The rise of Lysenko marked a dark period for Soviet genetics, leading to the imprisonment and death of prominent scientists like Vavilov. While Lysenko dismissed Western genetics as bourgeoisie, his influence began to wane after Stalin's death and the discovery of DNA. The eventual denouncement of Lysenko by leading scientists in the 1960s paved the way for a resurgence in genuine scientific inquiry and the rehabilitation of purged geneticists.
