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Mikhail AverbahRussian and Soviet ophthalmologist, full member of the USSR Academy of Sciences
Date of Birth: 29.05.1872
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Content:
- Early Life and Education
- Medical Career
- Hospital Leadership:
- University and Research:
- Institute Founder:
- Contributions to Ophthalmology
- Notable Achievements
- Patriotic Contribution:
- Legacy
Early Life and Education
Mikhail Iosifovich Averbakh was born into a Jewish merchant family in Mariupol (present-day Ukraine) on February 18, 1873. He excelled in his studies, graduating with a silver medal from the Mariupol Gymnasium in 1890 and from the Medical Faculty of Moscow University in 1895.
Medical Career
Start in Ophthalmology:After earning his medical degree, Averbakh pursued a career in ophthalmology. In 1900, he defended his doctoral dissertation, "On the Dioptrics of Eyes with Various Refractions."
Hospital Leadership:
Averbakh became the chief physician of the V. A. and A. A. Alekseev Eye Hospital in Moscow from 1903 to 1944. Here, he founded the Department of Eye Diseases of the Moscow Higher Women's Courses (later the 2nd Moscow Medical Institute) in 1910 and served as its chairman. He also directed the eye clinic.
University and Research:
From 1904, Averbakh was a private lecturer at Moscow University. He joined the group of professors who resigned in protest in 1911. In 1931, he became the head of the Department of Eye Diseases at the Central Institute for Advanced Medical Studies.
Institute Founder:
In 1935, Averbakh founded the Research Institute of Eye Diseases named after H. Helmholtz, where he served as the first director.
Contributions to Ophthalmology
Averbakh's research focused on various areas of ophthalmology, including eye refraction, eye trauma, blindness, glaucoma, and trachoma. He developed and introduced several new eye surgeries into practice.
Notable Achievements
Awards and Honors:- Honored Scientist of the RSFSR (1933)
- Order of Lenin (1935)
- Stalin Prize, First Degree (1943)
Patient Care:
Averbakh provided medical treatment to Vladimir Lenin and wrote a positive review of his book "On Yelnya" by poet M. V. Isakovsky, who had been his patient.
Patriotic Contribution:
During World War II, Averbakh donated his Stalin Prize to "the fund for the restoration of evacuation hospitals and healthcare in areas liberated by the Red Army from the fascist invaders."
Legacy
Mikhail Iosifovich Averbakh passed away on July 29, 1944. He was buried at the Vvedenskoye Cemetery in Moscow. His contributions to ophthalmology have had a lasting impact on the field, and he is remembered as a pioneer and leader in the discipline.
