Ivan Semenovich
Shatilov
1917-2007
Ivan Semenovich Shatilov was an outstanding Soviet Russian naturalist, a prominent scientist in the field of biology and technology of cultivation of agricultural crops, the head of the Department of Plant Growing of Timiryazev Agricultural Academy (TLCA) (today it is Russian State Agrarian University – M.K. Timeryazev Agricultural Academy). He was born on January 19, 1917 in the village of Makhrovka, now it is the Borisoglebsky district of the Voronezh region in a peasant family. In 1938 he graduated from Uryupinsk Agricultural College. In the same year, 1938, he entered the agronomy faculty of Timiryazev Agricultural Academy (TLCA). He did not have time to graduate from the Academy because of the outbreak of the Great Patriotic War. From June 30, 1941 he participated in the construction of defensive structures near Yelnya. He fought as a part of an anti-tank fighter battalion, then he served as a mortar man. He fought near Smolensk, on the Kalinin Front, participated in the defence of Moscow. He showed fearlessness and heroism. He was one of the first to rush to the banner of the Fascist regiment, the first to break into the headquarters of the German division, seized valuable documents. In January 1943, I.S. Shatilov was recalled from the front to continue his studies at the Academy. In 1944, after graduating from the Academy with honors, he was enrolled in postgraduate studies at the Department of Plant Growing. In 1947, he successfully defended his dissertation for the degree of Candidate of Agricultural Sciences on the topic “Comparison of field grass mixtures”. Since that time, he was involved in pedagogical and scientific work. He was the head of research to study the consumption of mineral nutrition elements and photosynthetic activity of plants during vegetation in various field crops. In the course of these studies, the main physiological parameters of plant development in crops in dynamics and their role in the formation of a high yield were established. I.S. Shatilov had a great merit in the creation of a memorial to the soldiers of the Great Patriotic War – the staff of the TLC. In 1999, the International Biographical Centre in Cambridge included I.S. Shatilov among 130 outstanding researchers of the world. He was the author of more than 400 scientific papers. He was awarded 3 Orders of Lenin, Orders of the October Revolution, the Patriotic War of the 2nd degree, 2 Orders of the Red Banner of Labor, the Russian Order “For Services to the Fatherland” of the III degree, medals, the badge “Excellent Student of Socialist Agriculture”, foreign orders “For Services to the Fatherland” (GDR), Cyril and Methodius 1-1st degree (Bulgaria), medals of the Mongolian People’s Republic, S.I. Vavilov Medal.
Address: Moscow, Larch alley, 3
