Between department and expedition: the overlooked period of N. I. Vavilov’s work at Lleningrad Agricultural Institute

The article deals with the little-studied period in the professional career of Nikolai Ivanovich Vavilov focusing on his work at Petrograd (Leningrad) Agricultural Institute during the 1920s and 1930s. The reconstruction of a decade of his professional activity in this institution was carried out based on the analysis of archival materials, memoir sources (including testimonies of colleagues and students and Vavilov’s personal records). In the early 1920s, Vavilov frequently mentioned his teaching role at the Institute and related plans in his correspondence and biography. However, in later autobiographical texts and memoirs, this period is consistently excluded from his personal narrative. The imbalance between academic and administrative responsibilities, frequent expeditions and work trips limited his effectiveness in managing both the Leningrad Agricultural Institute department and the genetic station. Vavilov’s prolonged absence from his workplace provoked growing discontent among the Institute staff. The analysis of the documents reveals an escalating conflict between Vavilov and the Institute administration, related to his pursuit of autonomy in organizing scientific research. This confrontation catalyzed the scientist’s participation in the reorganization of agricultural education institutions in Petrograd, and also led to the institutional isolation of the genetic station. The period of Vavilov’s work at Leningrad Agricultural Institute reflects the key challenges of science organization in the context of the society transformation. Studying this period is important for understanding the mechanisms used by scientists for adjusting to changing institutional frameworks, as well as the role of personality in overcoming systemic constraints. The research contributes to the study of Vavilov’s administrative and educational activities, revealing the mechanisms of interaction between the scientific community and educational institutions in the early Soviet period.