Lysenkoist propaganda in Trybuna Ludu

The press was an important part of the front in the ideological struggle of the Communist party in Poland during the Stalinist period. A qualitative content analysis of articles relating to Lysenkoism appearing in the official daily newspaper of the Polish United Workers' Party (Communist party), "Trybuna Ludu" [Tribune of the People], and its predecessors "Głos Ludu" [Voice of the People] and "Robotnik" [The Worker], is presented. In 1948-1956, at least 125 articles on Lysenkoism were published. Their subject matter reflected the successive stages of Lysenkoist propaganda. The aim of this study is to show the dynamics of the presentation of Lysenkoism by official press organs of the Communist party in Poland, and to analyze the content of published articles, thus enabling the precise correlation of Lysenkoism in Poland with political events. As soon as the faction of orthodox Stalinists came to power, articles related to Lysenkoism began to appear on the pages of the official organ of the Communist party. This fact uniquely connects Lysenkoism with the Polish political situation: the victory of the pro-Moscow faction in the apparatus of the Polish Workers' Party was the most important determinant of the appearance of Lysenkoism in Poland. Similarly, the disappearance of Lysenkoism as a topic from "Trybuna Ludu" is also correlated with political events: the rapid loss of political power by the pro-Moscow Stalinist faction.