Lysenkizmas ir Lietuva: kampanijos įtaka aukštojo mokslo sovietizavimui

• Authors: Danutė Blažytė-Baužienė

Abstracts

EN

Lysenkoism is a whole of pseudoscientific theories and practical advice opposing the science of genetics that in the 50s was structured by Trofim Lysenko, Soviet agronomist. Inasmuch as Lysenkoism received personal approval from J. Stalin and party leadership, biologists who disfavoured the theory were named representatives of reactionary idealistic approach and repressive, political and ideological measures were employed against them. Following WWII the attack against geneticists was resumed in the session of All-Union Academy of Agricultural Science which was held in Moscow between July 31 and August 9, 1948 and escalated in 1949–1950 commemorating the 100th anniversary of I. Pavlov, Russian physiologist. In Lithuania Lysenkoism was declared in the course of the session of general meeting organized by the Lithuanian Academy of Science together with the Ministry of Higher Education of the USSR on September 20-22, 1948 and explicated in the two sessions of the Academy of Science sacred to the commemoration of I. Pavlov’s anniversary. All biologists even of moderate notability who had not yet been imprisoned, exiled or forced to emigrate had to read reports or publish articles praising Lysenkoism. The campaign was also used to ideologically denounce and politically condemn biological research and teaching of the period of the Republic of Lithuania. As per compulsory all-Union curricula Lysenkoist biology was introduced to students of relevant specialities at the higher education institutions of Lithuania, the control of educational process and research projects was executed according to multi-stage party and administrative order, by means of organizing inspections of lectures and tutorials, advocating for Lysenkoism to all student community and society (lyceums, cycles of lectures, etc.) embracing the better part of the scientific staff. Due to the massive collectivization of agriculture which was in process at that time the Agricultural Academy of Lithuania became the prime target of Lysenkoist campaign. Here Lysenkoism was being implanted in both theoretical lectures and practice classes, attempts were made to embody the recommendations in the training farms of the academy. Scientists were deprived of the right to honestly perform tests and announce their results as they had to confirm the dogmas thus becoming part of the propaganda campaign. Forced implementation of Lysenkoism as anti-scientific trend was harmful to all higher education institutions of Lithuania without a single exception. Senior professors and lecturers had to prove their right to teach at the institutions of higher education by demonstrating loyalty: denouncing their and their colleagues’ research made in independent Lithuania and accepting as well as advocating for Lysenkoism. Unconditional humility was requested from younger lecturers who had to propagate Lysenkoism and atheism – disobedience was punished with immediate deposition. Even though the majority of lecturers made every effort to evade teaching Lysenkoism, regular party and administrative control impeded with their attempts; students of numerous specialties were robbed of the possibility to receive genetic education adequate to the level of scientific research of that time. Practical anti-scientific recommendations of Lysenkoism were accountable for the decline of the collectivized agriculture in Lithuania and the general distrust that the society manifested towards scientists’ advice. Soviet administration brought the requirement for ideological loyalty into play pursuing political goals – it contributed to the formation of the negative attitude of the society towards the research performed in Lithuania in the inter-war period, the organization of higher education and the scientists themselves and those who opposed were considered enemies of the Soviet system. Lysenkoism had impact on the ethics, culture of memory and survival strategies of the people who had to deal with it. The prevalent practice was outward accommodation to the requirements of the system, making adjustments of certain degrees in the lectures, published materials and public speeches; cases of minimal use of ideological dogmas and attempts to avoid related topics in teaching and research were less frequent whereas active propagation of Lysenkoist dogmas in pursuit of ascending career could be attributed to isolated cases.

• Publisher: Lietuvos istorijos institutas
• Journal: Lietuvos istorijos metraštis
• Year: 2010
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 131-155

Dates

published

2010

Contributors

author

Danutė Blažytė-Baužienė

• Lietuvos istorijos institutas

Identifiers

Biblioteka Nauki

57628367