Khudoyor Yusufbekov

Khudoyor Yusufbekovich Yusufbekov was born on December 10, 1928 in Pish, a village in Darmorakht subdistrict of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region (GBAO) in the Tajik ASSR, USSR in the family of a kolkhoz member-gardener. He was 10 years old when his mother passed away. After finishing the seventh grade school in his village, he worked as a kolkhoz farmer and as a laborer in the construction of a road (1945—1946). In 1949, he graduated the Kirov secondary school in Khorog, and in 1949—1954, he studied in Tajik Agricultural Institute.[c. 1][1][2][8][11] Starting from 1954, he began his scientific activities in the Pamir Botanical Garden, where he worked under the supervision of Anatoly Gursky and did research on consolidation and developing of sand and pebble massifs in Ishkashim District, as well as work over developing the collections and production nurseries in the Pamir Botanical Garden. In 1956, Khudoyor Yusufbekov performed his first experiments on the meadow formation of the desert pastures on the West Pamir.[2][3][6][10][11][12][13]

In 1957 he began his full-time post-graduate study at the Institute of Botany of the Academy of Sciences of Tajik SSR in the city of Dushanbe under the supervision of professor Ivan Tsatsenkin (Moscow, the Williams All-Union Institute of Fodder) and pursued further his research on meadow formation of the mountainous deserted lands (slopes) in the Western Pamirs. After his graduation from the institute, he continued to work therein as a junior scientific worker. While working on further investigations of the Pamirs, he started the first experiments of improving the pastures in the central parts of Tajikistan (Kondara and Rangontay). During these years, Khudoyor Yusufbekov formulated and experimentally proved methods of creating highly productive forage lands by means of different types of irrigation systems for sowing grasses without disturbance of natural vegetation. The results of such investigations and tests introduced into the kolkhoz farm production of the Shughnan and Ishkashim districts of the GBAO in large areas were the basis of the master's thesis defended by him in 1961.[2][6][11][13]

In 1962—1969, he was the director of the Pamir Biological Station of the Academy of Sciences of Tajik SSR, in the location of Chechekty (3860 meters above sea level) near Murghab — East Pamir,[c. 2][1] at the same time in 1965, he was elected the Chairman of the Bureau of the Pamir Base of the Academy of Sciences of Tajik SSR.[3][11][8]

During the working period at the biostation, he launched experimental work on improvement of pastures and hayfields in all areas of the GBAO, as well as the Alay Valley of the Kirghiz SSR.[3] Under his leadership at the Pamir Biostation in 1964, three laboratories were created:

• physiology and biochemistry of plants;
• introduction of plants;
• experimental geobotany.

The scientific research activity of the biostation (the beginning of manifestation of the scientific and organizational abilities of Khudoyor Yusufbekov) acquired a complex character. Here, along with the problems of ecological physiology and biochemistry of plants initiated by Professor Oleg Zalensky, further studies were carried out on experimental geobotanics, phyto-amelioration, soil studies, microorganisms, climatology, and the issues of crop cultivation in the Eastern Pamirs.

During the years of his work, the number of employees and the volume of scientific research significantly increased, which had a positive effect on the activities of the biostation. The traditions of the biostation laid by Pavel Baranov, Ilariya Raikova,[c. 3] Oleg Zalensky and Kirill Stanyukovich found a decent continuation in the activities of Khudoyor Yusufbekov.

During his work at the Pamir Biostation, Khudoyor Yusufbekov strengthened the material and technical base of the biological station with trucks, laboratory equipment, and chemical reagents in order to improve the conditions of the Pamir expeditionary survey and continued to improve methods for improving the desert and steppe pastures of the Pamir-Alay, by studying the structure of vegetation, and the topographical and ecological conditions of high-mountain pastures in a wide geographical and high-altitude range.

As a result, he developed a system of improving the feeding grounds of the Pamirs and the Alay Valley, differentiated by eco-geographical regions and high-altitude belts, and presented the findings in the form of a monograph published in 1968.

In 1968, Khudoyor Yusufbekov was elected a Corresponding Member of the Academy of Sciences of the Tajik SSR.

In 1969, the monograph «Улучшение пастбищ и сенокосов Памира и Алайской долины» ("Improvement of pastures and hayfields of the Pamir and Alai Valley") was presented as a thesis (Moscow, the Williams All-Union Feed Institute), which Khudoyor Yusufbekov successfully defended to receive the degree of Doctor of Agricultural Sciences.[1][2][3][6][11][13][14]

The plaque with a relief image of Khudoyor Yusufbekov on the façade of Pamir Biological Institute

In October 1968, the President of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR Mstislav Keldysh arrived in the Pamirs and visited the Pamir Botanical Garden. He was accompanied by the Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the Tajik SSR Abdulakhad Kakharov, the President of the Academy of the Tajik SSR, Muhammad Osimi, and the First Secretary of the Gorno-Badakhshan Oblast Committee of the Communist Party of Tajikistan, Moyonsho Nazarchoev. Khudoyor Yusufbekov reported in details history of Pamir study to the high-ranking guests, about its natural resources, about the problems that needed to be solved in the field of biology, agriculture and, at the end, having justified the question of the necessity of creating a biological institute in the Pamirs, he asked the support of Mstislav Keldysh in consideration and resolution of this issue in Moscow. With the expansion and deepening of research at the Pamir Biological station, as well as growth of the number of scientific staff and taking into account the unique conditions in Pamir and in order to coordinate all studies related to the arid mountain areas, he stressed out the importance of this.

Soon, the president of the Academy of Sciences of the Tajik SSR, Muhammad Osimi, and Khudoyor Yusufbekov were invited to Moscow to participate in the discussion of the establishment of a biological institute. At a joint meeting of the Presidium of the USSR Academy of Sciences and the USSR State Committee on Science and Technology, the issue was resolved positively.[3][15][16] In 1969, all the biological agencies of Pamir such as the Pamir Biological Station in the Eastern Pamir (3860 m above sea level), Pamir Botanical Garden near the town of Khorugh (2320 m above sea level), and the outpost in Ishkashim (2600 m above sea level) were combined by Khudoyor Yusufbekov into the Pamir Biological Institute,[11] the first director of which he became[7] after its foundation (1969—1981).[1][8] Currently, the institute is named after him (1992).[17]

Khudoyor Yusufbekov's scientific and organizational abilities were revealed at the post of director of the institute. Along with scientific work, he also led a great deal of organizational activity. He determined the structure of the units of the Institute. Along with the traditional lines of research, he started scientific works on zoology, genetics plant breeding, and nature protection.

In 1970—1975, Khudoyor Yusufbekov developed a scheme for the master plan for development of the Anatoly Gursky Pamir Botanical Garden.[8] To develop the scientific base, expand the areas of the botanical garden and preserve typical biological objects, more than 600 hectares of land in the vicinity of the botanical garden were obtained. In addition, 19 hectares of irrigated lands were connected to the territory of the garden, on the basis of which experimental sections of the Institute's units were organized. During the years of Khudoyor Yusufbekov's direct leadership (since 1965 till September 1990) of the fruit growing laboratory, situated at the altitude of 2700–3500 m, the area dedicated to the collection of global flora increased by 7 times, and the collection itself increased by 10 times, up to 4000 species and subspecies.[3] The collections of plants in the garden are arranged according to geographical principles, and the irrigated territory is divided into 5 floristic departments: Central Asia and East Asia, Europe and the Caucasus, North America, the Himalayas, and the Hindu Kush. Inside the departments, the plants are arranged in generic complexes, taking into account ecological features of the species. In accordance with specifics of the objects of research in the garden, three groups were formed: dendrology, fodder and medicinal plants, and floriculture. The main task of the Pamir Botanical Garden was the introduction of plants. It exchanged seeds of highland flora and planting material with 112 gardens inside the USSR and 118 gardens from 39 major botanical centers of Europe (East Germany, West Germany, Norway, Denmark, the Netherlands, Czechoslovakia), North America (Canada and the United States), and other countries of the world. In 1972, a pumping station was built, thanks to which the waters of the river Shahdara raised to a height of 180 m. This enabled expanding the irrigated territory from 22 to 118 hectares at an altitude of 2140–2360 m, by over 5 times. The area of 4 floristic departments increased by 2 — 4 times. A laboratory, residential buildings, and the road and irrigation systems inside the garden of the Institute were built.[18][19][20]

In Darvaz, a support center for introduction and acclimatization of subtropical and citrus plants in an 8 hectare area. Initiated in 1975 under his leadership, the experiments on introduction of citrus and other subtropical cultures in Darvaz proved the prospects for development of citrus cultivation in the Kalayikhumb district of the GBAO. At the Julius Fučík Sovkhoz (state farm), a lemon orchard was planted on a 1 hectare area, as well as pomegranate and fig gardens on 8 hectares. To the same extent, studies of shape diversity and distribution of sea buckthorn were successfully launched in 1976. Several forms of low-thorned sea buckthorn with high oil content were identified. Expediency of cultivating sea buckthorn on pebbles in floodplains of Pamir rivers was proved.

Khudoyor Yusufbekov's scientific interests covered a wide range of issues related to study of the nature of the Pamirs. Along with solving the problem of improving pastures, he collected significant material on protection, restoration and purposeful reconstruction of the vegetation of the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region. In the monograph "Растительность Западного Памира и опыт её реконструкции" ("The Vegetation of the Western Pamirs and the Experience of Its Reconstruction"), written jointly by Okmir Agakhanyants, the Pamirs' territorial resources were analyzed, and he introduced the concept of a testing ground for land development (полигон мелиорации) of the Western Pamir. In that ground, he singled out 12 classes of land and provided valid recommendations for economic development of each of them. In the monograph, the model of the development of the Pamir, developed by Khudoyor Yusufbekov, is presented in the most complete form. Its constituent elements were the issues of complex vegetation reconstruction on sandy slopes and pebbles, furrowless watering on steep rocky slopes, reconstruction of vegetation of ancient terraces, mudflow cones of erosion, etc. Mountain slopes that had been eroded were supposed to be used in particular for orchards and meadowing between the plants by sowing perennial legumes. The scheme for reconstructing the vegetation of eroded slopes was not only developed, but also successfully tested in Shugnan, Rushan and Ishkashim districts of the GBAO.

Recommendations for the integrated reconstruction of vegetation on sands and gravels also found wide application in production. From just 1965 to 1980, the Gorno-Badakhshan forest organizarton created poplar and apricot plantations on an area of 1500 hectares. In the following years, planting works on blown sands and rocky terrain were conducted annually across an area of 300–350 hectares.[11][18]

The main ideas and methods related to the plant development of the Pamirs were described by Khudoyor Yusufbekov in addition to the previously published works in the monographs "Методы возделывания полезных растений на Памире" ("Methods of cultivating useful plants in the Pamirs", 1972), "Терескен на Памире" ("Teresken in the Pamirs", 1972), "Pamir" (1973) and in numerous brochures, collections and articles. At present more than 300 scientific works have been published.[3][8][11][18]

A lot of work was done to prepare and grow the scientific staff of the Institute, taking into account the specific difficulties and the remoteness of the Pamirs from major scientific centers. By the end of 1975, the Pamir Biological Institute staff numbered over 100 people, of which 45 were researchers. Scientists from other regions of the Soviet Union were invited to work at the Institute, and concrete measures were taken to train personnel on the ground through postgraduate study and competition. During the period of the leadership of Khudoyor Yusufbekov, two doctoral and more than 30 candidate dissertations were defended by just the staff of the biostation and the institute alone. At the same time, communication with many research institutes of the USSR Academy of Sciences was established: Timiryazev Institute of Plant Physiology, Kurchatov Institute of Atomic Energy (IAE), the Institute of Botany, the Pavlovsky Institute of Zoology and Parasitology of the Academy of Sciences of the Tajik SSR, and other scientific research institutes of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR.[18][21]

Khudoyor Yusufbekov's love for the nature of the Pamirs and his concern for the preservation of the natural environment and scientific history of the Pamirs also manifested in the fact that under his leadership the Museum "The Nature of the Pamir" was organized. Later, even when he was the rector of the Tajik Agricultural Institute, he continued to take an interest in the work and development of the museum, which is now very popular among visitors, including foreigners. Khudoyor Yusufbekov, wherever he worked, created museums in which it was possible to get acquainted with the history and achievements of science in a visual form. He believed that all this served the birth of innovative research and the continuation of scientific development in the future.[2][18]

In May 1981, Khudoyor Yusufbekov was transferred to work in Dushanbe at the post of rector of the Tajik Agricultural Institute of the Main Administration of Agricultural Higher Educational Institutions of the Ministry of Agriculture of the USSR (1981—1986).[c. 4] Here he paid much attention to development of research work at the departments and attraction of the students to the scientific research activities in the scientific and student councils. He systematically organized conferences, meetings, and symposiums on many aspects of agricultural science. The educational base of the Institute was strengthened so the students would master practical skills in solving specific production issues; for that, new educational facilities based on the sovkhoz "Yavan-2" of the Yavan district were organized. Khudoyor Yusufbekov made significant efforts to complete the construction of a new building of the zoological engineering faculty, which was completed in 1987. Khudoyor Yusufbekov organized new departments for the preparation of highly qualified specialists of fruit and wine growing, a laboratory for collective use of scientific devices at the agronomic faculty, a laboratory of computing machinery at the faculty of economics, and three new chairs at the institute. Under him, entrance examinations using computers were held for the first time, he also created a museum dedicated to the history of the Institute. As an specialist in the introduction of new species, Khudoyor Yusufbekov made an optimal decision to reconstruct and place green spaces on the territory adjacent to the institute. He conducted teaching activities at the department of agriculture, lectured at the course "Meadow Fodder Production" for students. He was the Chairman of the specialized scientific councils for protection of Ph.D. theses on specialties "Plant Growing" and "Selection and Seed Farming". While he had this job, Khudoyor Yusufbekov still continued to conduct scientific management of the subjects of research of the Pamir Botanical Garden and the laboratory of high-altitude fruit growing, as well as supervising the work of the graduate students.[1][2][6][11][13][22]

Khudoyor Yusufbekov was the Academician Secretary of the Biological Department of the Academy of Sciences of Tajik SSR (1986—1990). He had a wide range of scientific interests in the field of biology. The Biological department of the Academy of Sciences of the Tajik SSR was one of its subunits. It consisted of scientific instituts devoted to biology-related issues like: botany, zoology and parasitology (the institute was named after academician Yevgeny Pavlovsky), physiology and biophysics of plants, gastroenterology, general genetics and safety, and rational utilization of natural resources. The Pamir Biological Institute, later named after Khudoyor Yusufbekov himself, was also included here. In 1989, he became the Member of the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences of the Tajik SSR. On his initiative, being at the same time the chairman of the Pamir scientific research base and a Member of the Presidium of the Academy of Sciences of the Tajik SSR, the Department of Pamir Studies from the Rudaki Institute of Language and Literature was relocated to Khorog from Dushanbe; the Department of Social and Economic Research of the Pamir Research Base in the Pamirs was established, later on the basis of these two departments after his death (11/27/1990), in 1991 the Institute of Humanities in the Pamirs was established[c. 5][1][2][6][10][11][13][17][23]