Vavilov Research Institute of Cultivation

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VAVILOV RESEARCH INSTITUTE OF CULTIVATION, a governmental scientific centre of the Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences, located at 42 and 44 Bolshaya Morskaya Street. Established as the Bureau for Applied Botany and Plant Selection in 1894 and transformed into the State Institute of Experimental Agriculture in 1922. In 1924-30, it was renamed the Institute of Applied Botany and Modern Cultivation, it received its present name in 1930. It was named after N. I. Vavilov in 1967 and was granted the status of a state scientific centre in 1994. Research includes in-depth studies of the plant species from around the world and their use in selective breeding. It also breeds varieties and hybrids of agricultural cultures and is involved in initial seed production. The institute’s collection (based on the guidelines of N. I. Vavilov) has been gathered in the course of numerous expeditions to all the regions of the Earth, numbering 320,000 specimens of seeds of cultured and wild plants as of 2002. Over 1800 sorts of agricultural crops have been produced based on its research. During the siege of 1941-44, research assistants of the institute heroically preserved the collection, not touching a single seed even though 14 assistants died of starvation. N. I. Vavilov (the institute’s director in 1921-40), N. A. Maximov, G. A. Levitsky, V. G. Alexandrov, G. D. Karpechenko, K. A. Fliaksberger, E. N. Sinskaya, V. V. Pashkevich, V. V. Talanov, P. M. Zhukovsky et al. worked at the institute. The structure of the institute includes three branches and eleven experimental stations. The institute publishes Works of Applied Botany, Genetics and Selection (since 1924). The institute is housed in the former building of the Ministry of State Properties (1844-54, architect N. E. Efimov).

References: Регель Р. Э. Организация и деятельность Бюро по прикладной ботанике за первое двадцатилетие его существования (27 окт. 1894-27 окт. 1914). Пг., 1916; Конарев А. В. Всероссийскому институту растениеводства имени Н. И. Вавилова 100 лет. СПб., 1994.

O. N. Ansberg. Alexandrov V.G.
Efimov Nikolay Efimovich
Fliaksberger K.A.
Karpechenko Georgy Dmitrievich
Levitsky Grigory Andreevich
Maximov Nikolay Alexandrovich
Pashkevich Vasily Vasilievich
Sinskaya Е.N.
Talanov Viktor Viktorovich
Vavilov Nikolay Ivanovich
Zhukovsky Peter Mikhailovich
Bolshaya Morskaya St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 44
Bolshaya Morskaya St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 42
Регель Р. Э. Организация и деятельность Бюро по прикладной ботанике за первое двадцатилетие его существования (27 окт. 1894-27 окт. 1914). Пг., 1916
Конарев А. В. Всероссийскому институту растениеводства имени Н. И. Вавилова 100 лет. СПб., 1994 Siege of 1941-44