Moscow Medical Institute, First

(full name, I. M. Sechenov First Moscow Medical Institute), one of the oldest and largest medical schools and medical centers in the USSR.

The institute was founded in 1755 as the medical faculty of Moscow University (teaching at the faculty began in 1764). The first Russian medical professors, S. G. Zybelin and P. D. Veniaminov, trained for teaching at the medical faculty of Moscow University under M. V. Lomonosov. In 1930 the faculty was reorganized into the First Medical Institute, which in 1955 was named in honor of I. M. Sechenov. Such scientists as M. Ia. Mudrov, G. A. Zakhar’in, E. O. Mukhin, A. A. Ostroumov, F. I. Inozemtsev, V. A. Basov, N. V. Sklifosovskii, I. M. Sechenov, A. A. Bobrov, P. I. D’iakonov, A. Ia. Kozhevnikov, S. S. Korsakov, N. F. Filatov, V. F. Snegirev, G. I. Rossolimo, N. A. Semashko, A. I. Abrikosov, M. N. Shaternikov, A. V. Martynov, M. P. Konchalovskii, N. N. Burdenko, A. L. Miasnikov, V. N. Vinogradov, N. N. Elanskii, and D. A. Zhdanov have contributed to the establishment and development of the institute’s scientific schools.

In 1973 the institute included medical-treatment, hygiene, and pharmacy departments; departments for the advanced training of instructors at medical institutes and for the advanced training of pharmacists; an evening divison; a graduate school; and an internship and a residency. There were also 75 subdepartments, including 15 in institute clinics (2, 300 beds) and ten in clinics at municipal hospitals (over 10, 000 beds), a research institute, four special problem laboratories, six interclinic and one central research laboratory, an all-Union methodological center for laboratory research, and a library with about 700, 000 volumes.

In the 1972–73 academic year the institute had about 8, 000 students; about 1, 000 instructors and researchers, including two academicians of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR; 27 academicians and corresponding members of the Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR; 26 Honored Scientific Workers; 190 professors and doctors of sciences; and over 700 docents and candidates of sciences. Among the leading professors of the institute are B. V. Petrovskii, P. K. Anokhin, V. Kh. Vasilenko, Iu. F. Dombrovskaia, V. V. Kovanov, S. R. Mardashev, A. I. Strukov, V. I. Struchkov, E. M. Tareev, N. Iu. Tarasenko, N. A. Preobrazhenskii, and L. S. Persianinov.

The institute accept doctoral and candidate’s dissertations for defense. It publishes collections of scientific works. Since it was founded, the institute (faculty) has educated about 63, 000 specialists, including 12, 500 before the October Revolution of 1917. It was awarded the Order of Lenin in 1940 and the Order of the Red Banner of Labor in 1965.