Sinclair McKay

Seeds of hope in the siege of Leningrad

A Russian biologist’s dream of creating the world’s first seed bank is thwarted by Stalin’s paranoia and the Nazi invasion. But the pioneering project remains a potent symbol of hope

Nikolai Vavilov. [Alamy]

  • The Forbidden Garden of Leningrad: A True Story of Science and Sacrifice in a City Under Siege

    Simon Parkin

    Sceptre, pp. 384, £25

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