Dear friends,

On the occasion of the anniversary of the outstanding Russian scientist Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov, we present to your attention a documentary film by the Russian Geographical Society, which he headed for almost ten years.

“Nikolai Vavilov: The Man Who Fed Humanity”

Author/Director: Alexander Konyashov

2014 * 52 minutes

Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov (1887–1943) was an outstanding Russian and Soviet scientist, geneticist, botanist, and geographer who made an immense contribution to the development of world science. Vavilov became one of the founders of modern plant genetics and devoted his life to studying the diversity of cultivated plants and their origins.

One of his most important achievements was the development of the theory of centers of origin of cultivated plants. Vavilov carried out dozens of expeditions around the world—from South America to Ethiopia and Central Asia—collecting unique seed samples. Thanks to his work, the world’s largest collection of plant genetic resources was created, which remains of great importance for agriculture and food security.

Vavilov’s fate was tragic. During the period of political repression, he was persecuted for his scientific views, arrested, and died in prison. Today, Nikolai Vavilov is recognized as one of the greatest scientists of the 20th century, and his ideas continue to influence the development of biology, genetics, and agricultural science worldwide.