Lysenkoism was a response to the overwhelming prevalence of race theory among western countries, that were using the gene as a scientific basis for eugenics. Much of science was this way, not just biology, and the soviets were dedicated dialectical materialists. Lysenko wasn't a random crank, but the Lysenkoist theory of inheritance was ultimately wrong, even if done out of trying to reject eugenics scientifically.

The Soviets were ultimately very scientifically advanced due to dialectical materialism placing such an emphasis on science, and in many ways were beyond the west, who were still trying to biologically justify colonialism with pseudoscience.