The the botanists of besieged Leningrad and their impossible choice Parkin, Simon creator author. text bibliography biography nyu 2024 First Scribner softcover edition. monographic eng

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pages cm "In the summer of 1941, German troops surrounded the Russian city of Leningrad-now St. Petersburg-and began the longest blockade in recorded history, one that would ultimately claim the lives of nearly three-quarters of a million people. At the center of the besieged city stood a converted palace that housed the world's largest collection of seeds-more than 250,000 samples hand-collected over two decades from all over the globe by world-famous explorer, geneticist, and dissident Nikolai Vavilov, who had recently been disappeared by the Soviet government. After attempts to evacuate the priceless collection failed and supplies dwindled amongst the three million starving citizens, the employes at the Plant Institute were left with a terrible choice. Should they save the collection? Or themselves? These were not just any seeds. The botanists believed they could be bred into heartier, disease-resistant, and more productive varieties suited for harsh climates, therefore changing the future of food production and preventing famines like those that had plagued their countrymen before. But protecting the seeds was no idle business. The scientists rescued potato samples under enemy fire, extinguished bombs landing on the seed bank's roof, and guarded the collection from scavengers, the bitter cold, and their own hunger. Then in the war's eleventh hour, Nazi plunderers presented a new threat to the collection... Drawing from previously unseen sources, award-winning journalist Simon Parkin-who has "an inimitable capacity to find the human pulse in the underbelly of war" (The Spectator)-tells the incredible true story of the botanists who held their posts at the Plant Institute during the 872-day siege and the remarkable sacrifices they made in the name of science"-- Simon Parkin. Includes bibliographical references and index. e-ur--- e-ru--- e-gx--- Vavilov, N. I. (Nikolaĭ Ivanovich) 1887-1943 Ivanov, N. R. (Nikolaĭ Rodionovich) Brücher, Heinz 1915-1991 Vsesoi︠u︡znyĭ institut rastenievodstva (Soviet Union) Botanical specimens Collection and preservation History 20th century World War, 1939-1945 Destruction and pillage Soviet Union Seed banks Russia Federation Saint Petersburg History Botanists Soviet Union Biography Saint Petersburg (Russia) History Siege, 1941-1944 D764.3.L4 P37 2024 940.54/21721 Parkin, Simon. New York : Scribner, 2024 First Scribner hardcover edition. (DLC) 2024030975 9781668007662 9781668065778 2024030974 DLC 240703 20240919114329.0 23761844 eng