Anahit Ananyan

Anahit Arshaki Ananyan (1909 to 1987) was a Soviet Armenian agronomist who developed tomato cultivars, one of which reached popularity. Born in Poghoskilisa in the Elizavetpol Governorate, she graduated from the Faculty of Agriculture of the V. I. Lenin Georgian Polytechnical Institute in 1926 and obtained her doctorate in agricultural sciences in 1966. She joined the Republican Selection Station for Vegetable, Melon, and Cucumber Crops of the Armenian SSR in 1933 and directed it from 1949 until 1984, and she later started the Republican Seed Breeding Station in Darakert, whose collection became the basis of the station database. In 1944 she created the tomato cultivar Anahit 20, which became popular, and her other cultivars include Araks 322, Echmiadzin 260, Masis 202, Yerevan 14 and Zvartnots. She was awarded the Order of Lenin in 1966, was named Honoured Scientist of the Armenian SSR in 1967 and received the title Hero of Socialist Labour in 1971.