User:DavidAnstiss/Georgi Ivanovich Rodionenko

{{short description|Iranian botanist (1913–2014) {{Infobox person }} Georgi Ivanovich Rodionenko (28 March 1913 – 6 April 2014) was an Russian plant pathologist, botanist and author. He was primarily known for his work on the plant family of Iridaceae.
 * name       = Georgi Ivanovich Rodionenko
 * image      = File:George Rodionenko.jpg
 * caption    =
 * birth_date = {{Birth date|1913|3|28|df=y}}
 * birth_place = Ardabil, Iran
 * death_date = {{Death date and age|2014|4|6|1913|3|28|df=y}}
 * death_place = Saint Petersburg
 * death_cause =
 * other_names = Georgij Ivanovich Rodionenko, Georgy I. Rodionenko
 * education  = Doctor of Sciences in Biology
 * known_for  =
 * awards     =
 * occupation = Plant pathologist, Botanist, author
 * doctoral advisor = Nikolai Schipczinsky
 * nationality = Russian

Biography
Georgi Ivanovich Rodionenko (*russ. Гео́ргий Ива́нович Родио́ненко) (1913 - 2014) iranisch-russischer Botaniker, arbeitete am botanischen Institut 'V.L. Komarov' (BG St. Peterburg) vorallem zur Gattung Iris, war auch Direktor des Instituts, schrieb 1987 'The genus Iris L. (questions of morphology, biology evolution and systematics)' _____ (Rodion.) Rodionenkoa M.B.Crespo, Mart.-Azorín & Mavrodiev 2015 (Iridaceae) → Phytotaxa 232(1): 65. 2015 _____ Manuel Benito Crespo Villalba ... Mario Martínez-Azorín ... Evgenij Vladimirovich Mavrodiev ... 'Nomen genericum a Georgi Ivanovich Rodionenko (1913 - 2014) ex animo dicatum.'

Georgy R. Rodionenko is the most high-profile expert on irises well-known throughout the world. He has published more than 120 papers and 10 books, many of them have been translated into English, French and Italian. He has selected more than 20 sorts of irises. His achievements were marked in Great Britain by M. Foster’s medal and in the USA by Varburton’s medal. Georgy was awarded by 2 orders of “Red Star” and “Honour Sign”, medals and honorary diploma. Mr. Rodionenko is a courageous and devoted man.

Georgy Rodionenko was born on March, 28, 1913 in the family of the emperor army officer in a small town of Ardebil in Northern Persia (Iran) where the Russian army was located. His childhood passed in Sukhumi, Republic of Abkhazia, where he also finished school and graduated from the 'Institute of Subtropical Planting' which was linked to the Russian Academy of Sciences. In 1939 Mr. Rodionenko left for Leningrad to continue studies. He was employed in the Botanical garden. The Second World War broke out when Mr. Rodionenko was on an expedition near Lake Balkhash, Kazakhstan.

In August 1944 he graduated from Kharkov Artillery School in Fergana and asked for recruitment in Leningrad front. Later Mr. Rodionenko was heavily wounded in leg during a battle near Riga. After leaving hospital in 1945 he returned to the Botanical garden. In first post-war years Mr. Rodionenko organized 2 expeditions to the Black Sea coast in the Caucasus and delivered 9 railway cars of large-size subtropical plants for the garden greenhouses.

Georgy Rodionenko gained a PhD and Dr.Sc theses. Mr. Rodionenko is the only monograph of the genus of Iris in Russia. He has been working with irises for 60. In 1963 the Iridarium (Iris garden) was founded, Georgy worked out scientific grounds for layout of collections. Picking plants in situ was the most valuable acquisition of the collection. He carried out about 15 expeditions in total, actively participated in expeditions to difficult to reach districts of the country although he had become disabled with artificial leg. The Iridarium is still showing one of the best collections of irises in the country. It is annually visited by hundreds of St. Petersburg residents, tens of experts from Russia and from abroad.

March 28, 2013 at the Komarov Botanical Institute celebrated the 100th anniversary of George Rodionenko. Congratulated colleagues, members of iris societies, as well as the governor of our city Georgy Poltavchenko (Governor of Saint Petersburg from 2011 - 2018).

he was elected the honorary member of the British Iris Society and awarded with the highest award – the Medal in commemoration of Michael Foster, he was also elected the honorary member of the American Iris Society and awarded Beatrice Warburton’ medal.

In 1968, Rodionenko was awarded by The British Iris Society, the Foster Memorial Plaque (named after Sir Michael Foster).

Komarov Botanical Institute

Georgy I. Rodionenko.

06 April 2014 April 6, 2014. On the 102 year died Professor, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Georgy I. Rodionenko. Hi was the great scientist well-known all over the world, created by Iris School in Russia. Iridarium – a living monument to a rich collection of representatives of the family Iridaceae. Its founder Georgy I. Rodionenko worked here for over 60 years, he is the authors of more than 20 sorts of Irises. The last work of Georgy Rodionenko – the book “Discover the secrets of nature” (My fate - irises), thanks to Governor Georgy Poltavchenko, was published last year. The author managed to discovered the secrets of nature irises, for botanists, and for amateurs; interesting biographical memories of author. (Nina Alexeeva, London).

Iridarium (Iris garden) in St. Petersburg Botanical Garden of the Botanical Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences. 120 species from 37 genera have been tested in the Iridarium.

The first Iridarium, Iris Year Book 1966;113-116

In 1961, he was the author of Iridodictyum reticulatum, which was first published in his book Iris on page 202. It is now classed as a synonym of Iris reticulata M.Bieb..

In 1961, came up with the revisions to the Iris genus and species. "The British Iris Society published an English translation in 1987 of 'The Genus Iris L.' by Dr Rodionenko from St Petersburg. This was first published in Russian in 1961. His classification was not entirely accepted by Western botanists. Dr Rodionenko, spent more than fifty years studying irises, a period interrupted by the war, in which he nearly lost his life."

Rodionenko, Georgi Ivanovich (1913-) Standard Form: Rodion.

Area of Interest: Spermatophytes

Information Source: from Zander Handworterbuch der Pflanzennamen (1984) from R.W.Kiger 11 July 1991

Id: 14277-1 Version: 1.1 View Record history

Honours
He was awarded;
 * Order of the Red Star ?? military ??
 * Order of the Patriotic War 1st class ?? military ??
 * Order of the Badge of Honour (for civilians)

In 1968, Rodionenko was awarded by The British Iris Society, the Foster Memorial Plaque (which was named after Sir Michael Foster).

In 1999, plant breeder Huber named an iris cultivar Iris 'George Rodionenko'.

Other sources

 * 1987. The genus Iris L.: (questions of morphology, biology evolution and systematics). Ed. British Iris Society. 222 pp.
 * 1981. The Iris. Ed. Kolos Publ. 154 pp.