The fate and path of the scientific life: on the 110th anniversary of the birth of Yakov Stepanovich Nesterov
https://doi.org/10.30901/2658-3860-2025-2-o3
Abstract
March 23, 2025 marked the 110th anniversary of the birth of Yakov Stepanovich Nesterov, a prominent fruit scientist, Doctor of Agricultural Sciences, professor, corresponding member of the Academy of Agricultural Sciences, who devoted more than 50 years to national science. Over these years, he worked as the director of the Central Genetic Laboratory, Deputy Director of VIR for scientific work, Head of the Department of fruit, berry, subtropical crops and grapes. Nesterov published more than 270 scientific papers highlighting the results of studying the biology of dormancy, winter hardiness of fruit crops, biological characteristics of growing and breeding of seed crops. Under his leadership, VIR conducted a comprehensive study of the collection of apple genetic resources. Nesterov was a participant to many collecting missions in the USSR and to foreign countries. He was in the army during the Great Patriotic War. His services to the Motherland in the battlefields and science were highly appreciated by the Government of the Soviet Union. Over the years, he has been awarded the Orders of the Patriotic War I and II degrees, the Order of the Red Star, the Order of the Red Banner of Labor and various medals.
About the Authors
A V. ShlyavasRussian Federation
Anna V. Shlyavas, Junior Researcher, VIR
42, 44, Bolshaya Morskaya Street, St. Petersburg, 190000 Russia
K. M. Mezhina
Russian Federation
Ksenia M. Mezhina, Junior Researcher, VIR
42, 44, Bolshaya Morskaya Street, St. Petersburg, 190000 Russia
References
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3. Nesterov Ya.S. Biology of flowering and cross-pollination of the best apple varieties identified by the All-Union Institute of Plant Industry (Biologiya tsveteniya i vzaimoopylyayemost' luchshikh sortov yabloni, vydelennykh Vsesoyuznym institutom rasteniyevodstva). [dissertation]. Leningrad; 1951. [in Russian]
4. Nesterov Ya.S. Michurin apple varieties in Krasnodar region (Michurinskiye sorta yabloni v Krasnodarskom kraye). Sad i ogorod = Orchard and vegetable garden. 1952;11:21-23. [in Russian]
5. Nesterov Ya.S. Biology of growth and fruiting of Michurin apple varieties in the foothill zone of the North Caucasus (Biologiya rosta i plodonosheniya michurinskikh sortov yabloni v predgornoy zone Severnogo Kavkaza). Proceedings on Applied Botany, Genetics and Breeding. 1957;30(3):197-210). [in Russian]
6. Nesterov Ya.S. Biological characteristics and use in breeding of apple varieties in the conditions of the North Caucasus (Biologicheskiye osobennosti i ispol'zovaniye v selektsii sortov yabloni v usloviyakh Severnogo Kavkaza). [dissertation]. Michurinsk, 1962a. [in Russian]
7. Nesterov Ya.S. Biological compatibility of apple tree rootstock and scionwood (Biologicheskaya sovmestimost' podvoya i privoya yabloni). Vestnik sel'skokhozyaystvennoy nauki = Vestnik of the agricultural science. 1962b;1:125-129. [in Russian]
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9. Nesterov Ya.S. The best apple varieties selected for the southern regions of the USSR from the collection of the Maikop Experiment Station (Luchshiye sorta yabloni, vydelennyye dlya yuzhnykh rayonov SSSR iz kollektsii Maikopskoy opytnoy stantsii). Nauchnyye trudy Maykopskoy opytnoy stantsii = Scientific works of the Maikop Experiment Station. 1964;2:10-22. [in Russian]
10. Nesterov Ya.S. Results of experiments to accelerate the breeding process in fruit cultivation (Rezul'taty opytov po uskoreniyu selektsionnogo protsessa v plodovodstve). Works of the State Nikita Botanical Gardens. 1969;40:211-214. [in Russian]
11. Nesterov Ya.S. (ed.) The program and methodology of studying varieties of fruit and berry crops (Programma i metodika izucheniya sortov plodovykh i yagodnykh kul'tur). Michurinsk; 1970. [in Russian]
12. Nesterov Ya.S. Methodological recommendations on fruit and berry crops breeding in connection with their dormancy period (Metodicheskiye rekomendatsii po selektsii plodovykh i yagodnykh kul'tur v svyazi s periodom ikh pokoya). Tambov; 1971a. [in Russian]
13. Nesterov Ya.S. Results of studying pear varieties at the I.V. Michurin Central Genetic Laboratory (Rezul'taty izucheniya sortov grushi v TSGL im. I.V. Michurina). Trudy Tsentral'noy geneticheskoy laboratorii im. I.V. Michurina = Proceedings of the I.V. Michurin Central Genetic Laboratory. 1971b;12:81-92. [in Russian]
14. Nesterov Ya.S. (ed.) Methodology for determining winter hardiness and frost resistance in fruit and berry crops (Metodika opredeleniya zimostoykosti i morozostoykosti plodovykh i yagodnykh kul'tur). Michurinsk; 1972a. [in Russian]
15. Nesterov Ya.S. (ed.) Program and methodology of remote hybridization of fruit and berry crops (Programma i metodika otdalennoy gibridizatsii plodovykh i yagodnykh kul'tur). Michurinsk; 1972b. [in Russian]
16. Nesterov Ya.S. The role of the World collections in the development of native horticulture. Proceedings on Applied Botany, Genetics and Breeding. 1974;52(3):3-15. [in Russian]
17. Nesterov Ya.S. Catalogue of the VIR global collection. Issue 158. Apple varieties of the Nonchernozem zone and their use in production and breeding (Sorta yabloni Nechernozemnoy zony i ikh ispol'zovaniye v proizvodstve i selektsii). Leningrad: VIR; 1975a. [in Russian]
18. Nesterov Ya.S. Biological characteristics and prospects for using apple varieties of the spur type (Biologicheskiye osobennosti i perspektivy ispol'zovaniya sortov yabloni tipa spur). Research Bulletin of the N.I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry. 1975b;54:14-18. [in Russian]
19. Nesterov Ya.S. Introduction and variety trials with fruit and small fruit crops in Czechoslovakia. Proceedings on Applied Botany, Genetics and Breeding. 1975c;54(3):102-106. [in Russian]
20. Nesterov Ya.S. Methodological guidelines for the use of apple varieties in breeding in the Nonchernozem zone (Metodicheskiye ukazaniya po ispol'zovaniyu sortov yabloni v selektsii v usloviyakh Nechernozemnoy zony). Leningrad: VIR; 1975d [in Russian]
21. Nesterov Ya.S. Phenotypic variability of apple fruits depending on growing conditions (Fenotipicheskaya izmenchivost' plodov yabloni v zavisimosti ot usloviy proizrastaniya). Vestnik sel'skokhozyaystvennoy nauki = Vestnik of the agricultural science. 1975e;6:54-59. [in Russian]
22. Nesterov Ya.S., Mayorova V.I. Descriptors for the genus Malus Mill. (Klassifikator roda Malus Mill.). Leningrad: VIR; 1976 [in Russian]
23. Nesterov Ya.S. Catalogue of the VIR global collection. Issue 175. Common and promising apple varieties for production and breeding (Rasprostranennyye i perspektivnyye dlya proizvodstva i selektsii sorta yabloni). Leningrad: VIR; 1976a. [in Russian]
24. Nesterov Ya.S. The life activity of apple throughout a year as affected by growing conditions. Proceedings on Applied Botany, Genetics and Breeding. 1976b;57(1):3-17. [in Russian]
25. Nesterov Ya.S., Lukʼyanenko A.N. New addition to the VIR global collection (Novoye popolneniye mirovoy kollektsii VIR). Research Bulletin of the N.I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry. 1977;67:83-84. [in Russian]
26. Nesterov Ya.S., Berezhnoy P.P., Dikiy S.P., Barsukov A.D. New addition to the collection from Portugal (Novoye popolneniye kollektsii iz Portugalii). Research Bulletin of the N.I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry. 1977;71:75-76. [in Russian]
27. Nesterov Ya.S., Lukʼyanenko A.N. Plant industry in Denmark. Proceedings on Applied Botany, Genetics and Breeding. 1978;61(2):63-70. [in Russian]
28. Nesterov Ya.S., Krasheninnik N.V. The plant resources of Belgium. Proceedings on Applied Botany, Genetics and Breeding. 1978;61(2):71-78. [in Russian]
29. Nesterov Ya.S., Lukʼyanenko A.N., Strekopytov G.M. Varieties, hybrids and wild species introduced from Sweden (Sorta, gibridy i dikorastushchiye vidy, introdutsirovannyye iz Shvetsii). Proceedings on Applied Botany, Genetics and Breeding. 1978a;62(2):145-147. [in Russian]
30. Nesterov Ya.S., Lukʼyanenko A.N., Strekopytov G.M. New addition to the collection from Finland (Novoye popolneniye kollektsii iz Finlyandii). Proceedings on Applied Botany, Genetics and Breeding. 1978b;62(2):147-149. [in Russian]
31. Nesterov Ya.S. Introduction and using apple varieties of the spur type for crop production and in breeding. Proceedings on Applied Botany, Genetics and Breeding. 1978a;62(3):36-40. [in Russian]
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35. Nesterov Ya.S. Grapes, citrus and subtropicals crops of Portugal. Proceedings on Applied Botany, Genetics and Breeding. 1980b;68(2):131-137. [in Russian]
36. Nesterov Ya.S., Tikhonov O.I., Koshkin V.A. New addition to the VIR collection from Colombia (Novoye popolneniye kollektsii VIR iz Kolumbii). Research Bulletin of the N.I. Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry. 1981;113:55-59. [in Russian]
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44. Nesterov Ya.S., Shipota S.E. Leaf area and chlorophyll contents in apple varieties of the spur type. Proceedings on Applied Botany, Genetics and Breeding. 1988;121:41-45. [in Russian]
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For citations:
Shlyavas A.V., Mezhina K.M. The fate and path of the scientific life: on the 110th anniversary of the birth of Yakov Stepanovich Nesterov. Vavilovia. https://doi.org/10.30901/2658-3860-2025-2-o3
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