Kliment Timiryazev

Darwinism

Timiryazev was a major proponent of the evolution theory of Charles Darwin in Russia. In 1877, he visited and met Darwin at Down House.

Timiryazev promoted Darwinism in his works and prepared a Russian translation of On the Origin of Species. However, he was highly critical of the term "struggle for existence" which he rejected. He believed that it was an unfortunate metaphor with negative social implications and stated that Darwinism could be taught without using the word "struggle".

At the University of Moscow, Alexander Oparin attended private lectures of Timiryazev. These lectures on evolution were highly influential to Oparin. He also lectured on Darwinism at his flat in Moscow. Legacy Timiryazev Agricultural Academy, the Timiryazevskaya station of the Moscow Metro, the lunar crater Timiryazev and the asteroid 6082 Timiryazev are named after him. The Regional Universal Scientific Library in Vinnytsia, Ukraine, used to be named after Kliment Timiryazev, the named was changed at the end of 2022, however, in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The in Moscow is also named after him.