Museum N.I. Pirogov: history and modernity

Abstract

Сolleagues, students, members of the Russian Surgical Society of Pirogov put a lot of effort to create the Pirogov Museum to perpetuate the memory of the great Russian surgeon. The construction of the museum was carried out according to the project of the architect V.A. Schroeter for funds allocated from the State Treasury and collected from philanthropists. Museum of Pirogov was opened on October, 26 (November, 7), 1897. The collection of the museum included: items related to the life and work of N.I. Pirogov, preparations for surgical anatomy, surgical pathology, collection of instruments, orthopedic and surgical devices, patient and wounded patient care items, portraits, engravings, manuscripts and documents reflecting all stages of the history of domestic surgery, etc. The museum hosted meetings of Pirogov Russian Surgical Society, conferences and all-Russian congresses of doctors. The events of the first third of the 20th century negatively affected the fate of the Pirogov Museum. Since 1930 the museum of N. I. Pirogov was under the jurisdiction of the Military Medical Academy, its funds were transferred to several departments of the Academy, and the building of the museum in the 70iеs of the twentieth century was torn down. In 1946 part of the valuable items of Pirogov’s museum became the property of the Military Medical Museum. December 19, 2018 there was a significant event in the history of Russian medicine happened: a grand opening of Pirogov’s museum took place in the Military Medical Museum. At the opening greetings were made by representatives of Pirogov National Medical and Surgical Center (Moscow), Military Medical Academy. S.M. Kirov, Surgical Society, Committee on Culture of St. Petersburg, the Consulate of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, etc. The basis of the exposition of the revived Pirogov’s museum make up the original things of the great surgeon: a hat, a sword belt, a sword hat, a cocked hat, a box made of Karelian birch, a smoking pipe, orders and medals, manuscripts, letters, as well as atlases, medical instruments, lithographic stones, etc.