Vadim Birstein

Background

Birstein was born on October 10, 1944, in Moscow, USSR (now Russian Federation), the son of a professor and a pediatrician.

Education

Birstein graduated from Moscow State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in biological sciences in 1966 and later received a Ph.D. in biology/genetics in 1971. He also studied at Koltsov Institute of Developmental Biology, receiving a Doctor of Biological Sciences degree in 1988.

Career

Birstein is a molecular geneticist who specializes in animal evolution. In addition to his prominent career as a biologist, he is also an avid historian with expert knowledge pertaining to the former Soviet government's control and censorship of science, as well as their programs in human experimentation. In his 2001 book, The Perversion of Knowledge: The True Story of Soviet Science, Birstein takes a well-documented and highly disquieting tour through the abominations of Soviet science.

From 1971 to 1974, Birstein worked as research scientist in applied biochemistry department at All-Union Research Institute of Restoration; he then went on to work as research scientist to Belozersky Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Bioorganic Chemistry, Moscow State University, from 1975 to 1983. Birstein also worked as research scientist from 1984 to 1985 at Koltsov Institute of Developmental Biology, USSR Academy of Sciences. Murmansk Institute of Marine Biology had Birstein as senior research scientist from 1986 to 1989, and later he was a professor of biology at Moscow State University from 1988 until 1989. Birstein was an adjunct professor of biology from 1993 to 1996 at the University of Massachusetts.

While Birstein is widely published in his field - by 2003 he had over 140 scientific papers, three scientific books, and several historical articles to his credit - it is his historically focused book on Soviet science that received the largest public notice. The Perversion of Knowledge delves into the controversial practices of the former Soviet government - as well as the more recent noncommunist government - regarding such areas as nuclear-weapons testing on human prisoners, secret-service tortures, and political assassinations accomplished with the use of chemical weaponry, just to name a few. Birstein utilizes personal knowledge, translated archival materials, and biographical information, as well as information gained from reviewing classified documents written in the metaphoric language used by Soviet NKVD/KGB officials. Due to the fact that many of these documents - released to public inspection during the 1980's - are still held by the Russian government and are often difficult to follow, "casual readers might not be willing to wind their way through to the end" of Birstein's book, in the opinion of a Publishers Weekly reviewer. Despite the complexity of the information presented, Booklist contributor William Beatty noted that the book is still necessary reading, because it "provokes concern about Russia's current lack of support for science and how dangerous it may be."

Achievements

• Birstein is best known for his works on animal evolution. He has also written on the former Soviet government's control and censorship of science, as well as their programs in human experimentation.

Works

More photos

• book

  • Smersh: Stalin's Secret Weapon

    (SMERSH is the award-winning account of the top-secret cou...)

  • The Perversion Of Knowledge: The True Story Of Soviet Science

    (During the Soviet years, Russian science was touted as on...)

Connections

Birstein is married and has one child.

References

• Contemporary Authors Volume 221
  2004