` Ecological Genetics G.D. KARPECHENKO — AN

ИСТОРИЯ И ПЕРСОНАЛИИ, РЕЦЕНЗИИ, ИНФОРМАЦИЯ 11 https://doi.org/10.17816/ecogen18969 G.D. KarpechenKo — an outstanDinG Geneticist, “sunny man”, leGenDary fellow-compatriot ©©M.A.© Vishnyakova Federal Research Center “N.I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources”, St. Petersburg, Russia Cite this article as: Vishnyakova MA. G.D. Karpechenko – an outstanding geneticist, “sunny man”, legendary fellow-compatriot. Ecological genetics. 2020;18(1):11-20. https://doi.org/10.17816/ecogen18969. Received: 26.12.2019 Revised: 19.01.2020 Accepted: 19.03.2020 ` Georgy Dmitrievich Karpechenko was the organizer and the first head of VIR’s Genetics Department (1925–1940) and the first head of the Chair of Plant Genetics at Leningrad University (1932–1940). The charm of the personality of the great scientist is evident not only from his letters to colleagues and relatives: it is seen in his reports at scientific fo- rums, it is preserved in the genetic memory of fellow countrymen from his small homeland in the town of Velsk. Cordiality, love of life, openness, kindness, sense of humor coexisted in him with unbending firmness, integrity, intolerance towards trampling on the scientific truth, towards any untruth, towards pseudoscience. The article presents a series of previously unpublished archival facts, excerpts from his personal correspondence, as well as evidence of the zeal of the inhabitants of Velsk in perpetuating the name of G.D. Karpechenko. ` Keywords:©G.D. Karpechenko; VIR; N.I. Vavilov; department of genetics; distant crosses; Velsk. Г.Д. КарпеченКо — ВыДающийся ГенетиК, «солнечный челоВеК», леГенДарный земляК ©©М.А.©Вишнякова ФГБНУ «ФИЦ Всероссийский институт генетических ресурсов растений им. Н.И. Вавилова», Санкт-Петербург Для цитирования: Вишнякова М.А. Г.Д. Карпеченко — выдающийся генетик, «солнечный человек», легендарный земляк // Экологическая генетика. – 2020. – Т. 18. – № 1. – С. 11–20. https://doi.org/10.17816/ecogen18969. Поступила: 26.12.2019 Одобрена: 19.01.2020 Принята: 19.03.2020 ` Георгий Дмитриевич Карпеченко был организатором и первым заведующим отделом генетики ВИР (1925–1940), первым заведующим кафедрой генетики растений Ленинградского университета (1932–1940). Обаяние личности великого ученого очевидно не только из его писем коллегам и родным, оно видно и в его выступлениях на научных форумах, оно сохранилось в генетической памяти земляков с его малой родины в г. Вельске. Радушие, жизнелю- бие, открытость, доброта, чувство юмора уживались в нем с несгибаемой твердостью, принципиальностью, нетер- пимостью к попранию научной истины, к неправде, к лженауке. В статье приведены ряд ранее не опубликованных архивных данных, отрывков из его личной переписки, а также свидетельства подвижничества жителей г. Вельска в деле увековечения имени Г.Д. Карпеченко. ` Ключевые©слова:©Г.Д. Карпеченко; ВИР; Н.И. Вавилов; отдел генетики; отдаленные скрещивания; г. Вельск. To 120-anniversary of G.D. Karpechenko INTRODUCTION of plant genetics were from Leningrad University Last year, 2019, commemorated two anniversa- where G.D. Karpechenko headed the newly estab- ries valuable for VIR – the125th anniversary of the lished Chair of Plant Genetics in 1932. founding of the institute and the 120 th of G.D. Kar- G.D. Karpechenko is remembered as a talented pechenko – the first head of the Department of Ge- scientist known for his works on creation of new netics of the institute. Together with N.I. Vavilov, plant forms. His works were based on studies of the Karpechenko established the largest center of do- remote hybridization and examination of cytogenetic mestic genetics and breeding in VIR. The VIR De- processes. He overcame incompatibility in interspe- partment of Genetics became the national training cific crossings and carried out pioneer experiments center for geneticists. The first USSR graduates in experimental polyploidy and mutagenesis. ` ecological genetics 2020;18(1) eISSN 2411-9202 12 HisTory, pErsonaliTiEs, informaTion The colleagues of G.D. Karpechenko remember joined the first class (those who had smaller points him as a delicate, tactful, ingenious, and very ra- were enrolled to preliminary class). Georgy lived diant personality who was loved by his colleagues, away from his family starting at 10 years of age. friends, relatives, and students. He is still remem- Vacations were a wonderful time for him to connect bered as a legend in his homeland the town of with his sisters and brothers. The following is an Velsk in the district center of Arkhangelsk region. excerpt from the memories about Georgy (Gosha G.D. Karpechenko is loved and respected by the as he was called in the family) by his sister Elena citizens of this small town, who continue to pay Saltykovskaya-Karpechenko: tribute to the memory of this outstanding scien- “I loved vacations with passion. It was noisy tist – the son of Velsk. and funny. Gosha played the clarinet then the vio- Here I attempted to present personal qualities of loncello, the elder brother – on the violin, sisters this wonderful man. Despite of the seeming ameni- played the piano; we arranged concerts and perfor- ty of temper G.D. Karpechenko demonstrated resil- mances. Gosha also played and often sang… I re- ient firmness, embodied integrity towards his life’s member our games in the garden – it was so good work by being intolerant towards the trampling of there, trees, gooseberry bushes, flower bed, ham- scientific truth, any untruth, and pseudoscience mock, table… starling houses on the trees. Every and perished for his scientific commitments. I tried spring Gosha and father installed them, and then to avoid re-writing of the biography and analysis starlings came, redbreast was singing somewhere of the research of G.D. Karpechenko, which have in the bushes. …I remember the feeling of cool- already been published [1–8]. Some periods of his ness of the wet clay path among the high meadow life are presented in this volume as required for grass, when kicked off sandals we were running the article. I am delighted to provide excerpts from to the river to swim. There was clean yellow sand unpublished personal correspondence of G.D. Kar- and strips from cockle-shells, and clean blue water pechenko that was stored in the family archive and reflecting willows. And the forest behind the river, became available to the author thanks to the citi- and the sun, and blue sky. It is obvious that Go- zens of Velsk. A number of archive data are pub- sha became a biologist; brothers liked hunting and lished for the first time. fishing and everything connected with the beauty of nature; and father understood and habituated us VELSK. BASICS to the nature. Everything we gathered we carried Georgy Dmitrievich Karpechenko was born on home and put in cans and boxes – and it was chat- April 21 (May 3 as per the New Style Calendar), tering and quacking in the evenings; and father’s 1899 in the county of Velsk of Vologda governorate canary was singing at the daytime. Gosha had two (currently, the center of Velsk district of Arkhan- turtles – Afanasy Ivanovich and Pulkheriya Iva- gelsk region). The town is placed in a picturesque novna…” [10]. place located on the high bank of the River Vaga at After graduating from gymnasium with a silver the confluence of the Vel River. medal in 1917, Karpechenko entered the Division His father Dmitry Timofeevich was the land- of Natural Sciences at the Department of Phys- surveyor and his mother Aleksandra Aleksandrovna ics and Mathematics of Perm University. Entering was a housewife. Georgy was the next-to-last child this “Ural Cambridge,” founded a year earlier, was of seven siblings. The family was friendly and intel- supposedly [6] connected with the fact that the ligent. Children studied music and completed their husband of the father’s sister, Yu.A. Orlov, was elementary education at home. Every child has his working there. Orlov himself was an outstanding or her own flower and vegetable bed in the gar- paleontologist and afterwards academician of the den. In autumn, the family traditionally arranged USSR AS, winner of the Lenin Prize, and director the merry harvest festival with guests and gifts for of the Institute of Paleontology of the USSR AS successful work [9]. (Moscow) [11]. However, one year later, in 1918, In 1909 Georgy Karpechenko passed exams to Georgy Dmitrievich moved to the Agricultural De- enroll at the Vologda governorate gymnasium and partment of Petrovskaya Agricultural Academy. The ` экологическая генетика ТОМ 18 № 1 2020 ISSN 1811–0932 ИСТОРИЯ И ПЕРСОНАЛИИ, РЕЦЕНЗИИ, ИНФОРМАЦИЯ 13 reason for this transfer is unknown but was pos- that glue. Sometimes we got parcels from home sible connected with personal problems. with natural bread, cut it in thin slices and savored it…” [10]. MOSCOW, “PETROVKa.” “CROSSBREEDs OF RADISH After graduation from academy in 1922 Karpech- AND CABBaGe” enko was “kept for three years at the Department The years of studying of G.D. Karpechenko co- of Genetics and Breeding for research training and incided with a time of political crisis and the Civil educational activity”. 3 As a student he began learn- War. The crisis resulted in disorder and starva- ing cytological examinations under the mentorship tion. of Aleksandra Gavrilovna Nikolaeva, the first Rus- “Starvation and absence of money forced study sian woman cytologist. Later, under the guidance at the academy only from time to time in 1919 of Sergey Ivanovich Zhegalov, Karpechenko was and 1920; major part of the time I worked in involved in the study of remote crossings accom- Velsk – as technician of agriculture, teacher of panied with cytological control. natural science at rural school, in Vologda – as There on the experimental plots of the Breed- hygiene instructor at the municipal services, lec- ing Station of the Academy where the modest and turer of botanic at Proletarian University interrupt- shy but inquiring student crossed plants of different ing the work three times a year to go to the acad- species he was noticed by the young professor of emy – to take exams and for practical training.

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