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Isaac ZhorovSoviet medical scientist, surgeon
Date of Birth: 01.01.1898
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Content:
- Isaac Solomonovich Zhorov: Pioneer of Soviet Anesthesiology
- World War II and Medical Leadership
- Scientific Contributions
- The "Doctors' Plot" and Later Years
- Family and Legacy
Isaac Solomonovich Zhorov: Pioneer of Soviet Anesthesiology
Early Life and CareerIsaac Solomonovich Zhorov was born into a family of craftsmen in Mogilev in 1898. In 1915, he enrolled in a medical school and later served as a rural physician in the German-occupied Mogilev Governorate. Zhorov joined the Red Army in 1918 and participated in the Russian Civil War.
After the war, he was sent to study medicine at Moscow State University, where he became a student of Nikolai Burdenko and Pyotr Hertz. Upon graduation, he served as the chief surgeon at the Moscow hospitals on Basmannaya and Tregornaya. Zhorov established a renowned school of surgery and anesthesiology.
World War II and Medical Leadership
At the outbreak of World War II, Zhorov volunteered for the front. He held the position of chief surgeon for the 31st and later the legendary 33rd Army. In 1941, he was surrounded with his army unit and sustained a concussion. During the occupation, he organized a hospital for locals and prisoners of war. From 1942, he led an underground operation to transfer wounded soldiers to partisans disguised as deceased patients.
After the liberation of his area in 1943, Zhorov was appointed chief surgeon of the 1st Belorussian Front under Marshal Konstantin Rokossovsky. He oversaw medical support for major Soviet offensive operations, including the Battle of Kursk, the Vistula-Oder Offensive, and the Battle of Berlin.
Scientific Contributions
Following the war, Zhorov returned to the First Moscow Medical Institute as the head of the Department of Faculty Surgery. He supervised numerous doctoral and candidate dissertations. Zhorov was elected an honorary member of the Royal College of Surgeons of the United Kingdom, the Society of Anaesthetists of Ireland and Great Britain, and various other medical societies.
He published over 160 scientific papers and seven monographs. His works on the history of anesthesia and general anesthesia in surgery laid the foundation for the first national textbook on the subject. Zhorov's research and innovations in medical technology and anesthesia earned him four medals from the All-Union Exhibition of Achievements of the National Economy.
The "Doctors' Plot" and Later Years
In 1953, Zhorov publicly defended the accused in the notorious "Doctors' Plot." His arrest followed, but he was released after Stalin's death. Zhorov continued his medical and teaching career, becoming a leading figure in Soviet anesthesiology.
Family and Legacy
Isaac Zhorov was married to Princess Elena Petrovna Romanova, a doctor of medical sciences. Their children included Vladimir Isaakovich Zhorov, a professor of medicine, and Irina Isaakovna Zhorov, a cardiologist.
Zhorov passed away in Moscow in 1976 and was buried in the Novodevichy Cemetery. He is remembered as one of the most influential pioneers of Soviet anesthesiology and a man of integrity who stood up for his colleagues during a time of political persecution.
