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Nikolay KuleshovOutstanding plant biologist
Date of Birth: 17.12.1890
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Content:
- An Eminent Biologist and Plant Scientist
- Early Career and Research
- Botanical Investigations
- Agricultural Expertise
- Leningrad Years and Scientific Expeditions
- Arrests and Rehabilitation
- Second Arrest and Liberation
- Later Career and Legacy
- Research and Leadership
- Legacy
An Eminent Biologist and Plant Scientist
Early Life and EducationA Political Exile's Son
Born in 1890 in Fergana, to a physician father who was a political exile, the young biologist had an unconventional upbringing. He completed his secondary education at the Kyiv Fifth Gymnasium in 1909 and graduated from the Agricultural Department of the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute in 1913.
Early Career and Research
Practical ExperienceBefore completing his university studies, the biologist gained practical experience as an intern in corn research at the Kharkiv Experimental Station (1912-1913).
Botanical Investigations
In 1914, he worked briefly at the Bureau of Applied Botany, where he collaborated with A.G. Lorkh to study wheat, barley, and oats. He was also appointed assistant in the Department of General Agriculture at the Don Polytechnic Institute (1914-1915).
Agricultural Expertise
Fieldwork and ManagementFrom 1915 to 1920, the biologist specialized at the Kharkiv Regional Experimental Station. He then became the director of the Central Seed Station of the Ukrainian SSR (1918-1925) and a professor of agriculture at the Kharkiv Agricultural Institute (1922-1926).
Leningrad Years and Scientific Expeditions
Research at the All-Union InstituteRelocating to Leningrad in 1926, the scientist held the position of head of the Corn Section at the All-Union Institute of Applied Botany and New Crops (VIR) and later became its deputy director. During this period, he led expeditions to study crops in Central Asia, Mongolia, and the Caucasus.
Arrests and Rehabilitation
Political PersecutionIn March 1933, the scientist was arrested and sentenced to three years of exile in Eastern Siberia. He was released in January 1938 and awarded a doctorate in agricultural sciences without defending a dissertation.
Second Arrest and Liberation
In 1938, the scientist was arrested again and imprisoned. However, he was exonerated and freed in August 1939.
Later Career and Legacy
Post-War ProfessorshipAfter the Great Patriotic War, the scientist relocated to Kharkiv in 1945 and became a professor and head of the Department of Plant Science at the Kharkiv Agricultural Institute, where he remained until his death.
Research and Leadership
Concurrently, from 1947 to 1960, he served as deputy director and head of the Laboratory of Ecology of Agricultural Plants at the Ukrainian Research Institute of Plant Science, Selection, and Genetics. He was proficient in English, French, and German.
Legacy
The biologist left an indelible mark on the field of plant science, contributing significantly to our understanding of crop cultivation and agricultural practices. His research and expeditions expanded the boundaries of knowledge in plant breeding and genetics.
