Nikolay Sklifosovsky
Prominent surgeon Nikolay Sklifosovsky every year came to vacation with his family to the estate of his wife in the village Yakovtsi on the outskirts of Poltava. Along with the rest he got his medical practice: patients taking the peasants, did the operation in Poltava the County Hospital. He took part in public life: he elected provincial vowel, a honorary member of the Poltava Medical Association (1884), a honorary magistrate of the Poltava district, a member of the Poltava agricultural associations. Throughout his life, Nikolai defied the deaths of others and almost always come out of this fight as a victor. But Sklifosovsky was absolutely powerless in the face of personal tragedy: the only son committed suicide. Vladimir became a member of a terrorist organization shortly before the
October Revolution. But when he was instructed to kill the Governor of Poltava, a young man shot himself because he could not aim a blow at the man who had befriended his family.
In memory of dead son, Nikolai has built at his own expense a school for peasant children, and allocated part of his land under the school garden, where he taught children to care for trees and to grow fruit. Sklifosovsky’s area of 600 acres called "Joy" was a model farm. Presented at the International Horticulture Exhibition in St. Petersburg in 1894, Sklifosovsky earned the honorary title the “Poltava’s Switzerland”. In 1919 the estate was destroyed by Soviet partisan units, and the widow and a daughter were killed. From the massacre did not save even a document signed by Lenin, which said that the repression surgeon does not apply of a family known. The owner did not see this terrible final: for 15 years before Sklifosovsky died.
Nikolay Sklifosovsky was born in April 6, 1836 near the town of Tiraspol Dubossary county Kherson Province, graduated from high school in Odessa. Sklifosovsky decided to become a doctor whan he was a child, so after graduating from high school he went to Moscow and entered the medical faculty of Moscow University. There defined his medical specialty - surgery.
When he returned after the graduation to his homeland, Sklifosovsky worked for several years as a country doctor, and then he was transferred to Odessa city hospital, where he soon became the head of a surgical department. All his spare time Nikolay was improving his surgical skills, and three years later defended his doctoral dissertation. But then he thought that his knowledge and experience didn’t not sufficient.
In 1866 Sklifosovsky went on a trip abroad. For two years, during which he managed to work in England, France and Germany, Nikolay met with various surgical school and studied the characteristics of medical care in different countries. It was at this time, he drew attention to the work of the famous surgeon Lister, who was the first to substantiate the need for sterilization of surgical instruments and surgical field. It's hard to imagine that in the middle of the XIX century; most surgeons consider it unnecessary and even harmful to sterilize instruments.
Reports made by Sklifosovsky at several medical congresses attracted the attention of specialists. One of the first he has developed a practical method of surgical sterilization. When the Austro-Prussian War, Sklifosovsky received permission of the Austrian Government and went to the front. After the conclusion of peace he returned to Odessa, but not for long as it turned out, because the onset of the Franco-Prussian War, and he again had to go to the front. True, a few months later, he returned to Russia to St. Petersburg because he was invited to the Medico-Surgical Academy - the only institution in Russia, where military doctors were prepared.
In St. Petersburg Sklifosovsky worked for five years, after it he went to the Balkans, and then on the Russian-Turkish war. There he worked with a wonderful surgeon N.I. Pirogov, who gave a glowing testimonial to Sklifosovsky. As a consultant of the Red Cross Sklifosovsky had to combine surgeon practice with multi-organizational activity.
During heavy fighting near Plevna, and at the foot of the Shipka sometimes Sklifosovsky operated round the clock to provide assistance to all soldiers. Later calculated that directly through his hands passed over ten thousand wounded.
After returning to Russia Sklifosovsky became a professor at the Moscow University and the head of the surgical clinic. It was a bold step, because at that time was in the hospital totally neglected. But Sklifosovsky vigorously took up the matter, and soon the hospital was one of the best medical institutions in Europe. Sklifosovsky one of the first not only in Russia but also in Europe has introduced hot working tools and medical linen and has almost completed absence of postoperative complications and infections. Many serious diseases, which most doctors considered incurable, were defeated only through the efforts of Sklifosofskiy.
Around the medical clinic at the Virgin's Field was built a whole town, again with the direct participation of Sklifosofskiy. For his design of a scientist has created a public committee, which gathered the leading experts of his time. A Programme of hygienic measures Sklifosovsky developed together with F. Erisman, founder of medical care. And in order to obtain the necessary funds, he had several times to go to St. Petersburg for a meeting with the Minister of Health.
After clinical equipment Sklifosovsky did not stop. He undertook to promote the latest scientific knowledge among practitioners and for this purpose created the Society of Russian physicians. On his initiative in Russia for the first time began to hold periodic congresses of surgeons. With the greatest resonance Sklifosovsky organized XII International Congress of Surgeons. It was held in Moscow in 1897.
It was attended by eminent scientists from many countries, including the distinguished German physiologist Rudolf Virchow. Visiting the clinic of Sklifosofskiy, he said in an interview: "You are standing at the head of institution to which envy other peoples of Europe!"
A lot of effort Sklifosovsky put for establishing medical journals. Academic founded two publications – “Surgeon's Chronicle” and “Chronicle of Russian surgery”, but in order to reduce the cost and make them more accessible, 
he spent considerable sums from its own funds.
The Sklifosofskiy’s authority shows such a case. Doctors from all over Russia gathered the necessary funds for the construction of the monument to N.I. Pirogov in Moscow, but Moscow’s authorities refused to give permission for the construction, fearing liability. Learning of this, Sklifosovsky went to St. Petersburg and, having obtained an audience with the Emperor Nicholas II, received his permission. It was placed the first monument in Russia to a scientist.
Sklifosovsky charged the clinic for 14 years and during that time there were many doctors from around the world. Sklifosovsky believed that physicians should periodically collect for professional training in accordance with the latest achievements of medicine. To do this, he organized a new type of institution - The Institute of Advanced Medical. This new deal also required him greatest efforts: it was necessary not only to rebuild old buildings, but ensure that they were necessary. A Sklifosovsky at this time was already over 60!
Despite the notoriety, the famous physician differed modesty and he did not tolerate flack around him. For example, he flatly refused the solemn celebration when his colleagues have decided to celebrate 25 years of his working as a surgeon. But he got congratulations from all over Russia and from many countries. Letters came from different institutions, wrote prominent scientists, physicians, grateful patients. Only telegrams were received more than four hundred.
In 1884, Nikolai was elected a honorary member of the Poltava Medical Association. Since 1871 each summer he came to his farm in the village Yakovtsi on the outskirts of Poltava.
In recent years of life the scientist has been overshadowed by a serious disease - stroke. He left St. Petersburg and lived in his house not far from Poltava. A little recovered from the disease, Sklifosovsky engaged in gardening. But the improvement was short-lived, and soon Sklifosovsky died. He was buried in the church square near the grave of his son, near the site of the famous battle of Poltava. In Poltava there is a monument to Nikolai Sklifosovsky.
