Academician Viktor Nikolaevich Shevkunenko (1872-1952) (on the 150th anniversary of the birth)

Abstract

The outstanding Russian scientist and teacher in the field of topographic anatomy and operative surgery, one of the initiators of the creation of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR and its full member (1944), Honored Scientist of the RSFSR (1935), winner of the Stalin Prize of the first degree (1943), Lieutenant General of the Medical Service (1943), Professor (1912) Viktor Nikolayevich Shevkunenko was born on February 17 (29 new style), 1872 in the county town of Mezen, Arkhangelsk province. In 1895, he graduated from the Imperial Military Medical Academy. From 1912 to 1948, he headed the Department of Operative Surgery and Topographic Anatomy of the Academy. V.N. Shevkunenko is the founder of the doctrine of the type and age variability of human anatomy. As a result of many years of research carried out by the staff of the department, atypical forms of the structure and location of organs and anatomical structures were described in detail, optimal accesses and rational technique were justified when performing surgical interventions on different organs, depending on the typical, sexual and age topographic and anatomical features of patients. V.N. Shevkunenko is the founder of a major Russian school in the field of operative surgery and topographic anatomy: 44 of his students became professors. Academician V.N. Shevkunenko died on July 3, 1952 and was buried at the Theological Cemetery in Leningrad.