The Case of Nikolai Vavilov

The bodies of the NKVD of the RSFSR ( OGPU ) began to fabricate a case against Vavilov since 1931 ^{[4] [5] [6] [7]} .

The case was replenished with denunciations of paid ^[8] NKVD informants: the head of the VIR Introduction Bureau, botanist Alexander Kohl ^[9] , academician Ivan Yakushkin ^[10] and doctor of biological sciences Grigory Shlykov ^[11] .

Confessions of arrested colleagues, for example, Alexander Yanat , also got there ^[12] . Letters of Soviet scientific figures involved by special services for cooperation, including under the threat of reprisal, were also attached. In particular, letters from Professor Victor Pisarev ^{[4] [8]} .

Two letters are interesting to Stalin. The first was prepared in the summer of 1934. The “OGPU Stalin Cover Letter” was written by Georgy Prokofiev, Deputy Chairman of the OGPU, and Lev Mironov , Head of the Economic Department of the OGPU.

The second was written on March 27, 1935. "A letter from VASKHNIL Vice-President Bondarenko and Party organizer VASKHNIL Klimov to Stalin" was written respectively by VASKHNIL Vice-President Alexander Bondarenko and VASKHNIL party organizer S. Klimov.

So, in the “Cover letter of the OGPU to I. V. Stalin,” prepared by Prokofiev and Mironov, it appears ^[13] :

Double-dealing and skillful concealment of beliefs and views are the main masking means of the counter-revolutionary work of VAVILOV. So, for example, in February 1932, VAVILOV recommended that the specialist SHIMANOVICH “do social work slightly, for the visibility of others,” saying “you need to take into account the current situation, adapt, and not express your views and beliefs.”

In the same document in relation to the so-called "Vavilov organization" and Vavilov himself states:

The whole system, supposedly scientific activities, the organization is persistently pursuing a line on the actual reduction of grain crops and the reduction of feed resources, in order to cause hunger in the country. In addition, VAVILOV organizes the fight against cotton growing, against grain export, disrupts the fight against drought, offers deliberately incorrect regionalization of agriculture, breaks up seed production, directing the organization's efforts to subordinate Soviet seed production to foreign dependence.
VAVILOV maintains very close, unofficial relations with foreign and white-emigrant groups. Particularly noteworthy is the connection of VAVILOV with the DEMONZY group - the current French Minister of Education, close to the French General Staff. Associated with counter-revolutionary circles in the USSR, the French intelligence officer MAZON close to DEMONZI, after returning from his trip to the USSR in the autumn of 1932, raised through the All-Union Society for Cultural Relations with Foreigners the question of inviting VAVILOV to France "to give a number of lectures."

In a second document - a letter dated March 27, 1935 to Stalin, written by Bondarenko and Klimov - in particular, charges were brought against Vavilov:

In the Presidium of the Academy, he manifests himself most energetically only when he defends the increase in staff and money for his institute. He is constantly in Leningrad and occasionally travels to Moscow for 1 day a month or even more for the affairs of the Academy of Sciences. Always prefers, having taken any foreigner (Harland or Meller), to leave for 6 months on a tour of the USSR completely uncontrollably. ^[fourteen]

Researchers of Vavilov’s biography recognized all statements from these documents as untrue ^{[4] [7] [15] [16]} .

In 1941, Bondarenko was shot. At the trial, he refused all his testimonies, including testimony against Vavilov ^{[4] [17]} .

Eight more people, including Muralov, Pisarev, Panshin, Karpechenko and Fleaksberger, “ subsequently abandoned their testimony as if fictitious ” ^[17] .

In 1940, Vavilov led a comprehensive scientific expedition to the western regions of Belarus and Ukraine . On August 6 of the same year, Vavilov was arrested during an expedition to Chernivtsi .

According to sources ^{[4] [5] [7] [18]} , the arrest warrant said “by promoting obviously hostile theories, Vavilov is fighting against the theories and works of Lysenko, which are crucial for the agriculture of the USSR”. About the " Labor Peasant Party ", the charge of the leadership of which Vavilov was brought during the investigation, was not mentioned.

According to the studies of historians ^{[4] [5] [7] [19]} , in the first days after his arrest, Vavilov categorically rejected all the charges against him.

The first document drawn up after Vavilov’s arrest was “Protocol of a personal search of N. I. Vavilov”, drawn up at the time of the arrest of a scientist by the local NKVD officer of the USSR, State Security Sergeant Bind A. M.

According to the protocol, during the search, the following were found and seized: passport , academic certificate , certificate of academician of agricultural sciences in the name of N. I. Vavilov; diary of a trip to Western Ukraine ; topographic map “Sniatin”, cassette of the Leika camera -1, official correspondence, residence permits in Lviv and Northern Bukovina , telegram to P. K. Shkvarnikov , Kancher E. S. autobiography, rubles, Romanian leu and other items . ^[twenty]

On August 10, the “Form of the arrested person” was compiled. According to this document, to the columns "Participation in the uprisings and gangs (when and where)" and "Adhered to anti-Soviet parties and organizations (Mensheviks, sir, anarchists, Trotskyists, rightists, nationalists, etc.) , where and when "the arrested Vavilov put down the answer " no " ^[21] .

After 2 days, a “receipt for the arrest of detainees” was compiled in the reception department for the arrested persons of the 10th department of the Main Directorate of State Security (GUGB), according to which the watch “Swiss Moser ” was received from Vavilov ^[22] . On the same day, the first interrogation of Vavilov followed.

Interrogations after arrest before indictment (August 12–16, 1940)

The first interrogation of Vavilov as an accused in case No. 1500, held on August 12, 1940, was conducted by Alexander Khvat, an assistant to the head of the investigative unit of the Main Economic Directorate of the NKVD.

The interrogation lasted from 13.30 to 18.20. The protocol included Vavilov's personal data reported by the academician and answers to the investigator's questions. ^[24] .

The next interrogation began at night, 0.20, on August 13. This time, investigator Khvat asked questions regarding the work of Vavilov as head of the All-Union Institute of Plant Production .

The investigator told the interrogated: the investigation knows that Vavilov, "being hostile to the Soviet government, in order to conduct organized anti-Soviet work in the headed system of scientific institutions" , selected the staff of the institute "from among the old, counter-revolutionary specialists in agriculture . "

Vavilov did not admit the accusation, to which the investigator asked the question: “Of the VIR employees, were there those who were arrested by the NKVD?”

Vavilov answered in the affirmative and listed the arrested executives of VIR and its branches.

Were named: Pisarev V.E. , Sobolev S.L. , Kuleshov N.N. , Talanov V.V. , Postov M.G. , Levitsky G.A. , Chingo-Chingas K.M. , Sazanov V. I. , Maksimov N. A. , Lebedev A. D. , Krasnoselskaya-Maksimova T. A. , Doroshenko A. V. , Alekseev V. P. , Abolin R. I. , Aleksandrov A. B. , Lapin A. K. , Grossman M. Yu.

The investigator asked: “Above, you showed that, politically, the personnel you selected from VIR were completely loyal to the Soviet regime. However, you cannot deny the fact that a significant number of them were repressed by the NKVD. What can you say about this? ”

Vavilov replied: “Indeed, a number of people from VIR’s employees were repressed. If such persons ended up in VIR, then this can be attributed to the dulling of my political vigilance as the director of VIR. For my part, there was no malicious intent in this matter. ”The interrogation was interrupted at 3.30 a.m. and resumed at 14.30 a.m. and ended at 5.40 p.m. ^[25]

On the same day, August 13, 1940, the arrested Vavilov signed a document summarizing the cases of being abroad, which listed the scientist’s business trips and expeditions, starting with the first foreign trip from the Moscow Agricultural Institute, which began in 1913. ^[26]

The next day, August 14, another interrogation took place, in which the investigator wondered about Nikolai Vavilov’s foreign meetings with his father, who, in 1918, according to Vavilov, recorded in the protocol, “went abroad with the whites from Rostov.” Vavilov during interrogation confirmed that he had met with his father in 1927 in Berlin . ^[27]

On August 16, investigator Khvat prepared and announced to the arrested person a decision on bringing charges, which was approved by the head of the Investigative Department of the NKVD State Security Administration, Major of State Security Lev Shvartsman .

The decision noted: the arrested Vavilov “is sufficiently exposed to the fact that for several years he was the head of the counter-revolutionary organization, rallying the counter-revolutionary part of the intelligentsia to fight the Soviet regime. As an agent of foreign intelligence, he conducted active espionage and sabotage and sabotage work to undermine the economic and defense power of the USSR. "He stood on the positions of the restoration of capitalism and the defeat of the USSR in the war with the capitalist countries . "

Taking into account this conclusion, the investigator decided: “Guided by Art. Art. 128 and 129 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the RSFSR, involve VAVILOV Nikolay Ivanovich as the accused under Article.Article. 58 p. 1a, 58 p. 7, 58 p. 9, 58 p. 11 of the Criminal Code, about which to declare the accused against receipt in this decision. A copy of the decision, in accordance with Art. 146 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the RSFSR, sent to the Prosecutor. ” ^[28]

Interrogations after indictment before September 7, 1940

After being charged, interrogations were conducted on August 21, 22, 24, 27-28, 28-29, 30-31 August, and also on September 6-7.

In these interrogations, Vavilov was asked questions regarding his activities. On August 21, investigator Khvat recorded a response in which Vavilov listed the countries in which he was.

On August 22, Vavilov testified about a number of persons who were interested in the investigation. In particular, Vavilov reported on his relations with such persons as: Shapovalov M.O. , Emme E.K. , Alexandrov V.G. , Aleksandrov A. B. , Pangalo K.I. , Margolin L.S. , Muralov A.I. , Meister G.K. , Doyarenko A.G. , Tulaykov N.M. , Alekseev V.P. , Vakar B.A. , Wiener V.V. , Lisitsyn P.I. , Lapin A . K.

During interrogation on August 24, Vavilov pleaded “guilty of having been a member of the anti-Soviet right-wing organization that existed in the USSR People’s Commissariat system since 1930” .

At the same time, Vavilov denied involvement in espionage work: “I do not plead guilty to espionage work .”

On the question of the investigator with whom Vavilov was “associated with anti-Soviet work” , the names of the former People’s Commissars of Agriculture of the USSR — Yakovlev Y. A. , Chernov M. A. , Eikhe R. I. — were included in the protocol in accordance with the arrested’s answer , Deputy People's Commissars - Muralova A.I., Gaister A.I. , High-ranking employees of the Moscow Agricultural Academy - Gorbunov N.P. , Wolf M.M. , Tulaykova N.M. , Meister G.K. , Margolin L. S. , Muralova A.I. , Khodorovsky I.I.

The following testimonies of Vavilov are recorded in the protocol: “The enemy work that I personally carried out consisted mainly of the following: separation of scientific work from practical work on the reconstruction of agriculture, ignoring the development of experimental work in the regions, incorrect zoning of a number of crops (corn, cotton, etc.), disruption of the organization of proper crop rotation, etc. I ask you to give me the opportunity to recall all the facts of the enemy work that I and my partners are aware of, and at the next interrogations I described in detail revive their investigation. ”

During the interrogation from August 27-28, Vavilov testified that he was engaged in wrecking on the instructions of the former USSR People’s Commissar for Agriculture, Y. A. Yakovlev , who was arrested and shot shortly before ^[29] . So, to the question about the “circumstances” under which, according to the investigation, Vavilov was recruited into the “anti-Soviet organization of the right, which existed in the USSR People’s Commissariat”, the protocol recorded Vavilov’s answer:

In the anti-Soviet organization of the right, I was recruited by the former People's Commissariat of the USSR YAKOVLEV Yakov Arkadevich in 1930. The recruitment process took place by me directly from YAKOVLEV, as well as from him through GAISTER Aron Izrailevich - ex. the vice president of the agricultural academy and WOLF, Moses Mikhailovich, the second vice president of the S. X. academy, are clearly wrecking tasks that I performed at the S. X. academy and at the Institute of Plant Growing.

Vavilov’s explanations on the “anti-Soviet convictions” of the scientist are immediately recorded:

Being a native of a bourgeois family and having received training in a bourgeois scientific environment while studying abroad, I was largely an exponent of bourgeois ideology and was guided by the principle of developing an individual economy, in contrast to the line in our country - to develop agriculture based on collectivization. This was one of the reasons that prompted me to take the path of opposing collective forms of agriculture and found its practical expression in the anti-Soviet organization of which I was a member.

To the question “What kind of anti-Soviet work did you conspire with the above-mentioned persons?” The defendant’s response was recorded:

In the field of the organization of science, this was expressed, first of all, in the overdevelopment of sectoral institutions and their centralization, while ignoring experimental work in regions, territories and republics.
In the field of crop production, this resulted in ignoring the introduction of proper crop rotation, as the main measure for weed control and restoration of soil fertility, in over-inflating labor-intensive crops like corn, sunflower, and others, without taking into account the availability of sufficient labor and appropriate mechanization, in ignoring feed development.

This interrogation was one of the longest: it was started on August 28 at 12.20 p.m., interrupted at 17.20 p.m., resumed at 21 p.m., and completed at 3.10 a.m. on 29 August .

The interrogation protocol of August 28-29 shows: excerpts from the testimony of the previously arrested Meister G.K. , Tulaykov N.M. and Muralov A.I were announced to the accused. According to the investigator, Meister G. K. testified that he knew about “ Vavilov’s “ past membership in the “TKP” .

The investigator cited testimonies of M. Tulaykov: “After the failure of the“ Labor Peasant Party ”in 1930 and the arrest of its leaders, the main foreign ties of the“ TKP ”went on to organize the right. After that, they were carried out mainly by academician VAVILOV, who in 1930 became part of the organization of the right and was the main, connecting link between it and the surviving remnants of the “Labor Peasant Party”. ... VAVILOV carried out his counter-revolutionary anti-Soviet activities to establish relations with foreign emigre circles under the direct leadership of the right, in particular, Bukharin himself . ”

The interrogation on August 30-31 was conducted by two investigators. In addition to investigator A.G. Khvat, the interrogation protocol was also signed by the senior investigator of the investigative department of the State Political Administration of the NKVD of the USSR, senior lieutenant of state security S.I. Albogachiev (later, during the war years until 1943 - the head of the NKVD of the Chechen-Ingush Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic). According to this protocol of interrogation, Vavilov answered: “Organizationally, I was not a member of the TKP, but I met with many of its participants from 1921 to 1929.” He also named a number of Soviet scientists who were allegedly members of the “Peasant Labor”. party ”(TKP).

Question: What are the people who were known to you as members of the so-called. "Labor Peasant Party"?
Answer: As far back as the twenties, I was aware that the TKP was formed by Alexander Chayanov . Of its active members, I knew: LEVITSKY Alexander Pavlovich , Alexei Grigoryevich Doyarenko , the most counter-revolutionary-minded; CHAYANOV Sokrat Konstantinovich ; KUDRYAVTSEV Nikolay (I do not remember the middle name); TULAYKOV Sergey Maksimovich - former. Director of the Bezenchuk station. Later, approximately in 1930, I learned about the entry into the TKP of professors: TALANOV Viktor Viktorovich , PISAREV Victor Evgrafovich , SAZANOV Viktor Ivanovich , RENAR Gustav Gustavovich and VITMAR. ^[thirty]

- Protocol on interrogation of the arrested Vavilov Nikolai Ivanovich from August 30–31, 1940

In the same document, a list of persons named by the accused as participants in the “organization of the right” was recorded: Tulaykov S. M. , Meister G. K. , Bondarenko A. S. , Wolf M. M. , Muralov A. I. , Talanov, V.V. , Pisarev V.E. , Kuleshov N.N. , Sazanov V.I. , Bordakov L.P. , Pereverzev N.S. , Zvorykin P.P. , Panshin B.A. , Artemov P. K. , Solyakov P.A.

According to a number of sources ^{[4] [31] [32]} , Vavilov gave these testimonies only after torture him:

Vavilov was brought to a state of insanity, when from sleepless nights, from constant humiliation and threats, any person lost not only self-control, but agreed to admit to anything, just to leave alive from the investigator’s office.

- Valery Soifer (2002), “Power and Science. Communist rout of genetics in the USSR ”, p. 524

Interrogation on September 6-7 was also carried out by two investigators. Vavilov testified on the questions of "wrecking work in the implementation of anti-Soviet organizations of the right," practically taken measures "in the implementation of these installations."

The academician listed the regional experimental field stations that he allegedly abolished in the process of "wrecking work." This interrogation was the last in 1940 .

Documents and “Procedural Actions” after September 11, 1940

September 11, Vavilov signed a document in the archive with the title "Wrecking in the system of the Institute of Plant Production". This document lists the “most important types and forms of sabotage at the Plant Growing Institute,” allegedly produced by Vavilov during his leadership of the institute.

Among the "types and forms of sabotage" are listed :

“The separation of the themes of central laboratories from the urgent tasks of the socialist reconstruction of agriculture,”

“Wrecking in providing the selection network of experimental stations of the Union with valuable source varietal seed material”,

“Pest delay in breeding valuable varietal material”,

“Pest underestimation of the breeding and seed-growing importance of local ancient Soviet varieties”,

“Wrecking in the slow pace of practical selection”

"Pest in the field of zoning of crops and varieties."

Vavilov’s testimonies about his work, about the organization of agricultural science, about plant growing activities of the first and second five-year plans, were presented by the deputy head of the agricultural department of the Central Committee of the CPSU (b) Gritsenko. He familiarized himself with the testimonies and stated: “in accordance with the data available to the agricultural department of the Central Committee, the facts indicated by Vavilov about the direction of wrecking in agriculture actually took place.” ^[33]

Searches at Vavilov's workplace began.

On September 21, during a search in VIR, two folders with Vavilov’s personal correspondence were seized (one of them on 155 sheets, the other on 166 sheets). At the same time, it was specifically noted in the search protocol that during the “inspection of the secretariat 19

September 1940, these folders were not found. "

From September 1940 to March 1941, no interrogations were carried out; Vavilov was kept in the NKVD Internal Prison.

Investigator Khvat twice requested an extension of the investigation and the detention of the accused Vavilov.

It is noteworthy that on March 21, 1941, a statement was prepared to the investigative unit of the NKVD from the convict P.M. Lobov (see the tab to this section) .

The outbreak of war did not diminish the zeal of investigators. Between June 22 and 29, Khvat presented Vavilov with such an absurd accusation: as if he “spoiled the landing sites of the Leningrad Military District, sowing airfields with seeds infected with a quarantine weed” ^[4] .

At the end of June 1941, the investigation requested a characterization of Vavilov as a scientist ^{[4] [35]} . The characteristic was to be written by an expert commission of specialists approved by Trofim Lysenko.

According to the biographers of Vavilov, this commission could not give an objective description of the academician - only the opponents of the arrested scientist were included in the list.

V.S. Chuenkov - Deputy People's Commissar of Agriculture, V.P. Mosolov - Vice President of the Agricultural Academy, I.V. Yakushkin - Academician of the Agricultural Academy, A.P. Vodkov - Deputy Head of the General Directorate of the People's Commissariat of Agriculture, and A.K. Zubarev - Scientific Secretary Crop Production Section of the Agricultural Academy ^{[4] [35] [36] [37]} .

Based on this information, many sources conclude that Lysenko was directly involved in the case of Vavilov and his fate ^{[4] [35] [36] [37]} . In particular, Valery Soifer writes the following: “The history of the massacre of the Vavilov school leaves no doubt about Lysenko’s involvement in this shameful event in the life of the USSR. His role in the death of Vavilov, Karpechenko and other geneticists and cytologists is obvious ... " ^[38]

On June 29, the NKGB investigator, State Security Lieutenant Koshelev, as agreed with investigator Khvat, guided by Art. 69 of the Code of Criminal Procedure of the RSFSR , prepared a decree on the fate of items seized during the arrest of Vavilov . In accordance with the decree, they destroyed "as having no value":

Vavilov’s draft materials on trips abroad to Abyssinia , the USA , England , Japan and other countries (in only 92 folders)

different photos - 114 pcs.

newspaper clippings and newspapers, business cards , books, brochures and magazines

diplomas, maps, atlas

personal and official correspondence in 9 folders

Vavilov's manuscripts in Russian and foreign languages ​​(8 folders)

Kerensky's photo

books of N. I. Bukharin, the book of P. A. Kropotkin "Notes of the revolutionary."

In the All-Union Agricultural Academy. Lenin was given books in foreign languages ​​(13 pcs.), Kryukov’s book Slavic Lands, AD Maximov’s brochure “Record Potato Harvests”, and Stebut ’s book “Fundamentals of Field Culture”. Rifle ammunition and an old flintlock pistol with white metal trim were handed over to the NKGB commandant’s office. ^[39]

The investigation against Vavilov lasted 11 months. ^[40] According to Vavilov, during the investigation he was summoned for questioning 400 times, the total interrogation time was 1700 hours ^{[40] [41]} . Most of Vavilov’s biographers believe that he was subjected to physical torture during interrogations ^{[40] [42]} .

Judging by the protocols, Vavilova was charged with the leadership of the “ Labor Peasant Party ” ^[40] , whose real existence is denied by most modern historians ^{[4] [43] [44] [45] [46] [47]} .

По мнению биографов Вавилова, поводом для этого послужило то, что Вавилов ходатайствовал за арестованных по «Делу Трудовой крестьянской партии», среди которых были известные агрономы и учёные ^[44] . Согласно исследованиям историков, по делу Вавилова было привлечено множество сфабрикованных документов, и всё дело было полностью сфабриковано ^{[4] [45] [47] [48] [49]} .

Обвинительное заключение и окончание следствия

5 июня 1941 года первый замнаркома госбезопасности СССР И. Серов утвердил обвинительное заключение , подготовленное Хватом и согласованое с замначальника следственной части НКГБ майором госбезопасности Л. Шварцманом и начальником следственной части НКГБ П. Е. Влодзимирским.

В обвинительном заключении утверждается ^[50] :

«Большую вредительскую работу ВАВИЛОВ провел в руководимом им Всесоюзном Институте растениеводства:
1. Значительное количество семенных материалов разных сортов и культур, приобретенные в странах Западной Европы и Америке, было доведено до потери всхожести .
В результате задержки репродукции погибли сотни ценных образцов семян, приобретенных за границей на золотую валюту и был нарушен правильный сортообмен соответствующих культур.
2. Большой сортовой материал по кормовым травам , собранный в СССР и за границей, своевременно размножен не был и вследствие вредительского отношения к этому делу в значительной мере потерял всхожесть.
3. Ценный новый сортовой материал по хлопчатнику был смешан, а также была смешана и загублена часть сортов семенных плодовых деревьев, вывозимых из Западной Европы. Разбазарен сортовой материал по цветочным культурам, приобретенным в Европе и Америке.
4. Будучи директором ВИР'а ВАВИЛОВ игнорировал практически ценные местные советские сорта по ряду культур, которые, как правило, до 1938 года не включались в конкурсные сортовые испытания, несмотря на их большую практическую ценность.
5. ВАВИЛОВЫМ в массовом масштабе в нечерноземную полосу Европейской части СССР продвигалась яровая пшеница , сорт „ Цезиум III “, несмотря на её большую поражаемость пыльной головней.
6. Умышленно задерживал культивирование хлопчатника в районах Украины и Северного Кавказа и продвижение ценных сортов египетского хлопчатника в Азербайджан и южные районы Средней Азии.
(т. 1 л. д. 220—223; т. 2 л. д. 65-69; т. З л. д. 30, 103, 104, 105, 160, 162, 163; 180, 181, 182, 187, 188).»

В документе утверждается, что Вавилов «признал себя виновным в связях с 1925 г. с участниками к. р. организации „Трудовая Крестьянская Партия“, а также в принадлежности с 1930 г. к антисоветской организации правых и проведении вредительской работы в сельском хозяйстве СССР. В шпионаже виновным не признал.»

Документ зафиксировал:

«Во вражеской работе ВАВИЛОВ изобличается показаниями: МУРАЛОВА А. И. , ДОМРАЧЕВА Д. В., МАРГОЛИНА Л. С. , ЧАЯНОВА С. К. , ВАРЕЙКИСА И. М. , МЕЙСТЕР Г. К. , ТУЛАЙКОВА Н. М. , ГАЙСТЕРА А. И. , АБДУЛОВА Н. П., ЗАМОТАЕВА И. И., САВИЧ В. М., СИЗОВА П. В., БОРДАКОВА Л. П. ДАВИД Р. Э., СОЛЯКОВА П. А., БАЙДИНА А. И., КУЛЕШОВА Н. Н., ПИСАРЕВА В. Е., ТРИФОНОВА В. А., АЛЕКСАНДРОВА А. Б., ПЕРЕВЕРЗЕВА Н. С., АРТЕМОВА П. К., ЛАПИНА А. К., КЛЕЙМЕНОВА П. Д., ТАЛАНОВА В. В., ГАНДЕЛЬСМАНА Ф. Е., ТЮНТИНА К. А., ТЕЙТЕЛЬ А. В., НАУМОВА Н. Г., МУРАВИНА Б. Е., КОЛЬ А. К., УШАКОВОЙ А. П., КОТЛЯРЕВСКОГО С. А., КУЗНЕЦОВА И. В., ГОРЕЦКОГО Г. И. (осуждены), показаниями ПАНШИНА Б. А. , БОНДАРЕНКО А. С., ГОВОРОВА Л. И. , КАРПЕЧЕНКО Г. Д. , ЗАПОРОЖЕЦ А. К., очными ставками с 5-ю последними. Показаниями свидетелей: СИДОРОВА Ф. Ф., ЗИХЕРМАН Х. Я. , ИОРДАНОВОЙ И. К., БЕЛИЛОВОЙ X.З.-Ш. Материалами НКГБ и документами. (т.3).»

На основании изложенного в обвинительном заключении Вавилову были предъявлены следующие обвинения:

«1. С 1925 г. являлся одним из руководителей к.р. организации „Трудовая Крестьянская партия“, а с 1930 г. — активным участником антисоветской организации правых в системе Наркомзема СССР.
2. Занимался шпионажем в пользу иностранных разведок и имел антисоветскую связь с заграничными белоэмигрантскими кругами.
3. Проводил диверсионно-вредительскую работу, направленную на подрыв колхозного строя и ослабление социалистического земледелия в СССР, то есть в преступлениях, предусмотренных ст. Art. 58-1 „а“ 58-7, 58 п. 9 и 59-11 УК РСФСР.»

Данный документ зафиксировал окончание следствия по делу № 1500 по обвинению Вавилова и то, что дело подлежит направлению в Прокуратуру СССР .

В протоколе об окончании следствия, подписанном Вавиловым, от 6 июня Хват зафиксировал дополнения обвиняемого ^[51] : «Обвиняемый Вавилов Н. И., ознакомившись с материалами следственного дела, заявил, что он ознакомлен с тремя томами его следственного дела (т.1 — 443 листа, т.2 — 340 листов и т.3 — 430 листов), свои показания, данные на следствии, подтверждает и заявляет, что с Бухариным, кроме поездки совместной в Англию в 1931 году на конгресс по истории науки и техники, никаких политических связей и даже встреч не имел. Также неверны в этой части показания Тулайкова. Отрицаю показания Авдулова Н. П. и Савича о моей шпионской работе. Кузнецова И. В. и Ушакову, показавших о моей шпионской работе, — я совершенно не знаю.»

1. Протокол подготовительного заседания Военной Коллегии Верховного Суда Союза ССР. 8 июля 1941
2. Протокол закрытого судебного заседания Военной Коллегии Верховного Суда Союза ССР. 9 июля 1941
3. Приговор. 9 июля 1941

9 июля 1941 года состоялось заседание Военной коллегии Верховного суда СССР , на котором рассматривалось дело в отношении Вавилова. По данным источников ^{[4] [53]} , это заседание продолжалось всего несколько минут, что было достаточно распространёно в условиях военной обстановки . На суде присутствовали лишь обвиняемый и трое военных судей ; ^[54] свидетели и защита отсутствовали. ^{[4] [53]}

Согласно протоколу заседания суда, Вавилов дал на судебном заседании следующие показания: ^[54]

Предъявленные обвинения мне понятны, виновным признаю себя в том, что я до 1930 г. являлся участником к/р организации «Трудовая Крестьянская Партия», которая возглавлялась Яковлевым. Обвинение в шпионской деятельности я категорически отвергаю. Была у меня связь с эмигрантами чисто научного порядка. По отдельным вопросам политики ВКП(б) я имел а/с взгляды и популяризировал их. Свои показания на предварительном следствии, за исключением шпионской деятельности, я подтверждаю полностью. Как участники террорганизации мне известны: Бондаренко, Карпеченко, Говоров, Запорожец и Паншин. С Бухариным я встретился в 1931 г на конгрессе в Англии. Организация, участником которой являлся я, создавала преимущество кулацким хозяйствам и игнорировала середняцкие и бедняцкие хозяйства. Будучи директором Всесоюзного ин-та растениеводства, я подбирал себе на работу таких лиц, которых я знал, как а/с настроенных.

9 июля 1941 года Военная коллегия Верховного Суда СССР приговорила Вавилова к расстрелу по статьям 58-1а, 58-7, 58-9, 58-11 УК РСФСР . ^[55]

По приговору Вавилов был признан виновным в том, что он в 1925 году являлся одним из руководителей антисоветской организации, именовавшейся «Трудовая крестьянская партия». С 1930 года являлся активным участником антисоветской организации правых, действовавшей в системе наркомзема СССР; Вавилов, используя служебное положение Президента сельскохозяйственной Академии, директора института Растениеводства, директора института Генетики и наконец вице-президента сельскохозяйственной академии наук им. Ленина и члена Академии наук СССР. В интересах антисоветской организации проводил широкую вредительскую деятельность, направленную на подрыв и ликвидацию колхозного строя и на развал и упадок социалистического земледелия в СССР. Преследуя антисоветские цели, Вавилов поддерживал связи с заграничными белоэмигрантами, передавал им сведения «являющиеся государственной тайной Советского Союза». ^[40]

1. Н. И. Вавилов. В Президиум Верховного Совета СССР. 9 июля 1941

9 июля 1941 года Вавилов обратился с ходатайством в Президиум Верховного Совета СССР о помиловании . ^[56] 26 июля 1941 это ходатайство было отклонено. ^[57]

1. Выписка из протокола заседания Президиума Верховного Совета СССР. 26 июля 1941
2. Н. И. Вавилов — Л. П. Берия. Заявление. 8 августа 1941

15 октября 1941 года в связи с эвакуацией , проводившей в связи с подходом немецких оккупантов к Москве, Вавилов был этапирован в тюрьму № 1 Саратова , где находился с 29 октября 1941 года по 26 января 1943 года. ^{[41] [58]}

В саратовской тюрьме Вавилов содержался сначала в карцере -одиночке. Затем его перевели в камеру, где сидели академик И. К. Луппол и инженер-лесотехник И. Ф. Филатов ^[42] .

Дважды Вавилов находился на лечении в тюремной больнице. Тяжёлые условия содержания в тюрьме (отсутствие прогулок, ларька, передач, мыла) подорвали здоровье Вавилова. ^[41]

1. Выписка из протокола № 137.

25 апреля 1942 года Вавилов из саратовской тюрьмы направил заявление на имя Л. П. Берии с просьбой о смягчении участи, предоставлении работы по специальности и разрешении общения с семьёй. ^[41] В заявлении Вавилов также категорически отвергал обвинения в измене Родине и шпионаже : ^{[4] [41] [59] [60]}

Как при подписании протокола следствия за день до суда, когда мне были представлены впервые материалы показаний по обвинению меня в измене родине и шпионаже<…>, так и на суде, продолжавшемся несколько минут, в условиях военной обстановки, мною было заявлено категорически о том, что это обвинение построено на небылицах, лживых фактах и клевете, ни в какой мере не подтвержденных следствием

13 июня 1942 года замглавы НКВД Всеволод Меркулов направил заявление на имя председателя Военной коллегии Верховного суда СССР Василия Ульриха , в котором ходатайствовал замене Вавилову высшей меры наказания заключением в исправительно-трудовые лагеря НКВД сроком на 20 лет, ввиду возможности использования Вавилова на работах, имеющих «серьёзное оборонное значение». ^[61]

23 июня 1942 года Президиум Верховного Совета СССР постановил заменить Вавилову высшую меру наказания 20 годами лишения свободы в исправительно-трудовых лагерях . ^[62]

Сын Николая Вавилова — Юрий — в интервью роль в помиловании отца отводит Берии: «Берия подписал приказ на арест отца и тот же Берия предотвратил его расстрел» . Юрий Вавилов сообщил: «Берия еще в Москве присылал своего представителя к отцу, и тот обещал предоставить ему работу по специальности» ^[63] .

1. П.Сыченко. Рапорт [о смерти Н. И. Вавилова]. 26 января 1943
2. УНКВД Саратовской обл. — НКВД СССР. 29 января 1943
3. Акт о смерти заключённого [Н. И. Вавилова].

Во время пребывания в саратовской тюрьме Вавилов получил воспаление лёгких и переболел дизентерией , которой он заразился во время эпидемии в 1942 году. ^{[42] [64]} В последний год своей жизни Н. И. Вавилов страдал дистрофией . Итогом всех болезней стал упадок сердечной деятельности , из-за которого наступила смерть.

Мною, врачом Степановой Н. Л., фельдшерицей Скрипиной М. Е., осмотрен труп заключенного Вавилова Николая Ивановича рожд. 1887 г., осужденного по ст. 58 на 20 лет, умершего в больнице тюрьмы № 1 г. Саратова 26 января 1943 года в 7 часов _ минут. Телосложение правильное, упитанность резко понижена, кожные покровы бледные, костно-мышечная система без изменений. По данным истории болезни, заключенный Вавилов Николай Иванович находился в больнице тюрьмы на излечении с 24 января 1943 года по поводу крупозного воспаления легких. Смерть наступила вследствие упадка сердечной деятельности.

— Акт о смерти заключенного, Дежурный врач Степанова, дежурная медсестра Скрипина, Государственный архив РФ. ^[65]

1. З. Ф. Резаева. Из акта судебно-медицинского вскрытия. 30 января 1943
2. З. Ф. Резаева. Заключение [суд. honey. экспертизы]
3. Выписка из журнала № 5 учета умерших заключенных тюрьмы № 1 г. Саратова.

20 августа 1955 года Военная коллегия Верховного суда СССР отменила судебный приговор от 9 июля 1941 и прекратила дело в отношении Вавилова за отсутствием состава преступления. ^[40] С Вавилова сняли абсолютно все обвинения ^[66] .

Военная коллегия Верховного суда СССР установила следующее: ^[40]

В качестве доказательства вины Вавилова, к его делу приобщены показания арестованных — Муралова, Марголина, Авдулова, Кулешова, Писарева, Паншина, Бондаренко, Карпеченко, Фляксбергера, Ушарова, Городецкого, Золотарева и др., данные ими на предварительном следствии (в суд же эти лица по делу Вавилова не вызывались). Проведённой дополнительной проверкой установлено, что первые девять человек из перечисленных лиц впоследствии от своих показаний отказались, как от вымышленных. Показания же остальных лиц неконкретны, противоречивы и крайне сомнительны. Так, например, Сизов и Гандельсман показали, что со слов Белицера, Циона и Тартаковского им известно о принадлежности Вавилова к контрреволюционной организации. Однако в процессе проверки эти показания Сизова и Гандельсмана не нашли своего подтверждения в материалах дела на Белицера, Циона и Тартаковского. Аналогичные показания и других лиц. <...>

В процессе проверки установлено, что предварительное следствие по делу Вавилова проведено с грубым нарушением норм УПК, необъективно и тенденциозно, что видно хотя бы из следующего: а) В деле Вавилова имеется ряд копий протоколов допросов, подлинники которых не обнаружены (протоколы допросов Чаянова, Трифонова,Сидорова, Иордановой и Зихерман). В деле Вавилова имеется копия выписки из протокола допроса Муралова от 7 августа 1940 г., тогда как Муралов был расстрелян по приговору суда еще в 1937 г. Этот факт свидетельствует о фальсификации следственных материалов <…>

The chairman of the expert commission, appointed by investigator Khvat, Yakushkin was arrested in 1930 as a member of the “Labor Peasant Party” and testified against Vavilov. The audit found that Yakushkin carried out a special task of the bodies of the OGPU-NKVD-MGB of the USSR and submitted a number of documents about Vavilov, so he could not be an expert in the Vavilov case. <...>

Another member of the expert commission, Zubarev, showed that the commission did not deal with the verification of Vavilov’s activities, and only signed a conclusion unknown to anyone written. <...>

From the materials of the audit it is clear that <...> the preliminary investigation in the Vavilov case was conducted by a former employee of the NKVD of the USSR Khvat, for whom the Special Inspectorate of the KGB under the USSR Council of Ministers contains materials as a falsifier of investigative cases.

Pisarev, Konstantinov, Vasiliev, Emme and others interrogated during the verification process, as well as academician Lysenko, characterized Vavilov positively as an outstanding scientist and spoke highly of his work.

Journalist and writer Peter Pringle , author of the book “The Murder of Nikolai Vavilov. The history of the Stalinist persecution of one of the greatest scientists of the XX century ” ^[67] , notes:

A 1955 report by the Chief Military Prosecutor of Major of Justice Kolesnikov read: "... the materials of the case against Vavilov were falsified." The report characterized investigator A. Khvat as a well-known “falsifier of investigative material”.

- Peter Pringle (2009). "The murder of Nikolai Vavilov. The story of Stalin's persecution of one of the twentieth century's greatest scientists", p. 300

The documents noted: “As can be seen from the materials of the case, Khvat during the investigation in this case grossly violated Soviet law and applied unlawful methods of investigation: he systematically and for a long time interrogated Vavilov at night, deprived him of sleep, physically exhausted the arrested person” ^[68] .

Details of the criminal case of Vavilov became available to the public only in the mid -1960s , although biographers failed to give them wide publicity in the media and print media. Materials about the last years of life began to appear only with the beginning of perestroika in the USSR. ^{[4] [69] [70]}

• The Case of the Labor Peasant Party
• All-Russian Institute of Plant Industry N. I. Vavilova
• Sabotage
• Scientific heritage of N. I. Vavilov
• Article 58 of the Criminal Code of the RSFSR

• The Case of N.I. Vavilov // www.ihst.ru
• Calvary. Archival materials about the last years of life of academician Vavilov (1940-1943) // Bulletin of the Russian Academy of Sciences , 1993, Volume 63, No. 9.
• Shadurenko G.V. Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov // bio.1september.ru
• Popovsky M. A. The Case of Academician Vavilov . - M .: Book, 1990 (1991). - 304 p. - 100,000 copies.