Nikolay Ivanovich Vavilov
My name is Nicolay Ivanovich Vavilov, and I was born in Moscow on 25 November 1887. I studied at the Moscow Agricultural Institute (now the K. A. Timiryazev Agricultural Academy) and eventually became director of the Department of Applied Botany and Plant Breeding at the Scientific Committee in St Petersburg.
That department was eventually renamed after me: the N.I. Vavilov Research Institute of Plant Industry. VIR, as it is known, notes on its web site that I was “a brilliant scientist and the talented director of the Institute from 1921 till 1940″.
VIR also tells you that I died in the Saratov prison of dystrophia on 26 January 1943 and that I was buried in a common prison grave. I starved to death.
But let’s not dwell on this unpleasantness.
Instead, let us celebrate that thanks to the wonders of modern technology, and some fine support, [link to supporters page] I can relive the expeditions that brought me fame and share them with you. Better yet, Gary Nabhan, a latter day plant explorer, has been following in my footsteps. His reports will bring us up to date on the changes since I was there.
A final word; this is a conversation. If you have questions, comments, observations or anything else that might be of interest, please share them by commenting on the journal entries.
