Boris Ivan Balinsky German Lessons from an Austrian Serb, a Language Which Was to Stand Him in 10 September 1905 – 1 September 1997 Good Stead in the Future
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History of Science South African Journal of Science 101, May/June 2005 309 Africa. Of more practical use, he received Boris Ivan Balinsky German lessons from an Austrian Serb, a language which was to stand him in 10 September 1905 – 1 September 1997 good stead in the future. The Soviet government subsequently E.S. Grossman* reversed its attitude towards academic qualifications and re-introduced scientific degrees. This enabled Balinsky to submit On 10 September 2005, we celebrate the centenary of the birth of Boris Ivan a monograph entitled ‘Induction of Balinsky, one of the best-known and most respected embryologists of the the Limbs in Amphibia’, for which he twentieth century. Through his remarkable and painstaking research, he laid the obtained the doctorate of biological sci- foundation of developmental biology as we know it today. Balinsky was a man ences from the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences in 1935. At that time the situation whose research was shaped by his time, and for the first half of his working life this in the academy was very favourable, in was dictated largely by the turbulence of the Russian Revolution and later by the part due to its president, academician instability of the Second World War. Soviet life depended on the whims of the man Bogomoletz, who was held in high in power at any given time: thus, the course of Balinsky’s research was directed esteem by the Communist authorities. It according to the situation in which he found himself and the facilities available was under his directorship that the acad- to him. It is due to his insight, single-mindedness, ability to adapt, hands-on emy acquired control over the Marine approach and meticulous technique that he managed to achieve the noteworthy Biological Station at Karadag in the Crimea, a move that was to play a decisive research and groundbreaking findings in the years prior to, and after, his move to role in Balinsky’s life. the West. Balinsky then moved on to study the development of the endoderm, which BALINSKY WAS BORN IN KIEV, UKRAINE, THE gives rise to the alimentary canal. By elder of two sons of Ivan Balinsky, a his- systematic marking and transplant exper- tory teacher, and Elizabeth Radzimovsky, iments in amphibians, he was able to trace a biology teacher. His interest in zoology the origins of different organs arising began during the summer holidays he from this inner germinal layer. This work spent in the village of Severinovka, 80 km turned out to be innovative, interesting southwest of Kiev, where his maternal and unexpected and led to several publi- grandfather, a Russian Orthodox priest, cations. This productive period came to lived. The country life with beekeeping, an end on 22 October 1937, when his wife farming and harvesting was instrumental Katia was arrested and sentenced to 10 in directing his passion for the outdoors, years’ confinement in a work rehabilita- and a book, by Akasov on collecting tion camp for ‘engaging in counter- butterflies which he received in 1916, revolutionary propaganda’, leaving Boris marked the beginning of his interest in to care for their three-year-old son Ivan the natural sciences. It was fortunate that (Vania). Consequently, Balinsky was re- Boris’s curiosity about nature was encour- lieved of his lecturing duties, lost his posts aged prior to his formal schooling, which of professor of embryology at the univer- started in 1917, the year of the Russian sity and deputy director of the institute, although he was able to continue his work Revolution, as he found natural his- at the latter. When Katia was released 18 tory ‘a great disappointment’ at his first Boris Balinsky as he was in 1975. months later, with all charges withdrawn, school. his working life was restored to much the In 1923, he started his zoology studies work, the induction of supernumary state that existed before her arrest, but under the famous evolutionary biologist, limbs in newt embryos, was published as nevertheless neither his professorship Professor I.I. Schmalhausen, at the Uni- his first scientific paper, in 1925. It is nor his post of deputy director was ever versity of St Vladimir (subsequently the rare indeed in the scientific world that a reinstated. University of Kiev). All students were researcher’s first studies as an undergrad- obliged to present a seminar as part of the Between Katia’s release and the war uate establish a lifelong international course. At the suggestion of Schmal- with Germany in 1941, Balinsky contin- reputation. He completed his course in hausen, Balinsky based his presentation ued with his work on the developing 1926, but this was not concluded with the on a recent paper on the specificity of ger- alimentary canal in amphibians, concen- awarding of a degree: this was considered minal layers in Triton by Otto Mangold trating on the interaction of events bourgeois at the time. Balinsky rose and this was to launch him on his career involved in the formation of the mouth. quickly to the status of professor of as an embryologist. A further conse- He also expanded his research to fish embryology at the university and deputy quence of the seminars was that Balinsky embryos, in particular the development director of the Zoological Institute of the met his future wife, Katia Syngayevskaya, of fins, using the goldfish as a model. In also a student, at these meetings. Balin- Ukrainian Academy of Sciences by 1933. this way he hoped to shed some light on sky’s undergraduate experiments on In addition to his embryological studies, the transition from fins to legs in the the transplantation of the ear vesicle of he examined development in inverte- course of evolution. Boris Balinsky’s amphibian (newt) embryos soon earned brates such as sea urchins and ascidians. standing in the scientific world also him a reputation as a promising scientist. He revived his interest in entomology, gradually improved after the setback it The groundbreaking discovery of this focusing on stoneflies, which he ulti- had received from Katia’s arrest. He was mately collected and described in diverse asked to edit two monographs, a long *MRC/University of the Witwatersrand Dental Research locations such as the Caucasus, south- chapter on amphibian embryology and Institute, Private Bag 3, WITS 2050, South Africa. E-mail: [email protected] ern Germany, Scotland and southern he started a textbook on comparative 310 South African Journal of Science 101, May/June 2005 History of Science embryology. This last had to be aborted three packing cases containing their burgh, Scotland. Unfortunately, the con- by the beginning of the war with Ger- personal belongings and all of Boris’s dition was that he come to Scotland alone, many. In December 1940, he received a scientific records and research equip- without his family. Having no real choice, formal distinction from the Academy of ment. he went to Scotland in October 1947, with Sciences of the USSR in Moscow — the In Posen, Balinsky was able to section his mother, Betty and Vania joining him Kawalewsky Prize, for his work on the most of the embedded embryos prepared six months later. Boris’s initial work was determination of the endoderm in during 1941. In the spring of 1944 he to investigate the factors controlling the amphibian embryos. In 1941 he was was also able to obtain additional fresh number and location of milk glands in appointed professor of zoology at the material from fish with commercial value, mice. This was subsequently expanded to medical school in Kiev. such as the carp and roach, and was able a study of the morpho-physiological The Germans attacked the Soviet Union to complete the developmental stages of mechanism of the early stages of develop- on 22 June 1941. At the time the Balinsky these fish with every stage accurately ment of the mammary glands in rabbits family was at the Karadag Marine Biologi- drawn in black ink and with shading — a and cattle. During this time he conceived cal Station in the Crimea, where Boris painstaking task. He also designed what the layout for a book on embryology, wished to combine a family holiday with he came to regard as his ‘personal coat of which he followed some years later as An some scientific work on marine animals arms’, a five-legged newt, in recognition Introduction to Embryology. In 1949 he and their embryos. With no immediate of his first success in experimental embry- received an offer of a lectureship at the possibility of returning to Kiev, they ology. This he ultimately used as a frontis- University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) managed to get to Kharkov, where he was piece in his book on embryology. In which he accepted, arriving in Johannes- able to regain contact with the Kiev Medi- December 1944, the institute was evacu- burg in September 1949 with his family, cal School, which had been evacuated to ated yet again, this time to Marburg. As it including his newly born daughter, the town. He also found employment turned out, the Fisheries Institute was Helen. with the railways as chief of the rat- never re-assembled in Marburg and Balinsky immediately started a new catching division, a job requirement for Balinsky lost virtually all the results of five series of investigations on amphibians this post being biological training! It was years of work including his drawings of using the numerous and varied species of at this time that Balinsky made the ‘most fish stages. He found respite in the Zool- South African frogs. By hetero-trans- momentous decision’ of his life. By avoid- ogy Department at the University of plants between embryos he gained infor- ing evacuation to Siberia with the medical Tübingen.