From the history of domestic dentistry: Moscow Dental School of the Privat-docent of Moscow University, MD Gilyariy Ivanovich Vilga

Abstract

Based on archival data, the authors describe the Moscow School of Dentistry with dental courses for doctors, dentists, and dentists of the Moscow University, Privat-docent Dr. Gilyari Ivanovich Vilga, examine the background to its formation, provide unique archival data on the location of the school, as well as its internal organization and equipment. The authors review in detail the program of courses, as well as their duration, cost, and form of student accountability. During its existence (1909-1918), more than two thousand dentists were educated at G.I. Vilg's school, among them Alexander Ivanovich Evdokimov, a future corresponding member of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences, director of the State Institute of Dentistry (GIZ) and the State Institute of Dentistry and Odontology (GIZO). The authors of the article also focus on analyzing the differences in the approaches to the organization of several dental schools, viz: The First Moscow I.M. Kovarsky School of Dentistry and the Second G.I. Vilga School of Dentistry. In his efforts, I.M. Kovarskij's aspirations to establish the best dental school in Russia were crowned with success: a specially constructed and equipped building meeting the state-of-the-art requirements (the building even boasted an X-ray machine), and the best professors and instructors of the University of Moscow of that time were hired. In contrast, G.I. Vilga rented premises for his school, the equipment was in short supply, and he himself was the only eminent professor. Nevertheless, his fierce desire to unite the entire dental community and organize the best dental care for the entire population of Russia allowed his brainchild to enter the top five schools of the time.