Nikolai I. Vavilov (1887-1943) - famous Russian applied botanist, well known on his concepts 
in  sphere of evolutionary genetics (Low of Homologous Series in Variation - 1920, and Theory of the Centers of Origin of Cultivated Plants - 1926). All around the world N.I. Vavilov has gained respect - 
he was elected member of  many academies of sciences and various foreign scientific societies. But . . . 

"Vavilov, the simbol of glory of the national sciences, is at the same thime the simbol of its tragedy.  As early as beginning of the 1930's his scientific programs were being deprived of governmental  support. In the significant atmosphere of a totalitarian state, the institute 
headed by Vavilov turned  into a resistance point to the pseudo-scientific concepts of Trofim 
D. Lysenco. As a result of this  controversy, Vavilov was arrested in August 1940. He died 
in Saratov prison on January 26, 1943."-  (T.K. Lassan & S.V. Shuvalov, 1994)*

 * More about at: 
    http//www.dainet.de/genres/vir/vavilov.htm
    http://gnome.agrenv.mcgill.ca/breeding/vavilov.htm 
    http://soundprint.org/~soundprint/more_info/vavilovs_ghost.html                                             NEXT
 

Persecution of scientist was a common practice in communistic Yugoslavia also. Procedure was always the same: insignificant scientist, using political support persecute and destroy distinguished, concurrent - 
well known scientist. 
Prof.dr. Ivo Podhorsky in his E-mail support massage to Minister Kostović remember us at that 
period of state totalitarism:

Dr. Ivica Kostović, Minister

Die Gedanken sind frei, wer kann sie erraten? 
Sie fliehen vorbei wie naechtliche Schatten. 
Kein Mensch kann sie wissen, kein Jaeger erschiessen. 
Es bleibet dabei: die Gedanken sind frei!

Excellency, 
As a sign of support to professors Jost, Gazarek and Mestric, I am sending this small, several hundreds 
years old poem. The professors are still waiting occurrence of low-abiding state of Croatia. As a man 
whose father was suspended from University by big rulers Bakarić and Żanko in 1952, I can very well imagine how they and their children feel. At present, the only "improvement" is in fact that the act of destroying person is performed, not by Minister or Party high officials, but by anonymous falsificators and incompetent people within University. The dignity of professors is really "improved"!

Cordially,
Prof.dr. Ivo Podhorsky
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The list of exiled university professors of that time is large. For example, we could mentioned some the most significant cases from field of agronomy:

Dr. Ivan Šmaljcelj, university professor
Dr. Marko Mohaček, university professor
Dr. Mihovil Gračanin, university professor
Dr. Mirko Korić, university professor
Dr. Vjenceslav Pavlek, university professor 
etc.