It was hard for our son Trofim to get an education before the Revolution. He was not admitted -- a peasant boy, a muzhik's son -- into the agronomy school, even though he received only the highest grades in school. Trofim had to become a gardener in Poltava. He would have remained a gardener for life had it not been for the Soviet regime. Not only the older Trofim, but his younger [brothers and sister] went to study at institutes.... The high road to knowledge was opened up to the muzik's son.... Is there any other country in the world where the son of a poor peasant could become an academician? No!...
We do not know how to show you our gratitude, dear Comrade Stalin, for this great happiness, the conferring of the highest award upon our eldest son. I, Denis Lysenko, have worked hard during my 64 years; nevertheless I am not quitting working on my own Bolshevist Labor kolkhoz, for work is enjoyable now, for life has become better and more cheerful. I work on the kolkhoz as an experimenter, gardener, beekeeper, and horticulturist. After studying courses in plant breeding here, from my son, I taught four collective farmers to cross plants. I myself crossed 13 plants and conducted experiments in vernalization of beets, as a result of which I get double the harvests. Recently I thought up a special machine for applying liquid fertilizer to beets and commissioned the kolkhoz blacksmith to make it. It is by these works, to the extent of my powers as an old man, that I show my gratitude to you, Comrade Stalin, and the Communist Party and Soviet system that you direct.
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