Professor N. G. Zhuchkov and his disciple Valentin Budagovsky: from the scientific chronicle of the 1930s

At the end of May 1932, Valentin Budagovsky (1910-1975), a gardener from Kaluga Region, entered the Lawn-and-Garden Institute named in honour of I. V. Michurin. Hereafter he would become a famous scientist, fruit-grower, professor, and doctor of agricultural science, laureate of the State Prize of Russia that would be granted to him 30 years after his death. (1) In the autumn of 1934 the same educational institution hired under I. V. Michurin’s recommendation his follower who had already been well-known in the world of fruit-growers, the scientist and professor Nikolay Grigorievich Zhuchkov (1892-1962). He took up the post of the Primary Head of the Sub-faculty of fruit-growing, which had been vacant after the death of A. V. Panyushkin.

Professor N. G. Zhuchkov successfully combined his excellent academic education (he had graduated from the horticultural school at Nikitsky Botanical Garden before the First World War already, and from the Russian State Agricultural University at the beginning of the 1920s) and the work experience in fruit farms of Russia and Germany (when he was held captive during the First World War). In the second half of the 1920s and during the first half of the 1930s he worked in several higher educational institutions (as the head of the Sub-Faculty of fruit-growing in the Central Asian Agricultural Institute), in addition he was well in with all the science (director of the Scientific Research Institute for fruit, grape and vegetable farming). (1A)

Valentin Budagovsky was led to the Institute named in honour of Michurin by his winged dream to become an expert in gardening. The future scientist, fruit-grower was born in the settlement of Podbelevets near the town of Mtsensk in the Oryol Governorate. From his youth up, Valentin Budagovsky worked with plants on the special plot of land that had been allotted to him in the family garden by his father Ivan Ivanovich, a village teacher, who was in correspondence on gardening issues with I. V. Michurin.

For the first time young Budagovsky visited the capital of Michurin’s ideas and doings at the beginning of February, 1932. As it happened, on February 1, in the town of Kozlov, in the building of the Big Soviet Theatre (now it is the Michurinsk Drama Theatre), the solemn plenary session of the Kozlov city committee of the All-Union Communist Party of Bolsheviks, district executive committee, was held regarding giving a new name of Michurinsk to the city of Kozlov.

Young Budagovsky found himself in the town that had been attracting his imagination for a long time, at the most interesting moment of its history: giving a new name. And it was not a simple change of the name, but giving a new name in honour of the great contemporary who lived nearby and made a speech on the theatre stage at the same day, to the old Russian town.

All delegates of the All-Union Michurinsk conference, including Valentin Budagovsky, took part in the historic session (2).

The issue of the newspaper “Michurinskaya Iskra” on that day was published under the heading with a motto: “There is no Kozlov — there is Michurinsk! Heartfelt greetings to its Builders!” The article “I. V. Michurin, Michurinism and Michurinsk” written by M. Zlotin, the director of the Industrial complex named in honour of I. V. Michurin, said: “The Government of the Union has estimated with all fairness I. V. Michurin’s labour during many years, commemorated that not only with active support of activities of organizations names after I. V. Michurin in their everyday work... but also gave a new name of Michurinsk to the town of Kozlov where I. V. Michurin’s has been working for decades” (p. 1).

Afterward, in reply to the welcoming speeches, I. V. Michurin delivered a speech by himself at the solemn plenary session. It was the first time when Valentin Budagovsky heard the great scientist with an unusual appearance of an old magician:

“I’m sincerely appreciative to work people of the former town of Kozlov for their special attention and honour did to me and my works. However, our winged sentiments should be towards the governmental act that we face in the giving of a new name to the town, because through this act the Communist party and the Soviet government have emphasized all the importance and necessity of the selection directed toward the qualitative improvement of the varieties of fruit plants...” And he finished his speech in a manner that was typical for Michurin:

“Long live the Bolsheviks’ Party!

Long live the Soviet System!

Long live the mass selection!” (3).

That was how Valentin Budagovsky took part in the foundation of the garden-city at that time, when there was no term as “naukograd (science city)”, but it already existed in minds of its first builders as the unity of science, education and industry.

At the conference, Valentin met a lot of his acquaintances who had already studied at the Lawn-and-Garden Institute named in honour of I. V. Michurin and understood that he should be among them.

On March 12, 1932 Valentin Budagovsky wrote an application to the Kozlov Institute for Selection of Fruit and Berry Croppers named in honour of I. V. Michurin with a request for admission.

“To the Kozlov Institute for Selection of Fruit and Berry Croppers named in honour of I. V. Michurin from V. I. Budagovsky

Application

As I would like to extend and deepen my knowledge of in the field of fruit gardening for the further application in my practical work, I hereby ask the admission committee to admit me as a student to the department for selection of fruit and berry croppers.

After my graduation from the horticultural vocational school, I worked in the industry for 3 years, at first in units of the collective farming and cooperative system and then after the foundation of the Sadvintrest, in the system of that organization. Being employed at a state farm, I take an interest in the scientific thought in the tramline of fruit gardening; and I have a number of articles published in the periodical “Sotsialisticheskoe Plodovoovotschnoe Khozyaystvo” [Socialist Fruit and Vegetable Farming]. I attach all required documents and photograph s for the admission.

Address: Kudrinskaya Station of the Western railway, “Krasniy Sad” State Farm, Budagovsky.

Signed by Budagovsky.

12 / III-32.” (4)

After the administration of the state farm “Krasniy Sad” had nevertheless allowed the promising horticulturist and agronomist to leave for studies, Budagovsky finally got to Michurinsk.

The Institute named in honour of I. V. Michurin had been established not long ago, in 1931, scientific traditions only started forming, but the scholarly status of professors was high, many of them were also practicing horticulturists, authors of tutorials and articles. It is enough to recall several names. Foreign languages were taught by Valentina Pavlovna Tserndt, a translator, the daughter of Saint-Petersburg scientific fruit-grower P. S. Steinberg, whose scientific works have been still published so far. Professor N. G. Zhuchkov received his professor’s certificate directly from the Scientific Committee which chairman was a well-known Soviet politician A. V. Lunacharsky. Among professors of the young horticultural high school was Sergey Ivanovich Isayev who was invited to work in the Institute by I. V. Michurin. Afterwards he worked in the Saratov Agricultural Institute and the Lomonosov Moscow State University (MSU), and created the Michurin’s Orchard at the Lomonosov MSU, produced a great number of new apple-tree varieties.

Already during his high school studies (1932-1936) Valentin Budagovsky was marked by Professor N. G. Zhuchkov. Firstly, he was a brilliant student who surrendered himself wholly to studies and scientific researches, for that he was repeatedly put up on the board of honour of the Institute. In 1935 he was the first student to be granted the I. V. Michurin’s scholarship. Secondly, they met each other at meetings of the Michurin’s club that was curated by Professor Zhuchkov as the head of the Sub-Faculty of Fruit gardening. Valentin Budagovsky was an active member of the club, and even its head then. The club was a rostrum not only for students and the high school professors but also for famous visitants from other places such as Professor N. P. Krenke.

In the third place, student Budagovsky took part in clearing of the territory of the former Sennoy market that had been spoiled with housstic garbage by inhabitants of Kozlov-Michurinsk during fifteen years since the Soviet government had banned free trade, and even before - after the revolution and the civil war. Professor Zhuchkov, like Chekhov’s Doctor Astrov, wanted to decorate the Earth with orchards, and there, right outside the high school building, such a big plot of land was wasted under the garbage and rot.

And at the beginning of spring 1935 works on clearing the area and planning of the cleared territory for horticultural plants began under his supervision.

Fourthly, after his first days in the Institute, Valentin Budagovsky took part in the expeditionary research work under the supervision of Professor P. G. Shitt in the first year of studies, and later in other expeditions. That did command growing respect to him.

Once Professor Zhuchkov became a character of a story that was a part of correspondence between two best friends - Gavriil Lobanov and Valentin Budagovsky when the students, who were also trying their skills in the world of letters, described in one of their articles how the dean's office had unreasonably united two student groups in one small room and therefore Professor Zhuchkov had to make his way through the room filled with students to his seat clasping the briefcase with papers and books to his bosom (5).

The young horticultural high school showed interest in dwarf plants that were actively cultivated in the institute by Zhuchkov. They would become Budagovsky’s favourite research subject. The work with slow-growing fruit trees would result into the powerful scientific direction that now in all fairness is called Professor V. I. Budagovsky’s school.

In September 1935 the Council of the Horticultural Institute applied to the Higher Attestation Commission with the request to confer the degree of the Candidate of agricultural sciences to N. G. Zhuchkov. In the resolution, the Council paid special attention to the scientist’s success in studying dwarf apple trees: “While developing the dwarf horticulture based on new principles, N. G. Zhuchkov widely uses achievements and propositions of I. V. Michurin for northering of dwarf fruit croppers” (6).

In 1936 the experimental garden-plot near the institute was expanded with the areas of the institute countryside base in the instructional farm “Udarnik”.

In the article “Prospects of the instructional farm “Udarnik” its author G. Mosin told about the attention paid to dwarf croppers in the new line of the instructional farm work: “Large land plots of the state farm are allotted for dwarf croppers; at that, for the organisation of this new practice the People’s Commissariat for Agriculture of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic (RSFSR) allocated special funds in the amount of 50,000 roubles according to Professor Zhuchkov’s representation” (7).

On February 13, 1936, People’s Commissar for Agriculture of the RSFSR N. V. Lisitsyn issued order No. 126 “On bonus awards for the employees and professorial staff of the Michurin institute of Horticulture.” The second provision of the order foresaw “to award a bonus in the amount of 1,000 roubles to Professor N. G. Zhuchkov for his skilful management of the Sub-Faculty of Fruit gardening, for the close connection of the Sub-Faculty with the industry and for organization of the fruit experimental model garden-plot at the Institute” (8).

In his autobiographical sketches, V. I. Budagovsky wrote in summer 1974: “I spent the summer of 1936 for practical training for students at the state farm “Krasniy Kombinat” in Kaluga Region where I was working on my graduate thesis on fruit trees formation. I would prefer to go to the south to work with dwarf plants, but there was no opportunity to do that” (9).

On June 9, 1936 the administration of the Horticultural Institute officially thanked Professor N. G. Zhuchkov again and granted him a health resort voucher as reward for his skilful work “on organization of the educational and experimental garden-plot and creation of the living laboratory” (11).

Since June 25 to June 30, 1936 the IV Plenary session of the Horticultural Section of the Lenin All-Union Academy of Agricultural Sciences (VASKhNIL) was held in Michurinsk. About 50 members of the Section, 358 delegates from regions and republics of the RSFSR, about 100 employees of local organisations, 4 academicians, 11 professors, 17 experimentalists and originators took part in it.

Among participants of the Plenary session were the president of VASKhNIL A. I. Muralov; the People’s Commissar of Agriculture of the RSFSR N. V. Lisitsyn; the Corresponding Member of the Academy of Sciences of USSR, the academician of VASKhNIL and the head of the Department of Genetics at the Moscow State University A. N. Serebrovsky; the academician of VASKhNIL T. D. Lysenko, his closest comrade I. I. Prezent; Professor V. V. Pashkevich; academician R. R. Shreder; the Section’s chair holder academician N. V. Rudnitsky; experimentalist V. V. Spirin; the Director of the Central Genetic Laboratory named in honour of I. V. Michurin I. S. Gorshkov; his deputy P. N. Yakovlev; director of the I. V. Michurin SRI for Fruit gardening V. A. Odintsov; the head of the Selection Department of the SRI S. I. Isayev; Professor N. G. Zhuchkov and others.

The Plenary session tackled the following issues: the ways of selection work and Michurin’s methods; the ways of developing horticulture and varietal zonation of fruit and berry crops. I. S. Gorshkov (Central Genetic Laboratory), P. N. Yakovlev (Central Genetic Laboratory), G. A. Rubtsov (the All-Union Research Institute for Plant Industry), and S. I. Isayev (SRI) read their reports about the ways of selection work and Michurin’s methods. In addition to the report of academician R. R. Shreder, Professor N. G. Zhuchkov made a report about the control over the periodicity of fruiting (12).

The year of 1936 was a successful year for Professor N. G. Zhuchkov. The Moscow publishing house “Selkhozgiz” (State publishing house for literature in the field of agriculture) published his book that had been written by him already in Michurinsk: “New principles of dwarf fruit gardening” (Rus. “Karlikivoe plodovodstvo na novykh osnovakh”). In that book, he summarized the existing knowledge of dwarf fruit croppers and disclosed prospects of usage of dwarf croppers for the new Soviet horticulture. He had arrived to Michurinsk being already the author of his first book “Industrial fruit garden: Fundamentals of farming techniques” [Promyshlienniy Plodoviy Sad: Osnovy Agrotekhniki] (Moscow; Leningrad, 1932); and both those books contained many new ideas for young horticulturalists among whom was Valentin Budagovsky.

On December 8, 1936, at the meeting of the Council of the Horticultural Institute named in honour of I. V. Michurin, Professor Zhuchkov was nominated for the second time to the academic degree of Doctor of Agricultural Sciences without thesis. The Institute Council made a request the Higher Attestation Commission to approve Professor N. G. Zhuchkov in the academic degree of Doctor of Sciences without thesis. The grounds for that included the following: “Professor N. G. Zhuchkov has proposed a special culture technique for a number of Michurin’s varieties as natural dwarf croppers (see his work “The New Principles of Dwarf Fruit gardening”).” The resolution was signed by the Council’s chairman M. T. Afanasyev and Secretary Remezov (14).

And on December 14, 1936 the student V. I. Budagovsky excellently graduated the Horticultural Institute named in honour of I. V. Michurin. His Diploma with Honour No. 215920 issued upon the graduation from the Horticultural Institute named in honour of I. V. Michurin with the degree in Fruit gardening and Olericulture is an evidence for it. The diploma was signed by the chairman of the State Examination Board Professor N. G. Zhuchkov, the director of the Institute M. T. Afanasyev, and the Secretary A. Uruntaeva (15).

The graduate V. I. Budagovsky was assigned to work in Irkutsk Region.

Later V. I. Budagovsky recalled: “After the graduation from the Institute my friend G. A. Lobanov and I were invited by Professor N. G. Zhuchov who offered us to start postgraduate studies. “But what about Irkutsk?” I asked. “The ministry has allowed us to select two persons from graduates”, the reply was. Postgraduate studies, scientific opportunities, may be researches in the field of dwarf croppers! The future chances made me thrill” (16).

On January 1937, the Institute sent “Petition” under No. 2-i to the Head of the of the directorate for higher educational institutions and vocational schools of the People’s Commissariat for Agriculture of the RSFSR A. I. Chervyakov with the request to approve V. I. Budagovsky as the post-graduate student at the Sub-Faculty of Fruit gardening. “Comrade Budagovsky is an extremely talented person. He graduated from the Higher Educational Institution in 1936, has 3 years of work experience and had graduated from the Orel vocational school before the Institute». The petition was signed by the Deputy Director of the Horticultural Institute named in honour of I. V. Michurin N. G. Zhuchov (17).

On January 31, 1937, on grounds of the letter from the People’s Commissariat of Agriculture of the RSFSR, the director of the Horticultural Institute named in honour of I. V. Michurin M. T. Afanasyev issued order No. 6, paragraph 1 of which stated: “To admit Comrade V. I. Budagovsky and Comrade G.A. Lobanov as post-graduate students at the Sub-Faculty of Fruit gardening on February 1, 1937 and simultaneously grant them a scholarship in the amount specified the People’s Commissariat of Agriculture of the RSFSR for 1937”.

V. I. Budagovsky wrote the following about that event in his autobiographical essay: “All papers are in order; I and Gavryushka (my comrade, now he is Doctor of Agricultural Sciences and works in the I. V. Michurin All-Union Scientific Research Institute for Horticulture) are post-graduate students. My thesis subject is ‘Dwarf parent stocks for apple trees’. I actively work on the technique, read a lot, translate foreign literature, and study parent stocks that had been brought by N. G. Zhuchkov from abroad and collected in our country. There is a lot of work, I don’t have days off, I spend evening working, but my heart is full of happiness” (20).

Professor N. G. Zhuchkov was assigned an academic adviser of post-graduate student V. I. Budagovsky.

On the front cover of the student V. I. Budagovsky’s personal file (1931-1936) that was kept in the Michurinsk State Agrarian University archive, the following record was made: “Admitted as a post-graduate student at the Sub-Faculty of Fruit gardening from 01/II-37. Order No. 6 of 31/I-37.” By the same order, Professor N. G. Zhuchkov was instructed with the task to make curricula for newly admitted post-graduate students for approval by the Directorate of special higher educational institutions for the People’s Commissariat of Agriculture of the RSFSR. The term for the order fulfilment was 3 days. The ground: letter of the head of the Directorate of special higher educational institutions No. 3717 (21).

On March 16, 1937 Professor N. G. Zhuchkov, according to provisions II and III of the Agreement between the Horticultural Institute named in honour of I. V. Michurin and the Directorate for Fruit gardening of the People’s Commissariat of Agriculture gave the written promise to the Institute director M. T. Afanasiev, according to which the Sub-Faculty of Fruit gardening would produce 20 thousand propagules of Paradizka and 10 thousand winter propagules of Michurin’s varieties in 1938 and 15 thousand layers of Lipetsk Paradizka in spring of 1939 (22).

Fulfilment of that obligation would become the reason of big troubles for Professor N. G. Zhuchkov. During the whole period of studying of Valentin Budagovsky at the post-graduate school under N. G. Zhuchkov’s supervision (1937-1940), when his mentor was passing his knowledge, experience, ideas into the hands of his young follower who was full of desire to make a difference for the science, when both the famous and the young scientists were forming and improving in the continuous communication their ideas of intensive horticulture, that became popular in the science and practice in the 1950s-1970s, for all those years Professor N. G. Zhuchkov lived under the relentless pressure of quibbles, slander, offense from the management of the Horticultural Institute.

As early as in summer of 1936 the Institute director M. T. Afanasiev, who had shown his worth at the fronts of the civil war, who had been awarded by the Honour weapon and the leather uniform for his deeds in the fratricidal slaughter, was sending requests to previous work places of Professor N. G. Zhuchkov and to his native land. He wanted to know different sides of Professor N. G. Zhuchkov’s past life. Afanasiev marked the corner of his letters with the “Not for disclosure” label. And the miracle! In the reply from the Shchekino village council dated June 15, 1935 the Institute director read that the Professor’s father had served as the steward in General Steretsky’s estate (in fact it was Prince Staritsky’s estate — V. A.). Although N. G. Zhuchkov’s father was already dead and the Professor’s mother lived in the small rental apartment in the village of Troitskoe as she didn’t have her own house, but the compromising material from the past was obvious. The director also knew from his own contacts that the Professor’s brother, agronomist Vasily Grigorievich Zhuchkov, had been convicted for the anti-Soviet activity in 1933 and had been exiled to Kazakhstan.

Afanasiev was waiting for the moment to use the collected compromising material. A fair chance was the issue of execution of the propagules delivery agreement, i.e. of the faults and mistakes made during the execution of that agreement. And now the old warrior Afanasiev knew how to make the merciless stroke.

On April 19, 1937, director M. T. Afanasiev issued order No. 36 provision 1 of which said about Professor N. G. Zhuchkov: “To reprimand for profanation of the principle of recognition and the award granted without preliminary personal testing of the quality of work for which a commendation was issued and a bonus was paid”. (23).

At the same time, in spring 1937, under Professor N. G. Zhuchkov’s supervision post-graduate student Valentin Budagovsky started breeding experiments with clonal slow-growing parent stocks that proved to be successful. He wrote in his autobiographic notes: “All slow-growing parent stocks from Southern regions proved to be non-winter-resistant in the moderate climate. That’s why as early as in the first year of my post-graduate study I made cross-breeding of the French paradise apple tree with such winter-resistant types of apple tree as Chinese apple tree, Michurin’s varieties “Taezhnoe” and “Krasniy Shtandart”. In 1938 I was happy to see new hybrid generation — seedlings” (24).

In summer 1937 post-graduate student V. I. Budagovsky, upon the invitation of V. A. Odintsov, the director of the SRI of Fruit gardening took part in another scientific expedition. In his autobiographic essay (August 3, 1974) V. I. Budagovsky wrote that he had managed to overcome the resistance of his institute director M. T. Afanasiev who hadn’t wanted to let the post-graduate student go.

The study of Kirgizian orchards delighted the young researcher: “Kirgizia is the country of mountains, river valleys, big lakes and ravines. Landscapes are captivating. Natural conditions are extremely varied... There are few orchards, they are overgrown and scattered as small missives. But they say that Kirgizia has good opportunities for development of industrial fruit gardening... We are completely exhausted, but the one wish remains that pushes us forward: to see more, to hear more, to fully catch all the specific features and variety of this exceptionally interesting country” (25).

The subject of Professor N. G. Zhuchkov’s and his post-graduate students’ research got controversial estimations. The Institute administration arranged the exemplary flagging for the Professor. But the administration of the People’s Commissariat for Agriculture supported Professor N. G. Zhuchkov.

So, on August 14, 1937, the head of the Directorate for Higher Educational Institutions and Vocational schools of the People’s Commissariat of Agriculture of the RSFSR A. Chervyakov sent the official letter to the Institute director M. T. Afanasiev: “We inform you that subjects on which the Sub-Faculty of Fruit gardening works, namely, acceleration of fruitage and spreading Southern crops to the North by methods of farming techniques, are considered the People’s Commissariat of Agriculture of the RSFSR as very relevant and useful ones for horticultural development in the USSR. We offer you to create all necessary conditions for research of these subjects by the Department and to use twenty thousand roubles allotted the People’s Commissariat of Agriculture of the RSFSR for experimental and industrial types of plantations for the intended purpose to give Professor N. G. Zhuchkov the opportunity for a profound research of specific matters related to the subject of his scientific and research work” (26).

On the other day, August 15, 1937, there was the meeting of the party committee of the Horticultural Institute named in honour of I. V. Michurin, that decided to expel Professor N. G. Zhuchkov from the group of sympathizers of the All-Union Communists Party of Bolsheviks as he “has not ensured the educational and scientific work of the Institute and has not shown himself as an AUCP (b) sympathizer” (27).

Perhaps, they required from the scientist to admit his mistakes in public, to repent. And on November 23, 1937 Professor N. G. Zhuchkov had to address the meeting of the Horticultural Section of the VASKhNIL with the admission of his mistakes, including his fancy for planting annual fruit trees in the orchards, allowing shallow incorporation of mineral fertilizers in orchards. He pointed out that he fought faulty and harmful horticultural theories. He reported that he had written the book “The New Principles of Dwarf Fruit gardening” (28).

The pressure on the scientist increased. On November 29, 1937 the meeting of the Party Committee of the Horticultural Institute named in honour of I. V. Michurin reviewed the “Characteristics” of Professor N. G. Zhuchkov. The Resolution that was made by the Committee stated that the text of the “Characteristics” was to be amended with the fact that Professor N. G. Zhuchkov had not been able to skilfully organize scientific and educational work as a deputy head teacher of the Institute, “reads lectures in a simplistic manner, has led and leads the unprincipled fight with the Administration of the Higher Educational Institution” (29). Those ridiculous additions were intended to demean the big expert, reflected the atmosphere of animosity that surrounded Professor N. G. Zhuchkov in 1937-1939. But the “fight” with the management of the Institution was shown in the fact that Professor sometimes criticized some orders and resolutions of the semi-literate director.

On the same day, November 29, 1937, the administration of the Horticultural Institute issued to Professor N. G. Zhuchkov the “Characteristics” in which, alongside a great number of the scientist’s positive features, the following words sounded with a sudden piercing dissonance: “He has led and leads the unprincipled fight against the administration of the Horticultural Institute named in honour of I. V. Michurin” (30).

In the same autumn of 1937, two different but very important and positive events happened in the life of post-graduate student Valentin Budagovsky. In Moscow, in Chistye Prudy, in the apartment of his uncle Petr Ivanovich Budagovsky and his wife Maria Mikhaylovna (born Zorina) he met his distant relative Ekaterina Chernenko. His aunt’s brother Fyodor Mikhaylovich Zorin married to Yulia Semyonovna Chernenko, Katya’s elder sister. That meeting would grow into friendship and love. The family union of Valentin Budagovsky and Ekaterina Chernenko would write many valuable pages in the history of horticulture.

Katya Chernenko’s father, the famous Michurin’s follower Professor S. F. Chernenko (in the future he would create the apple-tree calendar and become the Laureate of the Stalin Award), and his colleague I. V. Belokhonov informed Valentin about the Marga-Khndzor apple-tree that grew in Armenia. The study of that variety would lead the young scientist to the discovery: the Western Asia is the native land of dwarf apple-trees (31).

In winter 1938 V. I. Budagovsky asked his former fellow student U. G. Arakelyan that had come from Armenia to do his internship in the Horticultural Institute, to send propagules and layers of the Marga-Khndzor apple-tree from Armenia (33). Both the young and the renowned scientists were enthusiastically unriddling secrets of dwarf apple-trees.

At the same time the Institute director M. T. Afanasiev continued his persecution of Professor N. G. Zhuchkov. On January 28, 1938 in his letter to the Higher Attestation Commission he stated that “the previously submitted petition about granting Professor N. G. Zhuchkov the academic degree of Doctor of Agricultural Sciences is cancelled” (34). That was followed by even more piercing attacks on the scientist that looked like political denunciation.

Accusing tone sounded in the “Characteristics” issued to Professor N. G. Zhuchkov on February 5, 1938: “... the Institute directorate believes that Professor Zhuchkov does not meet any criteria of staff selection introduced by Comrade Stalin, neither political nor business ones. Due to this, Professor Zhuchkov is expelled from the group of AUCP(b) sympathizers. The Directorate vigorously vetoes Professor Zhuchkov’s candidacy from granting him the academic degree of the Doctor of Agricultural Sciences without thesis defence” (35).

Meanwhile, heads of the People’s Committee for Agriculture applied to Professor N. G. Zhuchkov as to the big expert in the field of horticulture. On March 11, 1938 the head of the Directorate for Higher Educational Institutions and Vocational schools Stupov, in his letter to the director of the Horticultural Institute M. T. Afanasiev, asked to organise plantations of various fruit croppers in his instructional farm for the purpose of their further breeding. It was suggested to allot “9 hectares for Michurin’s and other varieties as natural dwarf plants”, “6 hectares for Southern crops in prostrate forms”, “1 hectare for stools of the Lipetsk Paradizka”, “1.5 hectare for experimental plantations for acceleration of fruitage.” The People’s Commissariat for Agriculture of the RSFSR accrued 20000 roubles for those plantations, but it was possible to count on the amount of even 23000 roubles. Stupov offered to make Professor N. G. Zhuchkov responsible for plantations (36).

On March 20, 1938 the Sub-Faculty of Fruit gardening (headed by Professor N. G. Zhuchkov) signed the Agreement with the Directorate for Fruit gardening of the People’s Commissariat of Agriculture of the RSFSR concerning the delivery of 20000 propagules of the Lipetsk Paradizka for state farms. On March 23, 1938 Professor N. G. Zhuchkov made a provisionary estimate for creation of the suggested plantations that was also signed by the Institute director M. T. Afanasiev. It was suggested to have an orchard on wild stems (400 plants), natural dwarf plants (600 plants), Southern prostrate crops (1300 plants), stools of dwarf plants (20000 plants), it was planned to have 400 plants on the accelerated fruitage allotment of 1.5 hectares. (37)

In spring 1938 U. G. Arakelyan sent to V. I. Budagovsky propagules and layers of the Marga-Khndzor apple-tree. The young scientist thoroughly studied rooted layers planted on the Collection allotment and concluded that the Marga-Khndzor and the French paradise apple-tree were the same plant. Later V. I. Budagovsky would write: “I have an idea of traveling to Armenia where this apple-tree is under cultivation. But where to get money and time? I decide to use my post-graduate scholarship and to spend my vacations for it. I’m independent, I don’t need to ask for permission to leave” (38).

V. I. Budagovsky expanded his work on breeding apple-tree parent stocks. In his article “The First Results of Breeding Apple-Tree Clonal Parent stocks” he wrote: “Along with nurturing and studying seedlings planted in 1937 for the purpose of breeding dwarf and semi-dwarf vegetatively reproduced parent stocks, which are quite winter-resistant in the USSR’s moderate climate, the French paradise apple (type VIII) was crossed with the orchard Chinese apple, Michurin’s varieties “Taezhnoe” and “Krasniy Shtandart”. The French paradise apple was ordered from the state farm “Kara Kiat” (Crimea) and was planted on the Collection allotment of the Horticultural Institute named in honour of I. V. Michurin . In 1938 it abundantly bloomed and bore fruit” (39).

On June 8, 1938 the administration of the Horticultural Institute named in honour of I. V. Michurin issued another “Characteristics” to Professor N. G. Zhuchkov in which the accusatory pathos was seen again: the Professor’s works proved to have the compiled nature, he set his own scientific direction against I. V. Michurin’s doctrine etc. The most terrible paragraph of the “Characteristics” concerned Professor N. G. Zhuchkov’s political inadequacy and unreliability: “While selecting the staff for the Sub-Faculty of Fruit gardening he orientates on hiring employees of the foreign origin and doubtful political reliability, in some cases of the doubtful expertise. […]. Due to this, Professor Zhuchkov is expelled from the group of the AUCP(b) sympathizers. (Further it is written with the pen: “He does not take part in the Institute social life. Being a member of the deputy group, he absolutely ignores preparations for elections in the USSR and the RSFSR” (40).

In summer months of 1938-1939s, according to the curriculum approved by Professor N. G. Zhuchkov, V. I. Budagovsky studied apple clonal parent stocks in many horticultural farms of the Southern USSR including state farms and research institutions of Rostov Region, Krasnodar Region and Crimea. He wrote about that: “In 1938-1939 we carried out the work on approbation of clonal parent stocks on mother plantations and nurseries of 5 biggest horticultural state farms in the USSR: ‘Sad-Baza’, ‘Sad-Gigant’, ‘Primorie’, ‘Kara-Kiat’, ‘Krasnoe’. It was based on the types selected by the Ist-Mollingskaya station the classification of which is recognised in the international horticultural literature. In total, 242771 plants were approbated at state farms on the area of 15.43 hectares”. (41).

The scientific supervisor was always informed about his post-graduate student work, directed his work, and discussed perspectives of the research with him. So, on July 1, 1938 V. I. Budagovsky filed the application to the Institute director M. T. Afanasiev: “I ask you to shift one month of vacations from August to September, as in this period I will be busy with the work on my thesis subject. Budagovsky. 1/VII-38”. The scientific supervisor signed it: “Agreed. Professor Zhuchkov. 3.VII.38” (42).

In summer and autumn of 1938 post-graduate student V. I. Budagovsky studied root formation processes in apple-tree parent stocks. Later V. I. Budagovsky wrote about that: “Root formation in different parent stocks is not similar. Roots are best formed in Type III. In a very dry summer of 1938, in the conditions of the study-work unit ‘Udarnik’, root formation in Type III started only in the mid-September and as early as in October the layers had strong primary roots” (43).

Professor N. G. Zhuchkov understood how important it was for the post-graduate student to test correctness of his insights in real industrial orchards; therefore he helped the student to get the People’s Commissariat's support. On July 31, 1928 post-graduate student V. I. Budagovsky submitted the following application to the Institute director M. Afanasiev: “I ask you to give me the opportunity to do the on my thesis work at state farms of the Directorate for Horticulture of the People’s Commissariat of Agriculture of the RSFSR during August. This provision fully complies with the approved curriculum of the research work on my thesis subject. The funds for traveling expenses are given the People’s Commissariat of Agriculture of the RSFSR. 31/VII-38. Signed by Budagovsky” (44).

On September 17, 1938 the Institute director M. T. Afanasiev issued Order No. 97 in which he explained the essence of the accident that was unpleasant for the Institute, when on March 20, 1938 the Sub-Faculty of Fruit gardening had signed the Agreement with the Directorate for Horticulture of the People’s Commissariat of Agriculture of the RSFSR upon the delivery of 20000 propagules of the Lipetsk Paradizka for state farms’ needs, but during the transportation of those propagules 5047 items had become unfit, they had died during the trip. N. G. Zhuchkov, the Head of the Sub-Faculty of Fruit gardening who was responsible for execution of the Agreement, the Head of the Scientific-Experimental Allotment G. A. Dylevsky, and fruit gardening technician P. I. Kuzmin were given a reprimand. It was offered to reimburse the losses sustained as the result of the state farms’ failure to execute the Agreement. In case those requirements were not executed, the Institute financial department would have to demand necessary amounts from the guilty party in the judicial order. (45).

But as early as on October 14, 1938, by Order No. 391/K of the People’s Commissariat for Agriculture of the RSFSR, the director of Michurin Horticultural Institute M. T. Afanasiev was discharged from employment and V. P. Mishin was appointed the Acting Director of Michurin Horticultural Institute. (46).

From the end of December 1938 to January 1, 1938 the All-Union fruit-growing conference was held in Michurinsk. The head of the Directorate for Fruit gardening of the People’s Commissariat of Agriculture of the RSFSR V. V. Lebedev made a report. Sections worked for several days. Professor N. G. Zhuchkov and post-graduate student V. I. Budagovsky most likely took part in the conference. Upon the results of the conference, a range of fruit and berry varieties was accepted for 5 geographical and climatic zones of the RSFSR including 52 regions (47).

In winter of 1938-1939 the whole mother plantation of clonal parent stocks in the Horticultural Institute froze (48). V. I. Budagovsky wrote about that in a calm manner, but how many efforts he - Professor N. G. Zhuchkov and employees of the Sub-Faculty of Fruit gardening had to make to recover the clonal parent stock mother plantation!

A new scandal flared up around Professor N. G. Zhuchkov in the midst of horticultural works in spring of 1939.

On April 13, 1938, by virtue of Order No. 38, the new Institute director V. P. Mishin admonished Professor N. G. Zhuchkov because on April 8 of that year he had allegedly been 20 minutes late for the courses of state farm directors. In fact, there had been a technical glitch and the trivial fact was overgrown with fables and documents and turned into an extraordinary event (51).

The scientist’s patience was exhausted. On April 16, 1939 Professor N. G. Zhuchkov sent an administrative note to V. P. Mishin in which he reminded about the great significance of his work for the people’s economy, demanded the right business-like attitude towards himself and his scientific work.

“To Director of the Institute, Comrade Mishin V.P.

I have developed the new method of accelerated reproduction of vegetatively propagated parent stocks that was further developed by post-graduate student Budagovsky. This method allows breeding rare forms of dwarf parent stocks within a short time. This method has been included into the agricultural guidelines of the Central Scientific-Research Institute and implemented at state farms.

The Sub-Faculty of Fruit gardening (post-graduate student Budagovsky) has developed a detailed instruction for the People’s Commissariat of Agriculture that has been passed to the People’s Commissariat of Agriculture.

In 1937 and 1938 the Institute sent propagules of the Lipetsk Paradizka to nurseries for shield budding. A part of summer propagules dried out during the transportation. The propagules were sent from the Institute collection allotment that is maintained by the Institute Directorate, but not the Sub-Faculty of Fruit gardening. The Institute had an abundant quantity of summer propagules (about 4 thousand items are left). No state farm sustained any loss.

The former Institute director seized that occasion and, on the grounds of persecuting me in that circumstances that are widely known, gave me a reprimand ‘for discrediting the Michurin’s business,’ In October of the previous year I appealed against that order to you and the People’s Commissariat of Agriculture of the RSFSR. Since that time, despite my numerous personal written and oral claims, the issue of order’s cancellation has not been moved forwards.

In fact, it happened that I had not get award for the new method accepted by the industry, but just an admonition, with the biased wrong term ‘for discrediting the Michurin’s business. I ask you to cancel the order. Professor N. G. Zhuchkov” (52).

Professor N. G. Zhuchkov’s letter indicates the fruitful creative relationships between the scientist and his disciple, post-graduate student V. I. Budagovsky, which were expressed in the creation of a new method for propagating parent stocks. It also witnesses the non-recognition of Professor N. G. Zhuchkov’s successful scientific and industrial work and scientific school by the Institute administration.

Instead protection of the scientist from unjust persecutions, during the meeting of May 8, 1939 the Institute Academic Council corrected the Council’s Resolution dated June 28-29, 1938 (Protocol No. 7), but how?

Even harsher statements about Professor N. G. Zhuchkov were written in Protocol No. 5 of the Academic Council’s meeting dated May 8, 1939: “1. Considering oversimplification and sabotage in fruit growing that have taken place, it is necessary to denounce Professor Zhuchkov’s oversimplification. 2. To consider the article published by the Doctor of Agricultural Sciences Professor S. F. Chernenko and Sukhachev as a correct one. Granting Professor N. G. Zhuchkov a scientific degree has been cancelled due to his faults. Previous resolutions of the Council concerning Professor Zhuchkov have not been revised and remain valid.” Nevertheless, at the end of the “Characteristics” it was stated that Professor N. G. Zhuchkov was the member of Michurinsk Town Council, worked as the president of the Town Council’s fruit section (53).

This document reflects the continuation of the ridiculous fight against Professor N. G. Zhuchkov with the active use of a so-called administrative resource. In the conditions of state repressions, the peak of which was in 1937-1939, it became especially fearful.

Only a few days later, on May 16, 1939, the Directorate for Higher Educational Institutions and Vocational schools of the People’s Commissariat for Agriculture of the RSFSR issued Resolution No. 65, that stated: “To cancel penalty imposed upon Professor N. G. Zhuchkov by the Order on the I. V. Michurin’s Horticultural Institute No. 97 dated September 17, 1938 as an improper one.” The resolution was signed by the deputy head of the Directorate Granovsky (54).

On the eve of the 4^th death anniversary of I. V. Michurin, on June 6, 1939, the monument for the scientist (sculptor N. Shilnikov) was opened in the Main nursery named in honour of him. Ten thousand citizens of Michurinsk, representatives of neighbouring collective farms gathered in the Main nursery. The tribunes for special guests were occupied by the Deputy President of the Union Council of the Supreme Council of the USSR academician T. D. Lysenko, academician B. A. Keller, deputies of the Supreme Council of the RSFSR G. P. Silkin, I. T. Kozyrkov, S. F. Chernenko, I. V. Michurin’s daughter M. I. Michurina, as well as followers of the great scientist (55). I suppose, Professor N. G. Zhuchkov and his post-graduate student V. I. Budagovsky were also present on that meeting.

The previous resolution concerning N. G. Zhuchkov cancelled by the superior authority did not kill the enthusiasm of the Horticultural Institute new administration. As early as on June 8, 1939, hardly had the high guests left Michurinsk, when the Institute administration approved the new “Characteristics” on Professor Budagovsky were the accusatory pathos had been increased: the books by N. G. Zhuchkov allegedly had got negative reviews, he had not proven to be an AUCP(b)’s sympathizer. The document was signed by Director V. P. Mishin, Party Committee Secretary I. A. Kondratiev, and President of the Local Trade Union Committee A. Romanychev (56).

In June of the same year post-graduate student V. I. Budagovsky, upon the agreement with Professor N. G. Zhuchkov, examined dwarf apple-tree plantations in Georgia and Armenia. In Georgia, he visited Skrynskaya experimental station, examined different parts of Georgia and collected specimen of the Khomanduli apple-tree for further research. In Armenia, with the help of his fellow from the Horticultural Institute U. G. Arakelyan, who worked as the director of the Agricultural Institute, he had carried out detailed examinations of the Marga-Khndzor apple-tree plantations. The results of his research were published in V. I. Budagovsky’s article “The Marga-Khndzor Dwarf Apple-tree” [Rus. Karlikovaya yablonya Marga-Khndzor] in the periodical “Vestnik Selskokhozyastvennoy Nauki: Plodovo-Yagodnye kultury” [Agricultural Science Herald: Fruit and Berry Crops] (1940, No. 3, pp. 19-23).

On July 28, 1939 Deputy People’s Commissar for Agriculture of the RSFSR P. Lyalin, in his letter No. 37/7 to the director of the Horticultural Institute V. P. Mishin suggested reviewing of the “Characteristics” on Professor N. G. Zhuchkov and giving an objective evaluation of his teaching and scientific and research work (57).

In last peaceful months V. Budagovsky was busy with the social work instead of writing a thesis. On November 30, 1939 the war between the USSR and Finland began. The building of I. V. Michurin Horticultural Institute was used as a military hospital. The Horticultural Institute was relocated to the building of the Scientific Research Institute for Horticulture named in honour of I. V. Michurin (284 Sovetskaya Street).

That is why on December 26, 1939 V. I. Budagovsky filed the request for granting him vacations for 1939.

“I ask you to give me a month of vacations from December 26 to January 26 that I want to use for working on my thesis in Moscow libraries. I have not used my vacation in 1939 as over the last 2 months I have been involved into the election campaign”.

Professor N. G. Zhuchkov supported his post-graduate student’s request. He wrote on his post-graduate student’s application: “I ask you to give the vacations from 26/XII to 26/I-1940.” Director V. P. Mishin approved: “To the Order. For execution. 26/XII-39.” (59)

Having obtained the permission for vacations V. I. Budagovsky left, not for Moscow but for Kaluga, to his parents, where he worked on the text of his thesis. Housing conditions were awful but that month was happy — he had his parents at his side and was looking forwards to the thesis defence.

At the end of January 1940 Valentin Budagovsky came back to Michurinsk with the completed text of his thesis. In February and March, his supervisor Professor N. G. Zhuchkov read his thesis, made some insignificant remarks and recommended his student’s thesis for defence.

In the beginning of April 1940 V. I. Budagovsky spoke at the Conference of Young Researchers in Moscow. V. I. Budagovsky got the 3^rd award for his work at the Contest of Young Researchers held by the VASKhNIL. His scientific supervisor N. G. Zhuchkov highly appreciated his post-graduate thesis (61).

On April 29, 1941, the hall of the Trade Union Club the recent post-graduate student defended his candidate’s thesis on the subject “Vegetatively reproduced parent stocks for apple-trees.” Professor N. G. Zhuchkov highly appreciated his disciple’s work. The opponents, Candidates of Science from the SRI for Horticulture named in honour of I. V. Michurin A. N. Venyaminov (later he became the head of the Voronezh Agricultural Institute) and G. K. Karpov saw in that thesis the young researcher’s work that promised important scientific discoveries (62).

According to E. S. Chernenko, “after the thesis defence he was left at the Sub-Faculty of Fruit gardening. He fulfilled the duties of a senior teacher, then an associate professor, read the course of lectures “Farming techniques for a fruit garden”... He was a reliable assistant for Professor Zhuchkov.” (63)

On May 9, 1940 V. I. Budagovsky applied for the vacancy of the senior teacher at the Sub-Faculty of Fruit gardening. The “Application” contained the consent of the Head of the Sub-Faculty of Fruit gardening Professor N. G. Zhuchkov: “To the Director of the Institute. I hereby petition for appointment of V. I. Budagovsky a senior teacher since 10/V 1940. Zhuchkov.” The visa of the Institute director V. P. Mishin to the chief administrator Nemchinov: “To T. Nemchinov. Do not execute before obtaining the People’s Commissariat of Agriculture’s confirmation. 9/V-40. V. Mishin”. (40).

The procedure of assignment of V. I. Budagovsky to the position of senior teacher at the Sub-Faculty of Fruit gardening took several months, from May to July. His colleagues elected him the chairman of the Trade Union Committee which proved the authority of V. I. Budagovsky among the staff. In October 1941 it was he whom the new Institute director I. N. Simonov made responsible for evacuation of the Institute students, teachers and property from Michurinsk to Altai.

And his biography contains a document the author of which is obvious for me: it is Budagovsky. In this document the student redeems the fair name to his Teacher.

On May 7, 1941 another “Characteristics” needed for doctor’s thesis defence was written on Professor N. G. Zhuchkov. The contents of that “Characteristics” is extremely positive.

All provisions of that “Characteristics” cancelled previous accusations and absurdities which the Institute Orders and “Characteristics” dated April 19, 1937, November 29, 1937, February 5, 1938, June 8, 1938, May 8, 1939, and June 8, 1939 were full of.

The “Characteristics” pointed out that N. G. Zhuchkov had been appointed the Head of the Sub-Faculty of Fruit gardening upon I. V. Michurin’s invitation, that he had launched a great work for implementation of I. V. Michurin’s ideas, for acceleration of apple-tree fruitage. It also mentioned: “Upon N. G. Zhuchkov’s initiative and under his supervision, the study farm of the Institute founded big experimental and industrial plantations of different cultivars and varieties based on new agricultural technics. During his work at the Sub-Faculty of Fruit gardening, Professor N. G. Zhuchkov has selected and raised the personnel of teachers-fruit-growers; 3 of them defended their theses for the academic degree of Candidate of Sciences. Professor N. G. Zhuchkov has equipped the Sub-Faculty of Fruit gardening well. Professor N. G. Zhuchkov has many scientific works on fruit gardening, one of which, ‘Dwarf Horticulture’ [Rus. ‘Karlikovoe Plodovodstvo’] is the textbook for the Higher Educational Institutions. He actively collaborates with central and local periodicals and newspapers upon the issues of fruit gardening.” The active work of the Professor for the country’s fruit gardening, his participation in All-Union Agricultural Exhibitions (1939, 1940), his work in the Expert Commission of the All-Union High School Committee and the Academic Council of the People’s Commissariat of Agriculture of the RSFSR was also denoted. The active social work of Professor N. G. Zhuchkov, a shock- worker and Stakhanovite awarded by diplomas and prizes was mentioned too. The text of the document was undersigned by director V. P. Mishin and the chairman of the Trade Union Committee V. I. Budagovsky. N. G. Zhuchkov wrote with a pencil on the document: “I have got two copies. May 8, 1941. Zhuchkov” (65).

How much the “Characteristics” of his teacher written by Professor V. I. Budagovsky embellishes the professor’s scientific career!

This document drew the line under unjust persecutions of the wonderful Russian fruit-grower organized by stupid and envious people. Those persecutions, libel, numerous rejections of petitions to grant Nikolay Grigorievich Zhuchkov the degree of Doctor of Sciences without thesis defence damaged the scientist’s health, delayed the social evaluation of his years-long scientific work.

In the end, they resulted in the fact that in the midst of the Great Patriotic War the 50-year-old scientist was carrying his doctor’s thesis through the whole country from Altai to Tbilisi where on March 28, 1942 he brilliantly defended it at the Georgian Agricultural Institute named in honour of Lavrentiy Beria. God only knows how Nikolay Grigorievich could go to Georgia and come back, as in May 1942 military actions in the southern direction were so strong that the access to Georgia was out of the question.

To the credit of Georgian fruit-growers, they highly appreciated Professor N. G. Zhuchkov’s contribution to the science, awarded him the degree of Doctor of Sciences that he had deserved long ago, and recommended him to publish the material of his doctor’s thesis as a monograph.

Many years of Professor N. G. Zhuchkov’s fruitful work in fruit gardening was awarded by orders of merit and in 1952 he was awarded the Stalin Prize.

Professor Nikolay Zhuchkov and Professor Valentin Budagovsky... The teacher and the disciple who is worthy of his Teacher. In 1945 V. I. Budagovsky became the head of the Sub-Faculty of Fruit gardening that had been headed by his teacher for 10 years. V. I. Budagovsky was the head of his alma mater’s Department for thirty years. Over those years he created new perspective parent stocks for apple-tree, formed the perspective scientific direction the results of which are still important for the modern fruit gardening.