helminthologists, 7 veterinary doctors – regional parasitologists, organized courses in complex antihelminth measures on the sheep-breeding farms and some courses for the improvement of qualification for veterinarians of Ukraine. In January 1931 Serhiy Vsevolodovych was accepted for the position of an extra-staff lecturer in Kharkiv veterinary institute (KhVI) to give lectures in parasitology. In October 25, 1932 by the order № 26 the first department of parasitology in Ukraine was established and S. V. Ivanytskyi became the chief of the department. In December 5, 1935 S. V. Ivanytskyi obtained the academic degree of Candidate of Veterinary Science and the academic position of Professor at the department of parasitology. After the long-term and serious disease S. V. Ivanytskyi died on 31st of January 1941. For the period of his educational and scientific work on animal helminthosis Serhiy Vsevolodovych Ivanytskyi published 31 scientific works, prepared the textbook “Invasive diseases of domestic animals”, developed and introduced into practice “Rational organization and use of water trough on sheep-breeding farms”. His scientific work was based on the expeditions and experimental research. Three candidate‘s degree dissertations were successfully defended under his guidance and the above thesis were of great importance for science and practice.

Рlant-breeder and pedagogue Ivan Maksymovych Yeremeiev and his Ukrainka 0246

In 2017, the scientific community has celebrated the 130th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding breeder, Doctor of agricultural sciences, Professor Ivan Maksymovych Yeremeiev, the author of the masterpiece of the world selection – the winter wheat variety Ukrainka 0246, as well as 90 years since this international standard of grain quality has been regionized. Difficult Ivan M. Yeremeiev’s life with regard to history of creating the variety Ukrainka 0246, scientific and pedagogical activity is highlighted. After taking in 1909 his degree of “Higher Agronomic Sciences” of the Agronomical Institute at the Natural Sciences Faculty of the University of Nancy in France and the specialty of an agronomist engineer I. M. Yeremeiev worked in Paris, then in Serbia, and in 1916 returned to Ukraine. In 1917 he was appointed as specialist for breeding at the Myronivka Experimental Station. Since that time, winter wheat breeding at the Station was conducted under the Yeremeiev’s guidance. The unique winter wheat variety Ukrainka 0246 which occupied large areas and was recognized as the international standard for strong wheat has become the main his achievement. In 1939, I. M. Yeremeiev has received the author’s certificate for the winter wheat varierty Ukrainka with 50 % participation rate in its creation (other 50 % of the rights belong to V. Ye. Zoltkevych and L. I. Kovalevskyi). In 1930, I. M. Yeremeiev has got through arrest and provisional detention. During 1931–1933 he was the head of Breeding Department of the Ukrainian Research Institute of Sugar Industry in Kiev, and from 1934 until the occupation of the territory of the USSR by the German troops (1941) he worked near Leningrad (Pushkin town) at the Central Experimental Station of the All-Union Institute of Plant Industry (IPI) as Deputy Director on Scientific Research and head of the Wheat Breeding Department, later he headed the Leningrad Plant Breeding Station. In 1936, without defending his dissertation, he was awarded the degree of Doctor of Agricultural Sciences and the academic title of full member of the IPI. During this period, under his leadership a number of varieties of cereals and groat crops were created. In 1941–1944, the I. M Yeremeiev’s labor activity was associated with the Severodvinsk State Plant Breeding Station. After the war the Yeremeievs have returned to Ukraine in the Bila Tserkva. The scientist-breeder I. M. Yeremeiev is also known as a talented pedagogue, the teacher of the “wheat breeding” course. In the 1920s, he lectured at the Maslivka Agricultural Technical School (Institute), after the war at the Bila Tserkva Agricultural Institute, later at the Uman Agricultural Institute. The scientist was buried in 1957 in Uman.

Динамика активности синтаксономических центров России и процессы их интеграции

The history of «rooting» and current state of the Braun-Blanquet approach in Russia are discussed. The process began only in the 1960s, when a more favorable climate has developed in Soviet science, and researches showed interest in the following international principles of vegetation classification. However, at that time they used, as a rule, palliative options in which «Russian» criteria (dominants) were combined with «floristic» ones. As a rule, such schemes were not successful and gave rise to imbalances in syntaxonomy. After the year 1981, when the VI All-Union conference on the classification of vegetation was held in Ufa, Soviet geobotany moved to a «strict version» of the Braun-Blanquet approach. However, at that period there were no journals in the USSR that were ready to published papers with phytosociological tables. For this reason, phytocenologists have used the resources of All-Union Institute of scientific and technical information (VINITI), which provided a free-accepted manuscript deposit, published abstracts of these papers in Refereed journal and for a modest fee sent copies to all interested specialists. The data of the deposited papers became a base for the first variant of the Prodromus of vegetation of Russia, which included 72 classes, 148 orders, 309 alliances and 74 suballiances. Since the year 2001, when the journal «Vegetation of Russia» was organized in Saint-Petersburg, both the high professional level of editorial board and the competent reviewers provide the publication of papers in strict accordance with the Braun-Blanquet approach (including the «International code of phytosociological nomenclature»), that greatly stimulated the development of syntaxonomy in Russia. Five syntaxonomic centers (Far East-Siberia, Ufa, Saint-Petersburg, Togliatti, Bryansk) have been formed. The information of their publication activity (see Table) for the periods 2001–2005, 2006–2011 and 2012–2016 years in all centres (in particular in the Far East-Siberia and Ufa) shows the number of publications is constantly increasing. This gives the hope that in the foreseeable future the Russian syntaxonomists will be able to materialize the multi-volume edition «The Vegetation of Russia».

FROM THE A.M. GORKII ALL-UNION INSTITUTE OF EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE TO THE IDEA OF ORGANIZATION OF THE ACADEMY OF MEDICAL SCIENCES OF THE USSR (1932-1942)

Te idea of establishment of the USSR Academy of medical sciences was advanced by I.V. Stalin in 1932 as alternative to organization of the All-Union institute of experimental medicine. However, instead of the USSR Academy of medical sciences the All-Union institute of experimental medicine was established as the USSR highest research institution in the field of medical and biological sciences. The All-Union institute of experimental medicine, initially organized for resolving theoretical and practical problems of medicine, with time ceased to cope with its assignment. The main cause of dissatisfaction on part of the USSR government became its isolation from practical medicine, functioning of the USSR people's commissariat of health care and subordinated research institutes. The definitive loss of scientific authority of the All-Union institute of experimental medicine occurred after the beginning of the Great Patriotic War during its evacuation from Moscow in 1941 and re-evacuation in 1942. As a result, in the USSR government was developed concept of establishment of the Academy of medical sciences as an independent structure similar to the All-Union Academy of agricultural sciences, assigned to unify theoretical and applied medical science under single supervision. This issue together with fate of the All-Union institute of experimental medicine was considered in December 1942 at two sessions of the Board of the USSR people's commissariat of health care. Thereupon, the establishment of the USSR Academy of medical sciences was entrusted to the USSR people's commissariat of health care under consultative collaboration of administration of the All-Union institute of experimental medicine.

Science Under Political Change: The Experience of Russian Genetics in the 1960s

Abstract: The paper is devoted to the development of Soviet genetics in the higher school in the second half of the 1960s. Currently history of Russian genetics is becoming a popular research subject among Russian and foreign historians. Tragic events, which befell Soviet genetics in mid 20th century have been thoroughly examined both in scientific and popular accounts. Thus development of genetics during the later period of Soviet history makes a more suitable subject for a rigorous historical investigation. In the late 1960s Soviet science and technology policy in regard to biological research was aimed at the restoration of losses suffered due to the rise of Lysenkoism. This period has not yet been duly investigated and there are almost no publications authored by professional historians dedicated to genetics research in the Soviet Union in the 1960-80s. To a certain extent this gap has been covered in the author’s earlier publications. The research is based on the wide range of archive documents from the archives of Moscow, Saint- Petersburg and Novosibirsk. Also, significant place is given to oral sources. The paper underlines that Leningrad and Novosibirsk Universities made a great contribution to the revival of human resources in the Soviet genetics. At the same time many other biological departments and institutes were going through the reorganization of the Soviet biology with lots of difficulties. The examples of the All-Union Institute of Plant Industry of the VASKhNIL and the Novosibirsk agricultural institute vividly illustrated that Lysenkoists still held an important positions in the field of science and education. Besides, the lack of material supplies of the chairs and laboratories had a destructive influence.

Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov: Plant Geographer, Geneticist, Martyr of Science

Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov (1887–1943), one of the pioneers of 20th century plant breeding, is best known for seminal work in identifying centers of origins and diversity for cultivated plants. Vavilov studied genetics with William Bateson from 1913 to 1914 at the John Innis Horticultural Institute. In 1921, he was chosen by Vladimir Lenin to head the Branch of Applied Botany in Petrograd (St. Petersburg) and rose to be the Director of the All-Union Institute of Agriculture in Leningrad, where he oversaw agricultural research for the entire country. By 1934, Vavilov established more than 400 research institutes and experiment stations with a staff of 20,000. His efforts established the Soviet Union as a world leader in genetics and plant breeding in the 1920s and early 1930s. Vavilov carried out an extensive series of expeditions worldwide, including the United States, to collect germplasm; and he created the world’s largest repository, over 250,000 seed accessions. However, as a result of famine in the Soviet Union in the late 1920s, partly as a result of forced collectivization of peasants, Vavilov came in conflict with an ambitious agronomist, Trofim Lysenko, who came to prominence with an agricultural technique proposed in 1928, of exposing chilled, soaked seeds of wheat (dubbed vernalization) to extend production in northern areas of Russia. Lysenko’s rejection of Mendelian genetics won the support of Joseph Stalin, leading to the arrest and death sentence of Vavilov, although this was later commuted to 20 years imprisonment. Vavilov died of starvation in prison in 1943, thus entering the select group of martyrs of science along with Gordiano Bruno, Galileo Galilei, Antoine Lavoisier, and Georgii Karpechenko.

К 125-летию со дня рождения выдающегося ботаника Петра Михайловича Жуковского

Peter Mikhailovich Zhykovsky--botanist, monograph of the genus Aegilops, closest associate of N.N. Vavilov, Director of the All-Union Institute of Plant Industry, Academic Secretary of the Department of Agriculture of VASKhNIL, and the first Editor-in-Chief of the Genetika journal. He postulated a theory on host-parasite coevolution at their common place of origin, and put forward the concept on Megagene centers of origin of cultivated plants and their endemic Microgene centers. He discovered and described the new wheat species Triticum timopheevii (Zhuk.) Zhuk. This species is unique with respect to its immunity to diseases and pests, and is the carrier of the genes for cytoplasmic male sterility.

The 110th Anniversary of Academician Alexander Evseevich Braunstein

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