http://www.rdmag.com/News/2010/08/Industries-Agriculture-Celebrated-Russian-seed-bank-fights-for-its-land/
Head of Pavlovsk Agricultural Station Fyodor Mikhovich gestures speaking in Pavlovsk, near St.Petersburg, Russia, Thursday, Aug. 19, 2010. The world's first seed bank survived World War II thanks to 12 Russian scientists who chose to starve to death rather than eat the grain they were saving for future generations. Now the Vavilov Institute of Plant Industry's seed bank is in danger again, this time because of court-approved plans to rip up its vast fields of genetically diverse plants and build fancy homes on the prime real estate they occupy near St. Petersburg.