Abram Kameraz Saves Potato Varieties Amid Leningrad Siege

In the summer of 1941, Abram Kameraz, a potato specialist at the Plant Institute in Leningrad, began commuting from the city to the suburban town of Pavlovsk. The ongoing siege resulted in frequent air attacks and disrupted his ability to transport seeds to the seed bank. After a harrowing journey back to the city center, Kameraz managed to save a crucial collection of potatoes, ensuring the survival of diverse varieties despite the chaos. The botanists faced dire circumstances, choosing not to consume their precious seeds, which could have sustained them. In early 1942, the remaining staff awaited communications from their acting director, who had previously evacuated Leningrad.