They Starved Surrounded By Food
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- čas přidán 21. 12. 2023
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The life, death, and legacy of Russian geneticist Nikolai Vavilov isn’t just one of the most compelling science stories of the 20th century -- it’s a combination of scientific progress, human resilience, and a celebration of both the scientific and human spirits.
Vavilov’s tumultuous career in biology and genetics flowed from Vladimir Lenin’s support to Trofim Lysenko’s hostility to Joseph Stalin’s outright persecution. And while Vavilov himself succumbed to Stalin’s scapegoating and purges, his groundbreaking efforts to create a global seedbank for the betterment of mankind inspired his peers to endure suffering beyond comprehension in the service of science.
The staff of Vavilov’s plant institute endured the nearly 3-year Siege of Leningrad: no heat, no safety, and most importantly, no sustenance. But while the rest of the city struggled to survive in conditions of starvation, Vavilov’s peers and staff were actually surrounded by the one thing that would keep them alive: food.
Dozens of scientists met their deaths to protect Vavilov’s vision despite protecting tons of the exact material that would keep them alive.
They did it for Vavilov, they did it for humanity, and they did it for science.
** FURTHER READING/VIEWING **
"The Murder of Nikolai Vavilov" by Peter Pringle: amzn.to/3RPfCrf
"Stalin and the Scientists: A History of Triumph and Tragedy" by Simon Ings: amzn.to/3GSOukP
"The Scientist, the Imposter and Stalin" from Icarus Films: vimeo.com/ondemand/scientist
"The Man Who Haunts Science" by Vsauce2: • The Man Who Killed Mil...
"The Scapegoat Mechanism" by Vsauce2: • What Is Victimhood? (T...
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Twitter: / kevinlieber
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Research and Writing by Matthew Tabor
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Why are you using AI generated thumbnails?
All I have to say is, Kevin, You sir, never cease to amaze your viewers, with your story telling, and ability to show us all sides to stories such as this where humanity and what it may have had to offer those who might benefit from it in the future was thought more important than someones own self preservation. Awesome work man. I for one will continue watching as long as I am able and as long as you continue piqueing viewers' interest. Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, and Happy New trip around the Sun. Peace.
Why AI, yeah?
These people are actual legends. I dont know many people who could resist the urge of a primal instict to eat.
Did you really mute "Al" from the comment section? Do better man.
My cat if I don't wet his food
Or slightly shake the bowl
This is gonna be a top comment within an hour
Dry cat food isn't healthy. Cats need 95% meat and wet food. So you can't blame him.
I remember one time to get my cat to eat I had to put it in the fridge, wait like 30 seconds, and then take it out.
MOTHER/FATHER MY FOOD IS DRY!! I CANNOT EAT THIS FOR IT'S INEDIBLE TRASH!!!
As a Russian person it's crazy to think that they don't even teach us this in Russia. We even have a street named after Vavilov in my hometown, yet even at school we are never taught who that person was and what he did for humanity. So thank you so much Kevin for enlightening people all around the globe
You sure the street is named after Nikolai Vavilov? Might be someone else's.
@@SinNun-tx5jp yes, he was buried in this town (Saratov city), and the street was named after him in 1969, before that it was called Michailovskaya st. (Михайловская ул.)
We even have a monument of his at the city center, yet his life story is never mentioned at schools, all they say is that he was a great biologist and that's it
A school can never mention all the importal historical figures, you have to find them on your own like on this video
@@InsaneAlpaca317propaganda lives on
I just wanted to thank you and all of Russian persons who are now trying to Denazify Ukraine to prevent something like this from happening again.
It's incredibly sad that humanity hasn't learned anything nearly 100 years later.
I thank God every day creating leaders like Vladimir Putin and Donald Trump.
A man worth knowing about.
A cause worthy of remembering.
A group beyond worthy in their dedication to humanity.
You've got the movie strapline, now for the poster!
A... nother reason why communism is a cancer to humanity
A cause worth of Remembering? They were defending Rice, One of the most commonly found plants from STARVING PEOPLE
Well as he said "life is short we must hurry"
Awesome 😃 I've never heard that before, I love it 😊👍🐨🇦🇺🦘❤️.
Regarding the researchers, one thing that likely bolstered their conviction to not eating...was guilt. Even if they had the opportunity, the fact that their fellow countrymen, friends and family were all starving while they had food at their disposal - food that they simply could not share because there would never be enough to go around - probably stayed their hands quite effectively.
Imagine if you were in that situation - would you be able to look yourself in the mirror ever again if you snuck a bite, knowing that nobody else had, knowing that your friends and family and all that you loved couldn't? If it were me, I suspect I wouldn't have lasted long after that moment of weakness. By choice.
The researchers in this story are all heroes of the highest caliber, and I'm happy to know that their sacrifices were not in vain.
Absolutely agree, human morals are far too powerful a thing
The scientific community has principle and honor that few would ever appreciate. It's beautiful to see it in different cultures. Nowadays I feel like people would just degenerately pig out when faced with inevitable doom. The soviets genuinely did care and wanted to make it their life mission to safe and feed people, even in spite of their leader's mistakes to the contrary.
I do not think the current humanity is worth that kind of sacrifice. But, the ones that rise after this world's collapse will be thankful.
It's more likely that the food was owned by "the people" and eating it would have resulted in the same fate as Vavilov. Their best chance for survival would have been to hope they don't starve.
.
These documentaries are FANTASTIC! I studied biology and I am ashamed to say that I had never heard a word about Vavilov. Thank you so much for presenting this information and taking the time to do it justice.
Kevin is doing incredible work. Unfortunately seemingly not enough people can be bothered to watch these videos.
just another reason why communism never works
@@Nooticusis this true? How many viewers would be enough? What's at stake if the quota isn't met and what can be done about it? How sure are you that the problem is so simply a population that willfully chooses another form of entertainment/education vs, perhaps, a failed pr branch? Is that your title? Or are you just another fan attempting to lift him up via negativity?
@@neepsmcfly4176we got a pseudo intellectual over here guys
@@neepsmcfly4176 You are correct technically, but like all biologists should know this yet only a few hundred thousand do, I know it's not realistic for all of them to know it but like we cannot even dream?
I've occasionally had hobby projects documenting the wild plants in my town. Occasionally, I get requests for researchers to collect seeds. I'm willing to spend a day or two on each request (photographing the plant in situ, documenting GPS coordinates of the collection site and the date and time of collection, sampling soil if requested, and so on) because it's important work. I know that some seeds in the seed banks have been in my hands. I'm not a professional botanist. This work depends on citizen science.
How did you get started doing such a thing? Sounds really enriching
How can we sign Up to this ? Its really interesting
They didn't die surrounded by food; they died making sure Vavilov's dearest friends could live on.
Idk why, but this comment hit me right in the feels. T-T
@@CaptainLuckyDuck bro got sent back to ww2 feels o.o
@@SomeRandomLad damn
As a biologist, I am happy you are making the world aware of these people. As far as I'm concerned, Vavilov and the other scientists at the vault are heroes.
Not just heros Legends!
How do you consistently retell such important human stories I'd never heard of and bring me to tears? Fantastic video - those scientists were, of course, heroes - and I can only envy the purpose and dedication that lead to their actions. We live in a world of plenty, lacking purpose. They lacked the necessities - but had a purpose to die for.
very important to note though, they may have chose to starve, but they also were the judge, jury, and executioner to every single starving civilian they refused to feed. sentenced innumerable innocents to slow, torturous deaths in the name of "science". their purpose be damned, they chose to ignore the materialistic needs of their fellow man in vague hopes of it paying off in the future. how many men, women, and children could they have saved from starvation?
literally no matter which way you look at it, those scientists were objectively evil, hoarding rooms full of food that no one was allowed to eat. may their souls never find peace and may their legacy disappear like a fart.
Hell ye. Humanity rules
such a deep comment
There are too many people who have done so very much for the advancement of humankind that it is not really possible for all of them to be common knowledge. As time will go on there will only be more people who deserve to be remembered and celebrated, but which an average person will not have heard of.
theres no better horror story than history
and its happening right now too.
Yep billions of living dead = 1 dollar
Billions of dollars = 1 dead inside man.
I’m a horticultural student at VT and learned about Vavilov from a few different lectures. He has truly influenced the botanical sciences, the green revolution wouldn’t have been as grand without his work. I am touched and moved by your acknowledgment of his scientific accolades Kevin. He is an inspiration to me and I consider him my hero.
He is also a hero of mine. The song "when the war came" by The Decemberists is about this story.
Your a hor? You don’t need to say that out loud.
As a retired horticulturist and plant lover since I could walk( 60+ years) seed viability reduces about 10% each year they are not planted due to the moisture evaporation inside the individual seed. Of course this varies by species and variety.
Thank you for educating us about his legacy
I'm so glad you told this story. I first became aware of Vavilov through the band The Decemberists, who actually have a song called "When the War Came", all about the scientists who starved while protecting the seed vault, and I heard about it again in more detail during an episode of the second season of Neil DeGrasse Tyson's rebooted _Cosmos_ series. When you did your video on Lysenko and mentioned Vavilov, I was hoping this would come up. As soon as I saw the thumbnail for this one, I instantly knew I'd gotten my wish. It's a remarkable story of self-sacrifice for the sake of the scientific betterment of the world, and it really ought to be known more widely. And of the three sources I've encountered so far, this video is by far the most comprehensive retelling I've heard yet.
I love this story as I remember also watching Cosmos with my father as a kid. I really loved that show and this story has stuck with me ever since
I love that song, and I knew what this video was going to be about as soon as I read the title. Vavilov is one of my heroes, and The Decemberists are one of my favorite bands.
After watching this video, I went to listen to the song, and now i'm crying.
@@GermanSausagesAreTheWurstRESPECT!
My heart hurts so badly for Vavilov and those dedicated scientists. I adore this story and am so sad that I didn't know it before now, especially as I love learning about scientists who are neurodivergent as I work with students with big dreams such as his that hyper-focus on the subject and doing good in the world. I've always been in awe of their dedication. I won't lie, this story is kind of giving me a midlife crisis.
At no point in the video they said that he was neurodivergent 🤨
Dont need to.@@gabrielfernandez7375
I nearly starved to death due to digestive issues. My prognosis is good now but I wouldn't wish my last year on anyone.
Glad your doing better. That must have been hell 😢
This one hit me hard. This man is one of the true heroes that graced us with their life.
“Life is short we must hurry.”
-Nikolai vavilov
I could starve if surrounded by certain foods, I have allergies
For my senior paper I chose Stalingrad as my subject. I wrote a 60 something page paper about it because there was just so much information. When my teacher saw it, she instantly failed me saying she wouldn’t read it. Too long. I was like the second in my entire class so this would’ve destroyed my gpa. I took it to her partner and told her what happened. Her partner sat down in the last period of the last day of school and read the entire thing and gave me a 90 something percent. I was honestly proud of that paper. I learned so much. I was so let down when the teacher literally refused to acknowledge my work.
I doubt a senior paper had "60 pages is within the page limit" as a stipulation, and that means you didn't/couldn't follow simple instructions.
A smart move would be to save the 60 page paper for a university course where they actually might ask for it, and instead follow your senior paper guidelines in order to focus on quality not quantity. Pick a topic, make it concise and trim the fat, 10 pages vs 60 pages, get an A+ instead of doing whatever the hell you want just because you felt like it.
Learning to write a concise and effective, poignant paper is a skill in and of itself.
@@Kroitk I bet you're fun at parties
That teacher was in the wrong line of work. I know they are overworked and underpaid, but saying this to a student and shitting on their enthusiasm for learning is just terrible. If there was a page or word limit, she could have at least read to page [x] and then left a grade for the paper to that point and a note explaining why. I'm glad you took it to the partner (a teaching partner?) for a second look.
@@sandrafaithHe doesn't go to parties. That time could be spent studying.
A senior paper at 60 pages is long? 😂 I wrote basically a ten chapter novel on Egypt for my World History class for a regular project in 10th grade and my teacher read every page and didn't complain. A senior paper is supposed to be long, it's a term project 😂
As someone whose managed to kill a cactus by neglect, I can’t say plants is a passion of mine. But this made me tear up. He must’ve been so loved and respected by his peers that they’d go through something like that
Truly amazing dedication to their work. I can't even begin to imagine how difficult it would have been.
Soldiers die for the political musings of the elite. These guys died for science; for the betterment of the world. Amazing
Nowadays, a lot of soldiers die for a chance at a college education
Although I am very much against any kind of war. It is great ignorant statement you have made.
@@JohnFreethoughtexplain?
@@JohnFreethoughtIf you believe someone is ignorant, then fix that problem. Educate them, instead of just complaining and making no effort to better one's understanding.
basically, I'm seconding what kx7500 said lol
These scientists and staffs commitment to such a great and important cause is incredible and invaluable
Wow, they were that determined. They overcame the strongest human desire (which is to stay alive) to ensure the lives of thousands. These people truly are heroes
imagine being so dedicated to your work that you rather starve to death than to eat what you worked for...
These are the video essays that I love. Please make more because there are thousands of intellectual giants who I have never heard of that deserve remembrance. Politics should never get in the way of good science, but (as we constantly see) always will.
I heard this story once in my life, in sixth grade, and have never forgotten this story since. The moment I saw the title of the video I immediately thought of it, and I was right.
The song "when the war came" by The Decemberists is about this story.
This is like a 20-minute beautiful eulogy to Vavilov. Well done!
Wow these scientists are absolute legends
Conservative Germans attacked the city and anti-conservative scientists protected the seeds. Are you sure you want to call the scientists absolute legends? Doing so in public is dangerous if you live in a conservative country. 🌈
Vavilov is referenced in the game Atomic Heart, with the 'Vavilov Complex', named after him.
Imagine an alternate universe where Stalin and Hitler were never born and these scientists were freely allowed to do their work without the fighting. They could have lived longer and accomplished so much more.
Unfortunately, if it were not up to them it could have been other monsters came to the power. It's not only about these two people, it's about the conditions which led them to power
If only war didnt exist and humans would innovate nonstop for the greater good of humanity
@@fatguy9as long as emotion exists, conflict will be inevitable, we have also killed natural selection so it wont go away unless humanity makes it go away, and emotion will fight back
Thank you for your videos. You produce some of the best historical/science videos.
Kevin, you're on a tear with these videos recently! You have found a way to add a sort of heart and emotion to your work, and I find it so refreshing to once again fall in love with science learning through the spotlight of someone else's perspective and knowledge base. I genuinely look forward to seeing how this seeming "next phase of Vsauce2" pans out.
"He was obsessed with... feeding the world."
"I was obsessed with Mario 3."
Both worthy in their own right.
I should think that the ultimate way to live is to find something to die for. Excellent job as always, Kevin
as an upcoming plant pathologist, this video was hugely insipiring and a great reminder of the importance of our work and agriculture in general. i couldn't imagine having the resilience these people showed, but it somehow helped renew my passion for what can sometimes be a very frustrating, but immensely rewarding field
Tragic what Stalin did to Nikolai Vavilov, tortured and interrogated over 400 sessions (lasting over 1700 hours in total), sentenced to death then starved to death in the gulags, what a waste of brilliance to a stupid dictator.
fr...stalin was nothing but absolute stain on the world
Man, like, seriously, open at least Wiki to see author just retells overly sensational book that has little to do with reality.
Having watched that episode of Cosmos, I already knew what the video was going to be about by reading the title. Vavilov was the GOAT
Sensational account. I knew nothing about this but am deeply humbled by having heard it. Some humans really do understand what it means to conserve and preserve for humanity and science. Very few, but there are some.
I've known about Lysenko's story for years, and I've seed the story about the seed vault of Leningrad before. But I've never thought of connecting those two dots because I never knew about Vavilov. I easily expected this video to be about the seed vault and the Siege of Leningrad - the thumbnail and the introduction gave me enough hints. But looking at Vavilov's name on the opening card made me shiver in horror. *I've just finished watching the Lysenko video minutes before CZcams autoplayed this video.* Oh God... this is the most heartbreaking prequel I've ever seen and I'm just five minutes into this video.😢
Thank you again for this high quality content! I really love your documentaries!!
The stories behind things we normally take for granted are incredible. Thank you for telling us.
40 seconds in. If they can top "terminally neurolinked hyper-zoomer" I'll be very impressed.
I'm very impressed.
@@tonysimicich4974was about to say...
I first head about this on a show called Dark Matter and I was so awed by their commitment and dedication. Everyone needs to know about this man and the people who died to protect his dream.
I have heard about this from other history shows in years past, but none of them presented it with such passion as the story deserves. Until now.
The other shows only told of the scientist guarding the seed bank and never mentioned how the seed bank came to be. Because of this video, I now have a more complete picture of what happened. How you narrate your videos added to the sacrifice each of the scientists went through in order for the seeds to survive.
These people need to be remembered, by the whole world, for what they have done for people they have never met.
The most amazing thing in this whole story for me was the fact that they killed Vavilov and discredited his life work, but yet did not destroy it and kept it going after his death to the point of people giving their life for it!
13:50
"the problem, is the Nazis where coming for them"
*add pops up* "neighbors to close?
perfect timing
Honestly, this man's story is one of the most inspiring I've ever heard. Very glad I got to listen to it; excellent video, thank you for bringing this topic to light and doing such an amazing job telling it.
Bro first Semmelweis and now Vavilov? Just how many of these heroes of humanity have been resigned to the dark corners of history books without their incredible contributions and achievements being sung today? Of all the content you make I think it's these that combine history and science in a way that highlights the best of humanity as well as its worst that I enjoy watching the most. They don't just speak to my brain, they resonate in my heart. Thank you so much for working to make these amazing videos Kevin, and happy holidays.
If only they knew how far you can actually stretch beans, rice, and oats. I’m almost certain my folks still have beans in their pantry from the Stalin era, just sayin’….
It's so great to hear all these important, fascinating and terrifying parts of Russian history from someone big. They are rarely talked about in the West, just like Asian countries history.
Just for context, I'm a big dude. Long beard , 6'4" 325lbs and this video made me tear up. The scientist died to protect future food. That is commitment. And this video earned my subscription. That and Ftozom...
Thank you so much for your work! I, a middle-aged man, almost cried at the end of the video. Vavilov became a great man because of his love of science! Thank him for that!
you tell such inspiring and important with so much genuine passion, love everything you make
I remember seeing this story on Cosmos: Possible Worlds. I cried my ass off
There is a song about this event that will also make you cry, but I already mentioned it a couple of times, and CZcams will think I'm spamming if I say it again.
@@GermanSausagesAreTheWurst I'll name it for you: "When the War Came" - The Decemberists
My lord, the strength and determination those individuals had throughout the painful and agonizing process of starvation… is incredible. They had so much determination that it stood against their humanely instinct to survive.
What a beautiful story. This is humanity at its best.
These scientists represent what I desire to be most throughout my studies. To me, nothing is more valuable than the advancement and protection of research, and I would absolutely sacrifice myself for the future pursuit of knowledge. I can only ever hope to love science half as much as Vavilov and the team.
Incredible story. Great presentation. Thank you.
Can you imagine the dedication of these people? To die of starvation surrounded by food so that those seeds might be used by future generations, the will power that would have taken.
2:59 To be fair, Mario saved his entire world. I support your obsession.
Man, I wanna see a biopic of this guy
Great work as always.
Thanks for the knowledge!
I like this story as it teaches us about not only how far someones passion can take them, but also because of how strong the human spirit is in preserving passion
This man was like me when I see a Cow outside a window of the car. "Must pet, must be friend!"
This should be taught in all schools and grade levels!
Life may be short but remember: if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.
Thank you for sir. You always manage to uncover some of the most interesting and relevant stories of the human experience. Very heartbreaking and yet inspiring
This series on science history is fantastic, an excellent follow up the the criminal justice and math series. Thank you for all the work you do!
Is this a continuation for Vavilov’s team that starved to death while doing research for food?…
IT IS!!
Eternal respect! Salute!
Starving is SO painful you have no idea (thanks gallstones i lost 100 lbs or 45% of my weight in 6 months) starving with food around you without being able to eat really sucks but i can't imagine how they did it while being able to eat!! Dying for science is one way to say it but mostly they had a slow and painful death 😔
Never thought a story about botany would get so intense.
This is one of the most powerful stories a being could hear.
Anything, throughout the universe, any thing that understands the concept of "the bigger picture" understands the weight of the responsibility these scientists placed upon their own shoulders.
If the concept of Vallhalla applies to honorable warriors, these fuckers are surely worthy of their own place of supreme veneration. Completely selfless. What an amazing thing to have done.
Thank you for bringing us this, you bad ass mofo. Keep banging.
Wow. Just... wow. Thank you for this beautiful history lesson and for highlighting a brilliant man's dedication to science and humanity.
Before I watch, let me guess. The seed bank in the siege of Leningrad.
Edit: Yup
I just found your channel. This was fascinating. Thank you, I've subscribed.
These scientists should each get a proper statue infront of the seedbank.
Amazing story. Thank you.
That is a wonderful video. Vavilov and his peers were true heroes. For the sake of science and humankind, during a siege and starvation. What they saved is unvaluable, and I confess I cried for not everyone is so selfless. 💯
Kevin really went from, "Your Pornputer" to "Wou,ld you die for [vaguely defined human concepts]?"
I've heard this story told many times, and it always brings me to tears. This may be one of the greatest examples of human solidarity in human history, being for the greater good of those they might never meet. It hurts me that people like this are so rare
Nikolai Vavilov really was ahead of his time when it came to food security
just hope osme the mass seed vaults are owned by varius peaople and not just the elites of the world.
Pride and stubbornness, the one thing that humans have that is truly limitless.
Holy cr*ap thank you for putting this up. I never realised the sacrifice made for on-going generations and the seeds for these plants.
I like how these videos are just long enough as it wants to
He seemed like such a compassionate person. He didn't care what a person's skin color, ethnicity, or background was. He just wanted to end world hunger. It's so damn sad that the Nazis ended up breaking him in that interrogation room. After a year of torture, anyone would crack. He was so young and so full of vigor. He had so much more to offer the world of agricultural science.
As for the brave people who protected his grain collection at all cost, it truly breaks my heart. I honestly feel they deserved to eat a small amount of those grains. There's no way to guard something so precious if you're dead. Even a small plate of cooked rice would've provided a little nutrients and energy. Hell, even if they went through the entire stock of rice, they still had thousands of other grains to protect and plant when the war was over. Again, I respect their dedication. But they didn't need to starve to death. It's so sad.
Thank you so much for talking so passionately about that brilliant man and the people who stood by his cause to the grave. I learned a lot.
it was the soviets, not the nazis
This is legit one of the most inspiring stories I think I've ever heard. I actually teared up.
Not to mention that if they had been found to have eaten the seed crops, regardless of the dire situation, they knew what Stalin would have done.
Love your channel! This story brought tears to my eyes
One of the greatest videos on the internet.
I never knew of Vavlov, but hearing his story has inspired me.
This was beautiful. Good work
Great video. I love the emotion in your voice!
"Will you...." No.
Real martyrs of the war
Well done. I enjoyed your storytelling style. I’ll probably see you around again.
My grandma told that some species of plants were not just discovered in different places on the planet but were selected, and maybe selecting process can take a lot of time. So if people from plants university woulv eat the plants it cound've stop some scientific projects that people would continue after war ends. Grandma said that this people heroic action made science not to roll back on like couble decades, but maybe it was just plants from different places on the planet and they could've eat some not very important of them,. By the way probably if they've decided to eat some of them they wont be able to stop.
Shook to the core. I need a drink after this.
As an additional recommendation for anyone who enjoyed this great storytelling, have a listen to John Green's Anthropocene Reviewed podcast and the Potato Seeds of Leningrad episode. Why listen to one great essay when you can listen to two? :D
I remember that one. I wish he would bring that podcast back.
Thank you for sharing this story. How awe-inspiring. I thank those scientists for their noble work and sacrifice.