Рихтер Яков Андреевич
Рихтер Т.Я.
Саратовский государственный университет
DOI: 10.24411/2076-8176-2017-11937
Статья посвящена рассказу о полузабытых и неизвестных страницах биографии выдающегося учёного — ботаника и физиолога растений А.А. Рихтера, создавшего свою научную школу физиологов растений. После избрания в Академию наук он организовал на базе Лаборатории биохимии и физиологии растений новый Институт физиологии растений (ИФР) и стал его директором. Однако вскоре его независимое поведение и принципиальность в научных вопросах стали неугодными для власти, продвигавшей в науку своих ставленников, таких как известный Т.Д. Лысенко. С помощью «общественности» и партийной организации в институте была организована кампания клеветы и травли А.А. Рихтера, выплеснувшаяся на страницы главной партийной газеты «Правда» в виде письма «группы товарищей» (26.07.1938). Это письмо было открытым доносом, послужившим для власти сигналом к началу расправы.
Ключевые слова: физиология растений, «яровизация», письмо в редакцию, «лженаучные методы», газета «Правда».
The History of Academician A.A. Richter Ousting from the Plant Physiology Institute USSR AS (RAS)
Richter Ya.A.
Richter T.Ya.
Saratov State University
DOI: 10.24411/2076-8176-2017-11937
The article uncovers some nearly forgotten and unknown events in the life of the outstanding scientist, botanist and plant physiologist A.A. Richter, who created his own scientific school of plant physiologists. After his election to the Academy of Sciences, he organized a new Institute of Plant Physiology (IPP RAS) on the basis of the Laboratory of Biochemistry and Plant Physiology, and became its first director. Soon his independent behavior and scientific integrity turned out to be unacceptable for the authorities which promoted their henchmen such as the infamous Lysenko. Richter suggested the diagnostic method for vernalized seeds and published experimental results thereof (1933, 1934). It was the first scientific test of Lysenko’s data, which had begun to promote the well-known agricultural methods under the name of “vernalization”. The organizers of the 1935 International Botanical Congress invited Richter with presentation on the topic. This never worked out. Defamation campaign directed against A.A. Richter was organized in the IPP RAS by the local “public activists” and communist party organization. It was splashed on the pages of the communist party newspaper “Pravda” as a letter of a “group of comrades” (26.07.1938). This was the libel that set off the official chastisement and persecution. Despite the obvious falsehood and absurdity, the commission of the Academy of Sciences presidium supported the accusations and proposed to remove Richter from the position of the Institute director. The presidium approved the commission findings at its meeting on 11.08.1938. Many leading scientists and Richter’s followers had left the Institute. The development of scientific directions proposed by academician Richter had been slowed down for many years. The personal drama of the scientist was not accidental; it was characteristic for many Russian scientists who tried to realize their scientific potential under the totalitarian regime.
Keywords: plant physiology, vernalization, letter to the editor, «pseudoscientific methods», newspaper «Pravda».