The Soviet Garden (2019) - full transcript

My country is like a dream

Loveliest in the world

Written on flower buds

And in the songs we sing

Greetings are holly here

In this land of ours

The land where brotherhood

Blossoms eternally

I love your river Dniester

And your misty woods

We all sing your name

We all praise you!

You, my all, Moldova!

To you my deepest yearnings

Wherever I would go,

You'll be in my heart

I will cherish you always!

Everything I do

to you I will devote!

You, the luckiest

of all Soviet Daughters!

I love your river Dniester

And your misty woods

We all sing your name

We all praise you, Moldova!

We all praise you!

You, my all, Moldova!

The 1950s,

beginning of the Cold War.

After Stalin's death Nikita

Khrushchev becomes the leader

of the Soviet Communist Party

He aims for the Soviet

Union to become

first worldwide in scientific and

technical development.

The cosmos is declared

Soviet property.

A Soviet Spaceship defies gravity

and becomes the sun's

first artificial satellite,

the first man-made planet.

These kids were

the first to utter

the hitherto unknown

word: RAKETA.

Who knows, maybe they will also

be the first starship pilots?

After conquering the cosmos,

Khrushchev wants

to overcome the United States

here on Earth.

Following the party orders,

scientists take over agriculture.

Mathematics and physics

take over nature.

The future belonges to research

and scientific experiments.

- In the Inorganic Chemistry Laboratory

of the Moldovan Academy of Sciences,

we asked professor Adlov

to explain how scholars

will meet this year's Congress.

- Soviet scientists were

tasked by the party

to take the lead in all

fields of science.

The small Moldovan republic

was part of the

Great Soviet Empire,

being 14th largest among

the 15 Soviet Republics.

Under the new economic policy

Moldova is ordered to exponentially grow

production in all branches of agriculture.

- Milk farm chief Maria Cazac,

has shown a burning ambition

to fight for even higher productivity

and do her best in outracing

the United States in dairy and

meat production per capita.

- So we can outrun the United States

as soon as possible.

Moldova and its lands passed through

an overnight industrial shock.

To meet party plans, even rivers

were forced to flow uphill.

When I was born, Moldova was

still part of the Soviet Union.

My family was big and united.

At the holidays all of us used

to gather at my grandparents'

I spent a good part of my childhood

at my grandma, Olimpiada's,

She was a biology teacher.

I remember her bringing a microscope

from school, during summer vacations

so I could study natural processes.

Next to the house, I had a small garden.

It was all my own.

There, I used to seed and nurture crops

till they were fully grown.

A few years ago, my grandmother

died of pancreatic cancer.

I've noticed that this terrible illness

spread significantly in recent decades.

I remember Grandma telling us about

strange secret experiments

in Moldova's collective farms

during Soviet times...

I wonder: is there a connection

between those experiments

and the exponential growth of

cancer illnesses in the past half century?

- Man is what he eats, breathes

and even thinks.

I love cats, I just adore them.

My cat will never eat

a store bought sausage,

which I might find tasty.

You know, a wurster!

She smells it but ignores it,

even though she is hungry.

That's some instinct!

Once I brought sprats

and shared some with my cat.

She didn't even smell them.

Some hedgehog came and ate them.

Doubtlessly, technical progress had

an amazing effect on the quality of life,

as well as diseases, causing a lot

of new illnesses to appear.

The main cause of progress is

the increase of population.

More population means more food.

For more food, we need to genetically

modify corn cobs to grow in size,

to a half meter, for instance.

Unfortunately, the human species ages,

just like any other.

Every genetic reproduction cycle works

like a software program.

If this "software" is attacked by

"viruses", just like with a computer,

be it food, radiation or magnetic fields,

then this program could malfunction.

Basically, that's how cancer acts.

A cell with a function, be it

of the liver, muscles, lungs

must, following reproduction,

specialise in the same function.

But if its program malfunctions, then it

switches back to its initial programming,

becomes a big cell, grows and destroys

surrounding cells thus generating Cancer.

- Good afternoon,

some tomatoes, please?

- Which ones?

- Pink, please.

- A kilo or two?

- Two, please.

- All right.

- Where are they from?

- Orhei.

- I wondered if you know anyone...

...who's growing them traditionally,

you know, seed to seed.

- No, currently hybrids rule the day.

Seed to seed ones are scarce.

- Maybe there are still folks

who grow them traditionally.

- Maybe some country granny

with a passion, you know...

- Hi, 2 kilos of onions, please!

- I wonder if you know anyone

growing tomatoes naturally.

- I do, myself,

from Dubasarii Vechi.

- Seed to seed, not hybrid.

- This is not done anymore,

no harvest.

- No harvest?

- None! My mother in law,

lost 20 years on that.

- No harvest.

- How did they grow them before?

- Before is past, you know.

- Pardon?

- Before, seeds were seeds,

tomatoes were tomatoes,

now everything is made from soy...

Hybrids, everywhere.

- We're looking for someone who still

practices traditional breeding.

- Nowadays seeds have

codes, not names.

No more variety names.

- Such is the specificity of man, that

he needs to control everything,

to have the feeling that nature

would be lost without him,

although nature evolves

very well without him.

- Could you tell us more on

biodiversity and its role?

- It is the diversity of everything alive.

If we look specifically at agriculture

and focus on the last hundred years,

we'll notice we lost three quarters

of our agricultural biodiversity.

That would equal 75%.

This means that if you used to buy tomatoes

from the farmers at the marketplace,

and you had 10 tomatoes, now you

only have 2, one red and maybe one pink.

Many disappeared or were

somehow erased...

...by the Soviet block breed identity.

- Storms aren't solely to blame

for the death of this wheat crop.

Man created a variety,

man cultivated a heavy spike,

but failed to give

the straw strength.

The breeder's mission

begins again.

Again he must examine

millions of varieties

until he finds one or two

with the necessary properties.

Here's what

"Lenin" award laureate,

Nikolay Dubinin, has to say.

- Indeed, crops with useful

features for agriculture

are seldom met in nature.

Thus, in creating new varieties,

breeders face hereditary conservatism.

May this dependency

be decreased?

Modifying chromosomes

leads to Mutation,

thus creating new qualities in plants.

Mutations may be the result

of chromosomal changes,

both chemical and structural.

If breeders could willingly

cause gene mutations,

and change chromosome structures,

then they will control the plants'

hereditary change in nature.

So, how to enter the cell's

molecular structures?

Radioactivity can do that.

It is a wonderful molecular

surgical instrument.

It produces the finest operations

inside chromosomes,

modifies gene chemistry,

rebuilds their structure.

The cell gains new properties

that become stable features

of a radioactive mutant.

- Tell us about the beginnings

of radiobiology in Moldova.

- I remember radiobiology experiments

at my institute, back in 64-65.

In the beginning,

when I was still a student.

For obtaining various mutations,

we first used liquid mutagens

like radioactive phosphorus

and sulphur

mutants were further

used to get hybrids

which would be planted

on thousands of land hectares,

and that's how it began.

Then, in 67-68, they brought in

more powerful machinery.

- Currently everyone is concerned

with creating hi-tech robots.

We are creating "plant robots"

the very same way.

- Could you please tell us about

the history of radiobiology?

How did man come to the ability

to modify crops, specifically?

- After 1900, Genetics started developing

in a major way as a science.

Researches were also made

by Russian Scientists.

A massive contribution,

was that of Iosif Rapoport

and also an enormous

contribution of Dubinin.

Based on research on drosophila

melanogaster and other insects,

he noticed that under Gamma ray influence

eye colour and wing form may change

to a great extent, just

like all other features.

Thus they concluded that

Gamma rays produce mutations.

- After the war,

a big group of scientists

from across the Soviet Union,

were sent to Moldova.

I must mention that Moldova

was among the Soviet Union's

best equipped

radiobiology research centers.

- The beans that used to grow

in Moldova

were not suitable

for mechanised picking,

The beans layed on the ground

and it had big grains.

We needed to create a variety that

would grow straight up,

with smaller grains,

which could be cultivated by tractor

and harvested by combine.

We picked a Mexican

black bean variety,

and exposed them to Gamma rays.

The mutants obtained

stood up better.

We also changed the

colour of the seeds from black to white.

We then exposed the seeds again

to Caesium rays

and obtained a variety

with straight up branches.

And you could see fences of peas

on the fields where it was sown.

All in one size and shape!

That's what we did...

- We went to Moscow in '68

and brought the Kolos radioactive unit

to irradiating seeds before planting.

This was the first such equipment

and was mounted on

an old American built

Studebaker Truck.

This was our first unit.

We used to call her Marusia.

She was quite obedient.

Marusia, Marusia.

That's how the name

Marusia stuck.

We later got other machines.

We just called those Kolos,

left them nameless.

- Tell us what purpose did the

machine serve?

- It was sent here to prove that radiation

may be applied in agriculture.

- Which cultures did you

treat with radiation, specifically?

- Most often we

irradiated corn seeds.

To a smaller extent

Sunflower seeds.

Then oats, as well as

wheat grains.

We even treated pumpkin seeds

at the Tiraspol Institute.

Peas also.

Let me show you

a specific example.

They are clearly illustrating how radiation

quantitatively increased this culture's yield.

Look how satisfied they were!

Green the leaves of flower grow

I love how they sing in Kotovsk

Be they small kids or their grandads Be

they beautiful girls or their strong lads

Let this whole country of ours sing,

About this wealthy life we have!

- The main element of our machinery

is the ionising chamber.

Inside which there are tens of

Cobalt 60 isotopes

generating up to 1 million

Roentgens per hour.

Radio-stimulation usually applies

to seeds before plantation.

Imagine that seeds are sleeping.

And we must wake them so they

rise from the ground quickly.

Thus, exposing seeds to a small dose

of radiation will energize them.

For a person, it's the equivalent of a

strong coffee with a dash of Cognac.

By getting this stimulation,

plants grow quickly,

exceeding other plants'

development.

Further, however,

plant development depends

on environmental conditions,

but an early start means faster growth.

This is the stimulatory

pre-planting dose.

- Moldova was in a way lucky

for having these people

leading the science of Radiobiology.

In case of corn, the pre-planting

irradiation of seeds

was practiced on half of Moldova's

agricultural fields.

I'm referring to the radioactive treatment

of seeds with stimulatory doses

that increased the yield of

agricultural crops by 30%.

- Can you tell us a bit

about the generations?

At which generation

can mutations occur?

Can mutations occur at the

third generation, for example?

- If mutation occurs, it is final.

If you cut off a finger...

it won't grow back.

No way out.

The same goes for mutation.

If it hits a chromosome,

it changes it forever.

No way back!

Thus mutation is stable.

- Once, my research advisor

and I radiated cotton,

and obtained green cotton fiber.

I asked him: what

do we gained from that?

He smiled, since he

knew I was still young.

The explanation was:

Army camouflage is green.

So, no need to paint it green.

By using mutating dosage, we got

phenomenal results with sunflower.

Upon extraction,

the sunflower oil taste

was similar to the

flavour of olive oil.

Stefania Rares is singing.

Mamma told me to dance with

Just the lad wearing the nice clothes

I’ll dance with the one I love,

And don’t care what mama says!

Whatever mamma says,

I will dance with whomever i want!

I will dance and party on,

Untill all my years have gone!

- Evolution is a continuous process.

It constantly creates

and modifies all living things.

Mutations are the main

factor of evolution.

However, the frequency of naturally

occurring mutations is quite small.

Yet, with the help of these radioactive

equipment, we can increase

mutation frequency hundreds and

even thousands of times.

Thus, we can accelerate the creation

of any variety we would need from nature.

- Tell us about this machinery, please.

How does it work?

What isotopes does it use?

- The Stebel 3A machine,

works with Caesium 137 sources,

generating 700-800

Roentgen units/minute,

and we use it to blast seeds

with radiation.

It took great effort to find out

the right dosage,

to obtain the mutants we needed.

- In Moscow they

didn't get to identify

radiation exposure durations

necessary for agricultural crops.

Later, here in Moldova

we were basically forced

to calculate the

necessary dosage,

be they 500 or 1000 Roentgen Units,

based on each separate crop variety.

Thus, by raising radiation exposure, we risked

decreasing yields instead of increasing them.

- I was transferred from

the horticulture institute,

to the botanical garden institute.

There, I fell in love with local

plants, especially flowers.

I got 12 varieties of Iris

with the help of radiation.

These Iris flowers

were of very high quality.

They were lovely,

drought and frost resistant,

I was the breeder who created these

flowers of unequal beauty in the world.

Their unique beauty

was even appreciated

by the Moldova

State Variety committee.

- Tell us about the portable

radiation units...

- Our laboratory also used

portable units for plant irradiation.

A bit earlier you saw our

RHM Gamma 20, a fixed type unit.

But if the plant had to be

irradiated in field conditions,

then we carried these units

in the field with a special stroller.

We mounted them on tripods and

proceeded to irradiate the plants.

For example, we would blast the plants'

reproductive organs, like the corn husk.

Therefore, we used them to irradiate

reproductive organs in field conditions,

Do you understand?

The corn cob may not

simply be picked and brought

to the laboratory for treatment

with RHM Gamma 20 and planted back...

The cob is the female

reproductive organ in corn

and we used this equipment

to irradiate the corn ovuli.

Thus not the matured cob, but

the barely incipient one was irradiated.

In its meiotic stage.

- You spoke about cases when

you radiated corn with the Kolos unit...

- Yes.

...with Marussia,

and the unit jammed.

Could you expand on that?

- We used to receive corn seeds

from the factory, in 25 kg bags.

There were 2 labels inside.

When we placed bags in

the irradiation container,

sometimes labels inside could

jam the ionising mechanism.

In such cases, I used to remove

labels with my bare hands.

From what I read, I was sure

that my hands could resist

up to 15 000 Roentgens,

since blood circulation

is low here.

However if radiation

were to hit your chest,

500 Roentgens would make you

a hopeless case for medicine.

- Did you have such cases?

- I can only say that...

some nasty warts would

often appear on my hands,

but they were

gone in a few months.

Then they would reappear.

This is what I clearly observed

about consequences on myself.

- If radiation affects

a person for a long time,

their body could suffer

fatal mutations

that would lead to

certain death.

Thus, if people get exposed

to excessive radiation they die.

We also generate crop mutations,

yet, we throw many

of the mutants away,

keeping only the ones we prefer.

You can't do the

same with the humans...

- Most of my colleagues

who worked in the biophysics lab

are gone now.

Almost no one left from

my team... All died young...

That's what working with

radiation does.

- The year is 1964.

A delegation of Japanese

scientists visits Moldova.

They are accompanied by

Moscow officials.

Together with the party leadership, they

visit a number of local collective farms.

They also visit Onitcani village,

in the Criuleni district.

- Is there a connection between that visit

and applying radioactive isotopes

in Moldovan agriculture?

- Who decided Moldova

is the place?

- Moldova was first

among Soviet Republics

in agricultural experiments.

It started with the testing

of various chemicals in the 50s-60s,

and soon after an agreement was

reached with Moscow

that Moldova would be centre of

radioactive breeding.

They begin by using radioactive

phosphorus and sulphur.

Then, the Moscow Nuclear Agency

began to heavily finance

atomic gardening in Moldova.

That's how radiation began to be

implemented in Moldova's Agriculture.

- Comrade Nikita Khrushchev's

arrives to decorate

the Republic with the

"Order of Lenin" Award,

He inspires the working people

of our towns and villages

to new heroic deeds in

the name of communism.

- Dear Comrades!

The Moldovan people,

with the brotherly help of all

the peoples of the Soviet Union

has achieved spectacular results

in developing economy and culture.

These results are highly prized by the

Communist Party and the Soviet Government.

For outstanding results in developing

horticultural breeding practices,

the increase of

agricultural production,

The Presidium of the Supreme

Soviet of the USSR

has honoured the Soviet

Socialist Republic of Moldova

with the "Order of Lenin" Award.

Allow me to once again

congratulate you, dear comrades

and the entire Moldovan people

whom you represent,

for your success

and the award received,

and to wish you further

success and new awards.

- Besides Kolos and other

radioactive installations,

a Gamma complex

was built in Moldova.

Rumour has it, that is the second

Gamma complex in the world.

There was another such

complex in Japan in the 1930s.

Imagine that! The Japanese working

with radiation back in those days!

Can you believe that?!

And now a second one in Moldova,

much more advanced and sophisticated.

An enormous circle with

an all-round wall

to prevent radioactivity

from breaching the perimeter.

- Tell us about the projects in

radiobiology held here, in Moldova.

- I don't remember them all.

The Gamma Field was the main one,

and various machines were made...

They believed radiation

could generate highly valuable mutants

that would right all wrongs.

And they also believed

that radiation could stimulate

certain processes in the plant.

- I am Valery Akimov.

I will be 72 next week.

In the mid-70s, the construction of a

unique Gamma Field began

under the direction of the

Chisinau Agricultural Institute.

This Gamma Field is

a 100 meter diameter circle,

Cobalt 60 Isotopes were used as

radioactive sources here.

In the center of the Gamma Field

there were two irradiating machines

one of them was called

"Gamma-Panorama",

and it irradiated the entire

experimental field simultaneously.

The other unit was called

"Flora-M".

It irradiated crops

in strictly defined sectors,

without affecting crops

in other sectors.

During the irradiation of crops,

no one was allowed to be present

in the experimental field perimeter.

Everyone was behind

the protective wall

and barbed wire fence.

- Hello!

- Hi!

- We're looking for

this Gamma Field circle.

Gamma Field or something...

- I don't know where it is.

- Old folks must know.

- We have no grandma or grandpa.

Mother doesen't know also...

No idea.

- Hello!

- Hi!

- We're looking for the...

Gamma Field...

The Gamma Field.

- We don't know.

- We aren't from around here.

- Thank you!

- Hello!

I'm looking for the Gamma Field.

The circle.

- Have you find it?

- Can't say that I have!

- See the bus station

over there?

Take that upper road.

Cross through the village,

and another kilometer straight

keep on driving forward

untill you see a hill.

- Do you know what

it was used for?

- It eliminated radiation

for experiments.

There was a bunker there,

with an atom inside.

It eliminated radiation...

They were making experiments

to see how plants would grow...

That's my understanding

of what was done there.

Moscow used to run the show.

Locals had no idea

of the consequences.

The thing is folks were

unaware of the harm done.

Radiation used to glow

all around the village and fields...

They were doing experiments...

to kinda see plant growth, you know...

- How do you know all this?

Did you work there?

- I didn't, but some of my peers did.

Among them many older than me.

Some died. Many were crippled.

But most of those who

worked in that field passed away.

- Any of those who used

to work there, left in the village?

- There's a woman around here...

She's still alive... I think...

- Hello!

- Hello!

- Do you know where the

Gamma Field is?

- Straight ahead.

- You know what it was used for?

- ...Agriculture stuff...

- Anyone working there

left around?

- I used to work there

as a driver.

- Where?

- At the Gamma Field.

- I used to drive

the boss around.

- Who was the boss?

- Akimov.

- Anyone else who worked

there left in the village?

- Yup. Tolya Grabovsky...

Veronica.

Most of them died, though.

- Why?

- Drinking, they say...

- Hello!

We're looking for Mrs. Veronica.

- What for?

- We wish to talk to her.

- Mrs. Veronica, we're

from Chisinau,

and we are here to make a film

about this science... radiobiology.

We heard there used

to be a Gamma Field here.

Is it true? Rumour has it

that you worked there.

- Here we had the barley...

Here we had peas...

Strawberries here...

You can see the vineyard there.

Here guards installed some

scarecrows to keep birds away.

You know, from

eating sunflower seeds.

- How were these plants

different from others?

- Well, they were very different.

You see...

Corn grew twice as big there,

reaching 2-3 meters.

Corn!

No corn that tall now.

We used to go around

measuring crops.

We wrote down:

185 cm from end to end.

Corn was brown, black, blue, red...

Any colour you like.

Apple trees had more fruits

than leaves.

Heavenly!

Grapes were so big...

I can't tell you in words...

Eating fruit was forbidden. Unless they

allowed us to. Because it was radiated.

If they radiated it all night, we weren't

allowed to eat any fruit until noon.

We waited for radiation to evaporate or something

and then they'd let us eat. No other way.

- Where's everybody else who

worked there?

- All of them died.

- They were dumb enough

to go in there and steal...

Watermelons there were

huge, enormous...

Akimov would number

them from 1 to 100...

When he went to check

he'd see there was no 90, no 70,

The biggest watermelons

were gone.

So, they're all dead, only

me and Iulia are alive now.

Since Iulia's left to work in Italy,

I'm the only one around here.

- What killed them, in your view?

Was it the Gamma Field?

- There was a guard with

horrible warts on his hands.

How can i put it...

Really nasty ones!

- What's up with you? I asked.

- Radiation, he said.

- Why would you go there?

- Why should Akimov eat it all? he replied.

I, myself didn't want to go there for

one strawberry and so I never entered.

- Hi, guys!

- Hi!

- We're looking

for the Gamma Field.

- It's over by that tree.

It's there!

- On the right side?

- Yes, there's a road there.

- Thank you!

- Hello!

- Hi!

- I'm Dragos.

- Alexandru.

- Nice to meet you.

- I wanted to ask you what's

up with this circle?

- All this wilderness here?

- Yes.

- I don't know. I've been here

for three days now.

- Ever wondered why

this circle is here?

- I was thinking they maybe wanted

to build a lake or something...

- Been here with the

cows for three days you say?

- Yes, since I came

from somewhere else.

- There was a radioactive

Gamma Garden here.

- I don't know anything.

- I want to measure

radiation levels here.

- You want to measure it, you say?

- Yeah, with these

two devices here.

Here, hold one!

- Which one?

- This one.

This one measures radioactivity.

And I thought we'd

measure it here.

This is another

piece of equipment.

Let's go closer to the centre.

- Those who started building

must know what the deal was.

- Right...

- I'll switch to another mode now...

Hold it and tell me

when this moves up.

You see this indicator arrow here?

It shows radiation levels around.

See, Alexandru these plants

are in a straight line.

You can see that it's man-made.

Only sage left,

on that hill there...

However other plants

used to grow here.

- Yeah.

- Folks in the village said there were

plenty of various plants here.

- Heard that?

- Yep, a beep.

- Apparently, the ground is

still contaminated.

- Does this mean

it still works or what?

- Radiation remains in the

ground for years to come.

So... it's not ok

to stay here for long.

- Really?

- Yeah.

- What is this radiation?

Heat or what?

- When man discovered radiation,

he created radioactive elements

with very strong energies.

Did you feel anything

while being here?

- No, nothing.

Maybe a bit light headed

when I got up, that's all.

- These trees were

abandoned by scientists,

probably when the circle was destroyed,

the trees remained like that,

cherry trees, apple trees.

That's what's left of the heaven on earth,

as Mrs. Veronica who worked here would say.

- As the only rational being on earth,

man was often arrogant.

By declaring himself King of nature, without

solid reason, he tried to tame nature.

Here's an example from life.

The King of nature tangoes with

the almost extinct King of animals.

Everybody's satisfied and happy.

- Tell us a bit about scale.

- Moldova enlarged this scale

to a pretty large extent.

In 3-4 years, Kolos was even transported

to Ukraine for seed radiation.

- From what I observed in archived footage,

people had this confidence about themselves.

People operating radioactive

equipment, I mean.

They were certain that this

science would never fail!

- They were in such a hurry to

implement radiobiology in agriculture...

I mean, first of all, that experiments should

have been initially tested in trial laboratories.

Starting on large scale fields,

from the onset,

unaware of the dosage for each

crop, was premature.

That's why I was not satisfied.

Because we started

on immense territories.

However, we had no

fundamental bases for that.

- Quality was ignored,

only quantity mattered.

This is why we have such

dire consequences now,

because, in my opinion,

most disasters we face today,

such as lack of intellect,

various ilnesses,

were caused by low

quality products.

They thought that if radiation gets you

a mutant, it'll solve all your problems.

Often, when large doses

were applied, entire batches perished.

Mutations occurred in a very

low percentage of cases - 0,02%.

But it was obvious that

upon rising radioactive exposure,

seeding material loses germination

and dies. Thus the organism dies.

The same can happen

to humans, animals,

mosquitos, bees,

and therefore to plants.

- You're saying they had

no time to think of their deeds?

Science should usually consider

the possible consequences.

- I don't know if they had

no time to think, in their hurry,

during the 4-5 years of implementing

these practices in Moldova,

or whether they dreamed of

getting the State Prize.

- I, myself was concerned about

certain issues that science overlooked.

Like what should we do

with the waste?

What can we observe, after 70 years

of radiobiology in Moldova?

In your opinion,

what is left behind?

- Hard to say...

They should have thought

about the present and future.

For example, nuclear power plant

management is handling such issues,

by disposing of radioactive

waste in specialised storage facilities.

In a hundred years

maybe they will reuse it,

science is not ready for

such recycling yet.

The same should've been done

with atomic gardening.

Not like we did. We hurried

with the Kolos machines,

and now we don't know

what to do with them.

- Famous geneticist, Soviet

Academy of Sciences member,

"Lenin" Award Laureate,

Nikolay Dubinin,

was willing to answer

our questions.

- The "Pravda"

newspaper just published

a very negative article

on breeding of soils,

showing how

well-wishing turns to harm.

Because people don't know

how to work the soils.

That is why our investment returns

are on a constant decrease

and are currently approaching

minimum values.

For this and other related reasons,

harvest yields don't actually increase.

Our aim is to finally

achieve party goals

of harvesting 250 million

tons per year.

Still, the plant itself is part of the task!

Aside from the the soil and fertilizers.

Therefore Moldova's experience is crucial

for the entire Soviet Union in this case!

- We are inside a

radiological objective.

Special objective 5101, 5102.

A codename

left since Soviet times.

It basically stores all machinery used

in Socialist Moldova's industry,

in agriculture and plant breeding research.

As you can see containers are stored

behind these physical protection barriers,

with Kolos machines

that used Caesium 137.

Over there, in the back

we have RHM Gamma 20 machines

with Cobalt 60 isotopes,

as well as a Stebel unit,

which was used in a plant

breeding research institute,

namely Selectia.

Now these machines, are

placed in a protective container.

Until 2003, were carelessly abandoned

under open skies.

I feel like I am inside

pyramid of Cheops.

A space full of old artifacts.

Relics that once served for a purpose

and have currently turned to waste

and not just waste but also problems.

- How many years will it take to

enter this place without risk?

How much time is needed untill all

isotopes fully disintegrate?

- If we talk about all the radioactive

source types stored here,

in some cases it would take

no less than tens of thousands of years

till it would be possible to enter here

without facing danger.

Such an approach is impossible

for radioactive waste management.

- In these capsules we have

C14 Radioactive Carbon,

with a 6000-year half-life.

- During inventory, the background

of radioactive isotopes is checked.

It is still active.

We notice the red colour

on that Geiger counter.

It means it has to be

further kept in the safe.

- Please explain

what "half-life" is?

A simple definition, please...

- In physics, "half-life" is called

"the law of radioactive decay".

- The period in which radioactive material

intensity drops by half.

For example, Cobalt 60

has a half-life of 5 years.

So in 5 years its

power will drop twice.

And so it happens every 5 years.

It will be 4 times

as weak in 10 years,

and 8 times as weak in 15 years.

- How about Carbon 14,

with a half-life of 6000 years,

how much will it take for it

to not be dangerous anymore?

- Sixty Thousand Years.

- That's ten half-lives.

- Theoretically, 10 half-lives

are enough

for radioactive material to

become non-hazardous.

- 60 thousand years.

- Yes, 60 thousand years.

- How would you see radiobiology

as a science.

Is it a failed science?

Is Moldova to blame for its failure?

- It was and still is an

important science,

though not for use in agriculture

to obtain large crop yields.

This was obvious from the beginning

and they should have admitted it.

- So, a proud scientist

can't admit he failed?

It is human nature

to make mistakes.

- Admitting failure is

difficult for an ordinary man,

but if he has a scientific title,

a high-level position,

then it's extremely hard,

obviously...

- When I came to see the

results, I used to ask:

- How's the yield?

The answer was: Good yield!

- What are your results?

- Good results!

You'll get whatever

results you want.

In this case, science

was not quite scientific...

- Thus, the experiment did

not have the desired result?

Were the expectations

too big, or what?

- The Party wanted big results.

I repeatedly warned my bosses.

The answer was:

- Did you get the money?

Are you conducting experiments?

Are you working?! Carry on!

- It's 2018...

Radiation breeding is still applied

at the Genetics Institute,

using the same equipment

as half a century ago.

- Just like in the beginning,

today's atomic breeders, stayed with the

mindset that radiation can change things...

Yes, it does cause change...

So what?

- 50. That's one.

100. Do you also have 100?

You don't, I have 100.

Write that down.

50,

100,

150 in mine. In yours?

- No.

- 200.

- I really hope rabbits won't eat all my

chickpeas, like last year.

The jerks seem to distinguish

irradiated plants and eat them all.

It's like they choose

them specifically.

Only stems are left behind them.

- One day, we'll catch ourselves one

of these huge rabbits and make a stew.

- Do you think it's normal to still

use radiation in biology in 2018?

How much longer do you

plan to use this equipment?

Not for long, from what we know.

However, we hope our unit will

continue to be used.

So we, and our successors

could continue our work.

I believe that the methods

we use in our research,

will also be used in the future.

Why do you think man uses

radioactive mutagenesis?

What is the final goal?

- The goal is to eat well,

to live well.

Work less and have more.

That's it...

- Dorin, are you done

with the samples?

- Yes.

- Let's take them...

How long do you think

exposure will take?

- Usually about 3-4 hours.

It depends...

The unit is old and rusty,

it squeaks, here and there.

- Hopefully it will last

for another year or two,

while we still have

initial material to make.

- I wish rabbits wouldn't eat my chickpeas.

- You and your rabbits...

- Now, let's take them.

I'll take 4, you take the rest,

and we're off.

Take your phone,

I'll take my glasses.

- Let me get my diary...

- The record book,

so we could apply

the necessary dosage...

We're off.

- Let me start by saying

this is not my first interview,

so, I don't give a damn about your

camera and your microphone.

I am calm and I will

only speak what I must.

Put this on record, please.

Smile, please.

Yes, that's right.

I started the construction of

this Gamma Field, where we are now

and by the will of destiny,

I also dismantled it,

and sent the radioactive

sources into final disposal.

- What if radiobiology in Moldova

would have been a success story?

How'd Moldova, or even

the whole world, look today?

- You're asking a

philosophical question.

No one will answer it. To be honest,

I do not even know what to answer.

- Imagine that the Gamma Field

is still functional,

and you are still its

director nowadays?

- My opinion is that the

Gamma Field is one of a kind

and it is a pity that we

have what we have today.

If that had not happened,

the Gamma Field would still work,

plants would have been growing

and would have been irradiated here.

Improved crops

would be obtained,

and this would be a contribution

to the science of radiobiology.

- How would the world look like

without radiobiology? What would differ?

- Again with the

philosophical questions...

- Did the results justify the

sacrifices of scholars?

- This is a provocative question,

allow me to not answer it.

"Moldova must become the

Garden of the Soviet Union."

N.S. Khrushchev

A Communist Party meeting

was dedicated to this issue.

Referring to Comrade

Khrushchev's visit to Moldova,

Republican Communist Party

First Secretary, Zinovi Serdiuk

noted in his speech:

- I think, as Nikita

Sergeyevich said,

that Moldova should be focused on

one thing - becoming the Soviet Garden,

deliver delicacies to

the Soviet people:

grapes, wines, juices, fruit.

The Moldovan people embraced this task from

Comrade Khrushchev

as its honourable destiny, being firmly

committed to its accomplishment in reality.

To properly organize themselves for the

continuous development of horticulture,

and thus successfully follow

Comrade Khrushchev's instructions.

After all my attempts

to find the truth,

it seems it remains hidden

somewhere in the past.

I understood that the

decisions of politicians

can lead to human sacrifices

and can even influence

the growth of plants.

I wonder...

Where in the world will

the next Soviet Garden appear?