# Trofim Lysenko

> Soviet agronomist and biologist (1898-1976)

**Wikidata**: [Q294234](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q294234)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trofim_Lysenko)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/trofim-lysenko

## Summary
Trofim Lysenko was a Soviet agronomist, biologist, and politician (1898–1976) whose pseudoscientific biological theories, collectively known as Lysenkoism, became official state doctrine in the Soviet Union. He rose to prominence as a leading figure in Soviet agricultural science and held significant institutional power, directing research agendas and shaping state policy under Stalin.

## Biography
- **Born:** September 17, 1898
- **Died:** November 20, 1976
- **Nationality:** Soviet Union (formerly Russian Empire, Russian Republic, Ukrainian People's Republic, Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic)
- **Education:** Educated at Uman National University of Horticulture (founded 1844) and the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine (founded 1898)
- **Known for:** Promoting Lysenkoism, a pseudoscientific biological theory in the U.S.S.R.
- **Employer(s):** Russian State Agricultural University (founded 1865), VASKhNIL (Soviet academy, founded 1929), Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union (highest legislative body, founded 1938), among other institutions
- **Field(s):** Biology
- **Occupation:** Biologist, geneticist, botanist, inventor, politician, agronomist
- **Member of:** Russian Academy of Sciences (founded 1724), Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (founded 1869), National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (founded 1918), Central Executive Committee of the Soviet Union (1922–1938), Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union, VASKhNIL, among other organizations

## Contributions
Trofim Lysenko led and propagated Lysenkoism, a pseudoscientific biological theory promoted within the Soviet Union. He held influential positions in major Soviet scientific academies and legislative bodies, steering state agricultural and biological research policy. His work and theories were adopted as official doctrine, directly influencing the direction of Soviet biology and agronomy for decades. He was affiliated with the Extraordinary State Commission, a Soviet government agency tasked with investigating World War II crimes against the Soviet Union (established 1942).

## FAQs
**What was Trofim Lysenko's primary contribution to science?**
Trofim Lysenko is best known for promoting Lysenkoism, a pseudoscientific biological theory in the U.S.S.R. His ideas rejected mainstream genetics in favor of environmentally acquired inheritance, shaping Soviet agricultural policy for years.

**Where was Trofim Lysenko educated?**
He was educated at Uman National University of Horticulture in Uman, Ukraine, and the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine in Kyiv.

**What awards did Trofim Lysenko receive?**
He received numerous high Soviet honors, including the Stalin Prize (highest civil award until 1953), the Order of Lenin (highest decoration, 1930–1991), the title Hero of Socialist Labour (1938–1991), the "Hammer and Sickle" gold medal, the Medal "For Valiant Labour in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945," the Medal "For Labour Valour," the Jubilee Medal "In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin," the Medal "In Commemoration of the 800th Anniversary of Moscow," and various Orders and Medals of Soviet Republics.

**What organizations and institutions was Trofim Lysenko affiliated with?**
He was a member of or affiliated with the Russian Academy of Sciences, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Central Executive Committee of the Soviet Union, Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union, VASKhNIL, and the Russian State Agricultural University.

**What was Lysenkoism?**
Lysenkoism was a pseudoscientific biological theory promoted in the U.S.S.R. that rejected Mendelian genetics in favor of the inheritance of acquired characteristics, heavily influencing Soviet agricultural and biological research.

## Why They Matter
Trofim Lysenko's influence on Soviet science was profound and far-reaching. By championing Lysenkoism and securing state backing, he redirected the trajectory of biological and agricultural research across the Soviet Union. His theories became official doctrine, sidelining mainstream genetics and affecting the careers and lives of countless scientists. His institutional roles in academies and legislative bodies gave him outsized power over scientific funding, personnel, and policy. The legacy of Lysenkoism serves as a cautionary example of how political ideology can distort scientific inquiry, with lasting impacts on the development of biology in the Soviet bloc.

## Notable For
- Originating and promoting Lysenkoism, a pseudoscientific biological theory in the U.S.S.R.
- Serving as a leading figure in VASKhNIL (Soviet academy, founded 1929)
- Holding membership in the Russian Academy of Sciences (founded 1724), Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (founded 1869), and National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (founded 1918)
- Serving in the Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union and the Central Executive Committee of the Soviet Union
- Receiving the Stalin Prize, Order of Lenin, Hero of Socialist Labour title, "Hammer and Sickle" gold medal, and multiple other Soviet state honors
- Affiliation with the Extraordinary State Commission (investigating WWII crimes against the Soviet Union)
- Working as an agronomist, biologist, geneticist, botanist, inventor, and politician
- Educated at Uman National University of Horticulture and the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine
- Employed at the Russian State Agricultural University

## Body

### Early Life and Education
Trofim Denisovich Lysenko was born on September 17, 1898, in the Russian Empire. He was educated at Uman National University of Horticulture in Uman, Ukraine—an institution founded in 1844 as the Main School of Horticulture—and at the National University of Life and Environmental Sciences of Ukraine in Kyiv, founded in 1898 as the Kyiv Forestry Institute.

### Career and Institutional Affiliations
Lysenko's career spanned multiple roles: agronomist, biologist, geneticist, botanist, inventor, and politician. He was employed at the Russian State Agricultural University in Moscow (founded 1865) and VASKhNIL (the Soviet academy founded June 25, 1929, headquartered in Moscow). He held membership or affiliation with several major scientific academies and governmental bodies, including:
- Russian Academy of Sciences (founded February 8, 1724)
- Bulgarian Academy of Sciences (founded 1869)
- National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (founded 1918, headquartered in Kyiv)
- Central Executive Committee of the Soviet Union (governing body, 1922–1938)
- Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union (highest legislative body, founded January 12, 1938, headquartered in Moscow)

He was also affiliated with the Extraordinary State Commission, a Soviet government agency established on November 2, 1942, tasked with investigating World War II crimes against the Soviet Union.

### Lysenkoism and Scientific Influence
Lysenko is most closely associated with Lysenkoism, a pseudoscientific biological theory promoted in the Soviet Union. This theory rejected mainstream Mendelian genetics in favor of the inheritance of acquired characteristics and became official state doctrine, shaping Soviet agricultural policy and biological research for decades.

### Awards and Honors
Lysenko received numerous top Soviet awards, reflecting his high official status:
- Stalin Prize (highest civil award in the Soviet Union until 1953)
- Order of Lenin (highest decoration awarded by the Soviet Union, 1930–1991)
- Hero of Socialist Labour (title of honour, 1938–1991)
- "Hammer and Sickle" gold medal (Soviet state award, established May 22, 1940)
- Medal "For Valiant Labour in the Great Patriotic War 1941–1945" (civilian labour award, established June 6, 1945)
- Medal "For Labour Valour" (civilian labour award, established December 27, 1938)
- Jubilee Medal "In Commemoration of the 100th Anniversary of the Birth of Vladimir Ilyich Lenin" (commemorative medal, established November 5, 1969)
- Medal "In Commemoration of the 800th Anniversary of Moscow" (commemorative medal, established September 20, 1947)
- Orders and Medals of Soviet Republics

### Nationality and Historical Context
Throughout his life, Lysenko's citizenship reflected the turbulent political history of the region: Russian Empire (1721–1917), Russian Republic (September–October 1917), Ukrainian People's Republic (1917–1921), Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic (1919–1991, succeeded by Ukraine), and the Soviet Union (1922–1991).

### Death and Legacy
Trofim Lysenko died on November 20, 1976. His legacy remains that of a polarizing figure whose pseudoscientific theories, backed by state power, significantly disrupted the development of genetics and biology in the Soviet Union. His story is widely cited in discussions of the relationship between science and ideology.

### External Identifiers
Lysenko is referenced across numerous databases and authority files, including VIAF (30328897), GND (118575597), Library of Congress (n50043097), BNF (119405184), and many others, with 52 sitelinks across Wikipedia language editions.

## References

1. Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1969–1978)
2. Encyclopædia Britannica
3. Virtual International Authority File
4. BnF authorities
5. Notes Related to the Failed Anniversary of the Russian Academy of Agricultural Sciences (VASKhNIL)
6. The Fine Art Archive
7. Pavel Luk’ianenko and the Soviet Green Revolution
8. A Dangerous Occupation: Memoirs
9. Q137732450
10. Q137170397
11. International Standard Name Identifier
12. CiNii Research
13. The consequences of the August Session of VASKhNIL (Lenin All-Union Academy of Agricultural Sciences) for agrobiology in the Russian Far East
14. Encyclopædia Britannica Online
15. SNAC
16. Brockhaus Enzyklopädie
17. Great Norwegian Encyclopedia
18. Munzinger Personen
19. Freebase Data Dumps. 2013
20. Nuremberg Trials Project
21. CONOR.SI
22. BBC Things
23. Treccani's Enciclopedia on line
24. Enciclopedia Treccani
25. [Source](http://purl.org/pressemappe20/beaconlist/pe)
26. LIBRIS. 2012
27. Bibliography of the History of the Czech Lands
28. Regional Database of the Central Bohemian Research Library in Kladno
29. Catalogo of the National Library of India