In Our Time: Lysenkoism

Melvyn Bragg is joined by Robert Service, Catherine Merridale and Steve Jones. Geneticist Trofim Lysenko promised Stalin that he would revolutionise Soviet agriculture in the 1940s. Politically brilliant but scientifically erroneous, Lysenko eliminated his enemies with an efficiency not seen in his agricultural reforms. Soviet agriculture collapsed and the USSR was forced to import vast quantities of grain from the USA. Had they not had to do so, the Cold War might still be going on.