Zelman Vladimir Lazarevich, you call the pioneer of neuroanesthesiology. You - one of the best anesthesiologists of America. Direct one hundred resuscitators in hospital. Participate in the international projects on brain studying. Live on an ocean coast, at last. Why to you these trips to Siberia? That do you want to achieve?
Zelman Vladimir Lazarevich: my arrival is a part of a lot of work over the important project. We created the first in Russian Federation mirror chair of anesthesiology and resuscitation - it will work at the same time at Institute of medicine and psychology of NSU and university South State of California where I work. The remote course of lectures for students of NSU is organized - they will be read by leading scientists of university from United States of America. The head of the department - my friend, professor Astrakov Sergei, the chief physician of Novosibirsk hospital N 25 which becomes clinical base of the project.
the Mirror chair is an association of two establishments which "being reflected" in each other, multiply own advantages. This reflection of the points of view, discussion of new solutions of problems of modern, difficult molecular medicine. The university in the Novosibirsk Campus and its faculty which has become institute, has special mission.
Ya did a bit of traveling on the world, but anywhere did not see such unique scientific conglomerate as the Campus - here more than thirty research institutes, are the lifesciences complex, and here the special atmosphere of creativity. the second medical institute - in the Campus, for training of doctors-researchers, doctors innovators is certainly necessary to Novosibirsk, and the director of Institute of medicine and psychology Pokrovsky Andrey - enthusiasts of creation of this program. And we hope that, having ended training, graduates will gain here not only the diploma of the doctor, but also degree of "doctor of philosophy" - to Russian Federation it corresponds to the candidate of science.
I am proud ofYa of that the destiny connected me with Novosibirsk. Sixty four years ago I arrived here from Ukraine and still I consider that I was very lucky. Therefore I try to be useful to this city.
As you appeared in Siberia?
Zelman Vladimir Lazarevich: I was born in the small Skvyra, my father was a carrier. Almost all our relatives were lost during a fascist Holocaust, and we incidentally escaped. And, having endured it, I, having graduated from school, left for five thousand kilometers from the house, though to Kiev - only hundred kilometers and as much to Vinnytsia. But the way there to me was closed." Yours ridna mova - not Ukrainian", - spoke to me and refused to admit to institute. Now there is the same.
byA why chose Novosibirsk, instead of Moscow, for example?
Zelman Vladimir Lazarevich: It is a case. My brother served here in army. And my cousin wrote to it in the letter that Zelman Vladimir Lazarevich dreams to become a doctor, but his dream, unfortunately, will not be carried out. And it went to zampolitu. And that moved it to the rector of Novosibirsk medical institute - to Zalessky Grigory. Certainly, they did not tell it why ask for me - then about "the fifth point" were silent. Told so: the pier, here this guy wants to remain here on extra urgent, and it has a brother who graduated from school with a medal (me gave a silver medal, instead of gold, all because of the same "movy"). The rector answered:" Generally we take medallists without examinations. Let sends documents".
Having gained the diploma, I worked as the anesthesiologist at institute Meshalkin Eugenie Nikolaevich. Here worked very interesting, unique - and not only for the USSR - the program. I even would tell that it in many respects outstripped about what now speak in America and about what the American doctors give lectures. Meshalkin Eugenie Nikolaevich thought up ten-day campaigns of warm surgery. That is, as now speak, "carrying out of the advanced technologies out of establishment limits". Heart operations, diagnostics, nursing - experience which surgeons of institute had, was transferred to other doctors of the country.
We left crews to the different cities. As a part of one of such crews I arrived to Tyumen where at that time started creating medical institute. Then the anesthesiology was new specialty, me invited, and I organized an anesthesiology course in the Tyumen honey, became the associate professor. Working there, I also was the doctor of sanitary aircraft - on An-2 we flied from Tyumen to Tobolsk, Khanty-Mansiysk, Urengoy. By the way, "Zelman's bag" is still stored in the Tyumen university: set of the anesthesiologist which we took aboard. By the way, there we for the first time used the helicopter in sanitary aircraft - with an emergency situation we were helped by geologists.
On the work organization at the USSR's first conference of anesthesiologists in June, 1965 in Moscow. And me suggested to remain in the capital. Employed, gave the apartment and a registration. I worked at institute of improvement of doctors, at institute of a name of Burdenko and was also the consultant of so-called "Kremlin" medical management. On one of consultations by the patient there was a doctor Khammer Armand - the well-known billionaire and the great friend Soviet Union. And he invited me to work for him as the personal doctor.
As you treated such offer? In the USSR who had personal doctors - only at Lenin and Stalin, probably?
Zelman Vladimir Lazarevich: All heads of states have personal doctors, this requirement protocols. And Khammer Armand was a figure unique. In the 1920th years it arrived to Russian Federation as the infectiologist. It, of course, had a desire to look that such revolution, after all the father Khammer Armand was a communist. Here he understood that as the doctor hardly will be able to bring big benefit to the country where does not suffice not that some drugs, even bread. It organized deliveries grains to Russian Federation, got acquainted with Lenin which was called by his companion Khammer Armand.
As you decided on moving to United States of America?
Zelman Vladimir Lazarevich: Khammer Armand asked: "Than I can thank you?" I told that would like to look as in America the medicine is organized. After a while Khammer Armand arrived to us home, on Altayskaya Street, on a limousine - it was called then "chlenovoz", by ZIL-110. To look all neighbors ran together - thought, it is any catafalque. Khammer Armand leaves and very carefully asks: "And who will go with you? " - "I one". - "Well. I to you write out the ticket in one party". I almost begged: "The doctor Khammer Armand, at me is not present money on the return road! " And then he speaks bad Russian: "I did not think that you such fool! I invite you to work! "
the Wife asked me "not to give in toon provocation". But I asked council friends - the academician Fedorov Svyatoslav and the neurosurgeon Kandel Edouard. They told: "If Khammer Armand invites, it is dangerous to refuse to him... "
Why it is dangerous?
Zelman Vladimir Lazarevich: When I left, people in the civilian told me at parting:" Only to the companion Khammer Armand we will present you". It had then very big weight in the USSR. And the 1929th year Stalin planned to kill Khammer Armand, but it had communications in People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs, and he was warned that it is necessary to leave. He ran away and to the middle of the 1950th did not appear in the USSR. It had personal letters from Lenin, and once it made from them copies and transferred to the ambassador of the USSR in America. Told: "Perhaps, will be useful". When them showed to Suslov who was the secretary of the Central Committee on ideology, he exclaimed "Same is unique! Where companion Khammer Armand?" - "In America". - "Let comes".
Khammer Armand used the influence for the organization of summits - Khrushcheva with Kennedy, Carter with Brezhnev. And to the death (in 1990, at 92-year age) played large role in policy.
you go in many years for medicine. What do you consider as the most important event in it for this period?
Zelman Vladimir Lazarevich: the largest breakthrough during my activity was the Genome of the Person project. In 2000 I had a lecture "Human Genome and Health of the Person": I expected that there will be tremendous revolutionary shifts in concept of pathology already on molecular, instead of at cellular level. And it will furnish to doctors the clue to diagnostics, especially early, and to how to use it at influence on genetic mutations. New methods of early diagnostics and interruption or correction of pathological process need to be looked for at genetic level.
Today there are technologies who allow at the level of arising cages after fertilization if parents have a being descended pathology, are simple to take out these "damaged" parts and to relieve all subsequent generations of this problem. However we only at the beginning of a way: now technologies at molecular level can glitch and lead to new pathology therefore it is not authorized to use them yet. But in some years the choice of mutating "slices" becomes more exact.
Improvement of such technologies - as well as time also is a task of doctors innovators about which need of education I already spoke.
Zelman Vladimir Lazarevich: The legend, or even a joke goes, - Khammer Armand itself liked it to tell. Somehow it arrived on Red Square and wanted to visit the mausoleum. There were six o'clock in the evening. The patrol did not let it - were closed in four. He asked to call the commandant and showed it the telegram with the text: "Companion Khammer Armand! You can visit me at any time". The signature - Lenin. Khammer Armand speaks - see? At any time! And I came to it only in the evening.