Presidential Library hosted expanded video lecture "Plant Genetic resources: scientific and cultural-historical heritage"

On November 8, 2024, a special video lecture titled Plant Genetic Resources: Scientific, Cultural, and Historical Heritage was hosted at the Presidential Library as part of the Knowledge of Russia series.

This event was organized in collaboration with the N. I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources (VIR), marking the 300th anniversary of the founding of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the 130th anniversary of the establishment of the Bureau of Applied Botany within the Scientific Committee of the Ministry of Agriculture and the State Property of the Russian Empire.

Welcoming remarks were delivered by Andrei Fursenko, Assistant to the President of the Russian Federation, members of the State Duma and Federation Council of the Russian Parliament, as well as representatives from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Russian Academy of Sciences, and other government agencies.

Elena Khlestkina, Director of the N. I. Vavilov All-Russian Institute of Plant Genetic Resources also congratulated colleagues on this significant occasion.

Igor Solonko, the Director of the Department for Scientific and Educational Work at the Presidential Library, greeted participants of the event on the behalf of the Director General of the Library, Yuri Nosov, with a warm welcome. He emphasized that the Presidential Library places great emphasis on the history and accomplishments of Russian science, and that it is actively organizing educational events such as conferences, roundtables, and exhibitions.

The library's portal provides access to a wealth of materials on various scientific topics. A dedicated electronic collection on the Presidential Library's portal celebrates the upcoming 300th anniversary of the Russian Academy of Sciences. As part of this celebration, prominent scientists from the N. I. Vavilov Institute received medals in honor of the academy's anniversary.

As part of the academic portion of the lecture, topics such as the systemic control of microbial interactions with plants, the identification of gene pools for resistance in cereals and potatoes against diseases, and others were discussed.

It is significant that the video lecture was held on the 80th anniversary of the complete liberation of Leningrad from Nazi Siege and on the eve of the 80th anniversary celebration of the Great Victory. The fate of many employees at the All-Russian Institute for Plant Genetic Resources is also linked to these memorable dates.

The video lecture is available on the Rutube-channel of the institution, as well as on the Vkontakte и Odnoklassniki social networks.