Academician Vladimir Vasilievich Kovanov (1909–1994) (on the 115th anniversary of his birth)

A prominent Soviet surgeon, a well-known specialist in the field of topographic anatomy, operative and military surgery, a talented scientist and teacher, academician (1963) and vice-president (1966) of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences, honored scientist of the RSFSR (1965), laureate of the USSR State Prize, Rector of the 1st MMI named after I. M. Sechenov (1956–1966), Professor Vladimir Vasilievich Kovanov was born on March 13 (February 28, old style) 1909 in St. Petersburg into a working-class family. In 1931, V. V. Kovanov graduated from the 1st Moscow Medical Institute and continued his postgraduate studies at the Department of Pathological Anatomy under the guidance of Professor A. I. Abrikosova. For medical reasons, he changed his specialization and moved to the Department of Surgery, headed by Academician N. N. Burdenko. During the Great Patriotic War, he worked as a surgeon in a triage hospital in Yaroslavl, in an evacuation hospital in Kazan, then served as the head of the surgical department of the field mobile hospital of the 5th shock army, the chief surgeon of the 44th army and the chief surgeon of the 28th army, in whose ranks he reached to Berlin with the rank of lieutenant colonel in the medical service.

In 1946, V. V. Kovanov defended his doctoral dissertation and in 1947, took the position of head of the department of operative surgery and topographic anatomy of the 1st Moscow Medical Institute named after I. M. Sechenov (1947–1988), from 1956 to 1966, was the rector of this institute, since 1988 – consulting professor. Vladimir Vasilievich was the author and co-author of more than 130 scientific works, including 7 monographs and manuals. His main works were devoted to the treatment of chest wounds, anaerobic infection, traumatic shock, the organization of surgical work in the military area, the anatomy of fascia and cellular spaces, surgery of the heart and blood vessels, organ and tissue transplantation.

V. Kovanov was awarded two Orders of Lenin, the Order of the Red Star, the Order of the Red Banner, two Orders of the Patriotic War of the 1st degree, two Orders of the Patriotic War of the 2nd degree, the Order of the October Revolution, the Order of the Red Banner of Labor, six medals, and many badges of honor. Academician of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences V. V. Kovanov died on February 22, 1994 in Moscow and was buried at the Troekurovskoye cemetery.

1. Nikolaev A. V., Rudenko T. G. Academician V. V. Kovanov. Pages of biography (1909–1994). Moscow, 2009. 183 p.

2. Kovanov V. V. Vocation: About life and about yourself. 2nd ed., add. Moscow, Politizdat, 1973. 559 p.

3. Military everyday life of surgeon Kovanov. Experimental and clinical gastroenterology. 2013. № 8. P. 84–86.

4. Kovanov V. V., Bomash Yu. M. A practical guide to topographic anatomy. 2nd ed. Moscow, Medicine, 1967. 424 p.

5. Practical guide to operative surgery for subordinates / eds by academician, prof. V. V. Kovanov. Moscow, Medicine, 1971. 383 p.

6. Operative surgery and topographic anatomy / eds by V. V. Kovanov. 4th ed., supplemented. Moscow, Medicine, 2001. 408 p.