Nikolay Amosov. Autobiography.
All my forefathers were peasants. I was born on December 6, 1913.
My mother was midwife in a northern Russian village, not far away from
the town of Cherepovets. My father went off for a war in 1914 and when
he came back, he soon left his family. We lived very poorly: my mother
never accepted gifts from her patients. She served as an example to me all
my life. My grandmother taught me to pray, the farming - to work, and
loneliness - to read books. When I became a young pioneer, I ceased to
believe in God and learned about socialism (However, my party career was
reduced only to the young pioneer organization - I never entered neither
Komsomol or any other party). From my childhood I got to know the life
of a northern Russian village. Since 12 to 18 years of age I went to school
in Cherepovets, then I studied at a mechanical vocational college, after
graduation of which I became a mechanical engineer. My life was poor and
lonely. I missed home, read a lot of classical literature.
In autumn 1932 I began to work in the city of Arkhangelsk as a shift
master at the power station by a large saw-mill, a new building project of
the first five-year plan. I worked well. In 1934 I married Galya Soboleva
and began to study by correspondence at the Industrial Institute. At the
same year my mother died.
In 1935 together with my wife I entered the Arkhangelsk Medical
College. Within the first year of study I managed to learn the program of
two years. All the time I gave private lessons. I made the good
acquaintance of Vadim E.Lashkarev, an exiled professor of physics. He opened
for me the world of parapsychology. In 1939 I graduated the college and
obtained a distinction. I wished to further devote myself to physiology but
had to learn surgery at the post-graduate course.
At the same time I went on with my study by correspondence at the
Industrial Institute. I chose for my diploma the project of a large aeroplane
with a steam turbine. I spent a lot of my time, developing this project and
hoped that it would be admitted to production, but it was not. Instead, in
1940 I obtained a distinction engineer diploma.
In the meantime, I was not satisfied with my post-graduate course, my
love was over, I was bored with my family life without children. We
discussed the situation with Galya and decided to live separately for a
while.
I left Arkhangelsk and became employed as a surgeon in a hospital
my native Cherepovets. I had learned to perform ordinary operations in
abdominal cavity. My interest in physiology developed into reflections on
thinking mechanisms, on interaction of constitution regulative systems.
The notebooks with my "ideas" I keep up to now.
My political convictions were formed: I acknowledged socialism, but
my attitude towards communist leadership was bad and I did not want to go
to the Army. Evidently, I was influenced by the bitter experience of my
family: my mother's brother and sister perished in concentration
camps.
On June 22, 1941 the Patriotic War began. I worked in mobilization
comission and soon was appointed a leading surgeon in Field Mobile
Hospital ("PPG-22-66 on horse traction").
In this hospital I served in the same position during the whole war
with Germany and Japan.
This field hospital was supposed to accommodate 200 wounded men.
Its overall staff consisted of 80 people, among them 5 doctors plus, 22
horses.
War events I would describe in brief. In the summer and autumn of
1941 we treated light- wounded men in Sukhinichi. In October, the
Germans broke through the front line and we retreated behind Moscow in
the town of Egorievsk. There I experienced my first defeat: a wounded man
died of gas-gangrene because of my own mistake.
I made the acquaintance of A.A.Bocharov, the chief surgeon of
hospitals (Our frienship continued up to his death in 1970).
In December 1941 our offensive by Moscow started. The hospital
worked at the rear of front - in Podolsk and then in Kaluga. Our staff got
enlarged, we were given a larger premises and a number of beds reached
500.We had to work very hard: there were a lot of heavy-wounded men.
Basic problems: gas-gangrene (amputations were performed), joint wounds
and thigh fractures, which were treated with plasters. There were a lot of
deaths and nervous shocks. Then I elaborated my own operation methods,
reducing the death-rate. I wrote my first dissertation and presented it to the
Moscow Medical Institute. I had never seen any dissertation before.
In January 1943 we got an order to reduce the hospital to 200 beds
and to move to Briansk front, to 48 Army.
The villiage Ugolnaya, cut by a snowstorm from a highway became
our first trial. About six hundred wounded men were laid up in cold
peasant houses waiting for some medical treatment. Our five doctors hardly
examined them, trying to avoid blooding or gas-gangrene and to have time
to send them in a sledge to the dressing tent. The death-rate was high. We
were all very depressed.
During all that year our PPG followed after the attacking troops. The
working conditions were very hard: we had to perform operations in tents
(villiages were demolished), without electric ligh, working practically
without rest.
Gradually, we adjusted ourselved to those conditions: had learned to
sort, to dress, to operate, to treat and to evacuate wounded men. The
majority of wounded men were brought from the front line by passing
trucks and we sent them to "second-line hospitals" towards railway to
transport them to the home front.
So was going on till the end of 1943. Our hospital was located at the
large Ukrainian village Khorobichi, near the railway station. Frozen
wounded men were brought from the front line 100 km away from the
hospital with the colums of open trucks, returning from the front line. We
accommodated only the severe wounded-men and those who was able to
move were sent to another hospital, located at the neighbouring villiage.
When a hospital train came, we were in charged of 2300 wounded-men
who were accommodated in the neighbouring school and in about 400
peasants houses. The local peasant-women helped a lot to our temporary
hospital attendants from the light-wounded, whom we detained for the
period of their treatment. We have organized our work in Khorobichi very
well: sorting of wounded by the first examination, doctors' rounds and
bandaging at home, prompt delivery to operation departments. This helped
us to avoid (almost avoid!) deaths caused by "missed" bloodings and acute
infections. Starting from December, hospital trains operated more or less
regularly and we sent almost all wounded-men to the home front.
The year 1944 went on relatively slightly. We met it in the Buda
villiage, near Gomel. We located our hospital at the restored villiage school
and got about five hundred beds together, including hospital tents. Hospital
trains operated regularly and we experienced no difficulties by the
evacuation.
There, one event happened: I married our operating dresser Lida
Denisenko. She volunteerd to the war after the third year of study at
pedagogical college and served at the medical and sanitary battalion. In
autumn 1941 her division was encircled and Lida with a group of soldiers
had been rambling through forests for a month. Partisans helped them to
cross the front-line. From Moscow she was sent to us. She was an excellent
dresser and a pretty girl. Our romance lasted out for half a year till we
married in the town of Rechitsa. Still before our marriage I got a letter from
Galya: she was serving at the North Navy, she married and was expecting a
child.
In Buda I got a message from Moscow, that my dissertation was
received unfavorable comments: so far, my research was not a
success.
We met our troops summer break-through in the town of Pirevichi.
There were not plenty of wounded-men. The troops moved fast forward
and we managed to catch up with the front only in autumn in Poland. After
some removals, accompanied by hard work, we approached the Eastern
Prussia's frontier.
We met the new 1945 in forest, in earth-houses. On January 15, the
last offensive for Germany started. The German defense was quickly
broken through; we received about two hundred wounded-men, dressed
them, put plasters and send them away.
A few times we crossed the territory of Eastern Prussia, mostly not
working. The conditions were excellent: all Germans left the country,
towns and villages were empty, there was plenty of household equipment
("captured material").
In the town of Elbing we met the Victory Day, having 18 heavy
wounded.
We were awarded with war medals and decorations in the army
headquarters; had been waiting for a month for determination of our further
destiny, then we handed over our horses, entrained and went home.
However, when we crossed Volga, our hopes for demobilization wasted
away. We saw military echelons moving continuously eastwards and
everybody talked about the coming war with Japan. After a month journey
through the whole Russia, we detrained in Coastal Region. Shortly after, I
found Bocharov, who served as the head surgeon of the Army arrived from
the West, as well as ours.
In August the war was declared. We received about ten lightly-
wounded at the frontier and moved to Manchuria. But then, the Americans
dropped nuclear bombs and Japan had capitulated. After some marches, we
placed our hospital at the town of Boli and even received some wounded-
men after a short battle with Japanese-soldiers-self-murderers.
In September we were transferred to Vladivostok region. Here, within
a month, the hospital was disbanded: first the hospital attendants left, then
staff nurses and female-doctors.
Thus, the glorious way of PPG 22-66 had ended.
During the war-years I grew into an experienced surgeon, able to
perform operations on any part of human body. I especially succeed in
treating breast wounds and thigh fractures. Unfortunately, overworking,
continuous leaving for another places and the need to evacuate wounded-
men did not permit to put the matter to an end to get full satisfaction.
I have kept all my notices and reports of the war period. From fresh
memory, being still in the Far East, I wrote some research works, my
second dissertation, and thirty years later-my memoirs: "PPG 22-66".
We had to do with more than forty thousand wounded-men. Almost
half of them were heavy-and seriously wounded: bones injuries,
penetrative breast,-abdomen and skull wounds. More than seven hundred
of them died: enormous cemetery, provided, all graves would have been
put together. There were graves of those, who died because of my own
mistakes.
My opinion on war
Disgraceful begin of the war laid on the conscience of Stalin and his
general stab, headed by Zhukov. It was enough forces in 1941 to organize
all-round defense: but there were no organization . Further, in the course of
war, the victories of Russians were won with enormous losses, 3-4 times
exceeding the casualties of Germans. It could not be excused, because,
after 1942 the cause of war had been already predetermined: we produced a
few times more weapons than Germany, allies helped us and we still
possessed manpower. Undoubted Party achievement was organization of
home front: evacuation of plants to the east of the country and steady
raising of the rate of production. Soldiers and officers performed their feat
of arms. The citizens at the home front worked also excellent. In general,
the war had consolidated the people and allowed for some time even to
forget about former mass repressions. But soon we were reminded on it.
All our former prisoners of war were send to concentration camps.
After the PPG-22-66 had been disbanded, me and Lida were sent to
another hospital and again we happened to be in Manchuria and treated
typhus-ill Japanese in a camp for war-prisoners. There we met the new
1946, but already in February Bocharov recalled me and appointed me as
an attending physician to the District hospital. At that time I met Kirill
Simonjan - we were friends with him till his death.
A young male doctor was able to leave army, stationed in the Far East
only through good connections. When in summer 1946, we went to our
vocations to Moscow, Bocharov gave me a letter to the academician
S.Yudin, requesting for a help. Yudin refused to help me. But I was saved
by the minister of medical industry thanks to my engineering diploma. He
addressed my military authorities with a request, to let me leave the army
for the ministry. It turned out efficacious. Then Yudin promised to help me
get a job at the Sklifosofskiy Institute. To settle retiring formalities I had to
go again to the Far East. There, in expectation of retirement I wrote one
more (already my third) dissertation about knee-joint wounds.
Lida was reinstated in the teacher's training college and I was
appointed by Yudin to manage an operating department: there was a lot of
standing equipment: problem to solve for an engineer. I got the ration and
food cards at the military registration and enlistment office. We rented a
room of 4 m2 large.
But we stayed in Moscow only till March, 1947. I did not like my job:
technical equipment was of no interest for me and I was not involved in
operating.
I was bored to watch another surgeons performing operations.
Without surgery Moscow was of no attraction for me. I decided to leave
the city.
Our former head staff nurse from Briansk L.Bukova helped me to find
another job. I was appointed as the chief regional surgeon and a department
head of the regional hospital. I could have hardly dreamed on such a
position!
Briansk. Six years there have gone like in a fairy-tale. Excellent job,
excellent people: I was supported by the doctors, former medical officer-
surgeons, as well as by the hospital management. But work was the main
thing. I performed quiet a number of new surgeries: on stomach,-gullet,
kidney, etc. But the most important was lung resections in case of abscess,
cancer and tuberculosis. I had never observed them before. I developed my
own surgery system and within four years I had operated more people than
other surgeons in the Soviet Union.
The work in province together with regional surgeons was also very
interesting: I had to control and to teach. I made a lot of business trips,
carried out conferences, performed demonstrative surgeries. I had gained
authority, though initially I was indecently young for such position.
I defended my thesis (the third one) in 1948 in Gorkiy. A year later I
chose the subject for my doctor's thesis "Lung resection by tuberculosis".
I used to perform a lot of surgeries and in 1952 my doctor's thesis was
ready. After listening to my report at the Chest Surgery Conference in
Moscow, the academician Bakulev had approved my work.
Lida worked as a senior dresser and graduated the teacher's training
college by correspondence. However, she was not going to work as a
teacher. She used to say: "I would like to be a surgeon!"
Now I came across Kiev: I made a report at the Tuberculosis Institute
and performed some demonstrative surgeries. The director A.C.Mamolat
invited me to work together, the minister promised to open one more
department at the disabled veteran's hospital.
I hated to leave Briansk! But what should I do? My wife entered the
Kiev Medical College. There were no chances for me to obtain quick
promotion in Briansk region. I took a decision and in November 1952 we
moved to Kiev.
Kiev. At first, I disliked everything: my flat - one room; surgery was
poor, very few patients, assistants were lazy. I felt miserable here, used to
go to Briansk to perform surgery. But step by step my problems got settled.
In 1953 I defended my doctor's thesis. I was elected to a chair at the
Medical Institute, though not by a total majority of votes. There was a new
clinic, complicated patients, speeches at the surgeon society. Two of my
assistants came from Briansk. My living conditions were improved. The
work started to progress.
In January 1955, I made a report on lung surgery at the congress in
Moscow: it was a success. Then I began to perform simple heart surgeries.
Lida studied normally.
I made my reports at the congresses in Rumania and
Chechoslovakia.
In 1956 one event occurred: my daughter Katya was born. Lida's
pregnancy proceeded with complications, therefore Cesarean section was
performed. Before, in twenty years of my family life I had never felt a
need for children. Lida insisted to have a child. But when I first saw this
tiny, red, fragile creature, I realized: my freedom had ended, I would never
run away. No sirens would ever succeed in seducing me.
That year we were provided with a three-room flat, the first flat in my
life equipped with a bathroom and a toilet.
In 1958 Lida graduated the medical institute. Her dream to become a
surgeon had fulfilled, she performed even lung surgeries. Unfortunately,
seven years later her mother got cerebral haemorrhage, and was paralysed
for three years. Lida would have to nurse her and had to take more easier
work-physiotherapy.
The year 1957 was of great importance: in January the clinic moved
to a new two-storied building and in autumn I went to the surgeons'
congress in Mexico. There I watched a heart surgery with ABCS (artificial
blood circulation system) and became very enthusiastic about it. Since it
was impossible to purchase this system, I developed a similar system of my
own design - it was manufactured at the factory-at last my engineering
knowledge proved useful. A year later, the experiments on dogs were
carried out and by the end of the year we tested the system on one patient,
whose heart stopped during an ordinary surgery. The patient died. After
that, we experimented with it one more year. In 1959 a boy with an inborn
heart disease, so-called "Fallo's pad" was successfully operated.
Starting from 1958, our " cybernetics" began. First, it was a
laboratory for working through ABCS -surgeries, then physiological heart
investigations were added, involving engineers and mathematicians. A
special department was organized at the Institute of Cybernetics where a
team of enthusiasts worked
Within the next decade there were formed the following research
trends, initiated still in Cherepovets: 1. Regulatory systems of organism -
from blood chemistry through endocrine and nervous system to cerebral
cortex. 2. Brain mechanism and Artificial Intellect (AI). 3. Psychology and
personality models. 4.Sociology and society models. 5.Global problems of
mankind. Every trend was investigated, their computer models were made,
articles relating to the subject were published. About twenty dissertations
were defended, five monographs and a lot of brochures were issued. The
team had come apart in nineties, only one AI- group went on with its work
and I have been on friendly terms with these people up to now.
In 1962 together with the academician Kupriyanov I went for a trip
through US clinics: we became acquainted with the famous heart-
surgeons, such as Liliheim, Kirklin, Blaloke and others. We watched a lot
of new surgeries. Some of them have been kept in my own arsenal, others
came to the sad end. In particular, when using nylon tissue in aorta valve
surgery, we lost five of our eight patients. It was a real drama.
That year, the artificial valve problem was of supreme importance.
The American Starr invented a ball-valve. In our laboratory we built up our
own model, made of half-sphere but supplemented with a special anti-
thrombus edging. It's interesting, that Mr.Starr invented the same and
almost simultaneously with us.
Starting from 1962, the rise of my career began, at once in various
directions. And what's funny, without any efforts from my part: I
conformed sacred to Bulgakov's rule : "Never beg for anything".
I brief here my career achievements.
At the beginning of 1962 I was elected to the Academy of Medical
Sciences as a Corresponding Member. The president Bakulev himself
proposed my candidature. Then I was awarded Lenin Prize along with four
lung surgeons. The next promotion, absolutely unexpected: I was elected a
deputy to the Supreme Soviet of the USSR. Here, how it was: I was
summoned to the Regional Party Committee and told: "There is an opinion
to propose you as a deputy. People would back it up." I tried to refuse
carefully, in fact, I wouldn't like it, but feared to insist: the Party towered
over all of us! One wouldn't allowed to work in case of losing Party's
favor.
I had been a deputy for four terms. I was not burdened by sittings - 2-
3 days twice a year: sit, listen and vote unanimously. But there was one
important duty: to receive people and to help them with their problems. I
worked it off fair: once a week I used to receive 4-10 people, who mostly
appealed to me because of their bad living conditions. I wrote applications
to the authorities and strange though, but in half cases it worked. Those
were painful receptions: I had heard plenty of heart-breaking human stories
in addition to my surgical misfortunes. The total deputy's income
amounted to 60 rubles per day, only once I went with my daughter to a
seaside resort. Truth to say, I was provided with free fare, but instead I
gave up my travel allowance at my institute.
To avoid further mentioning of my ranks and awards, I enumerate at
once all my subsequent ones: 1969 - academician of the Ukrainian
Academy of Sciences. Then -three State Prizes of Ukraine: for surgery and
cybernetics. When I was 60, I was given the rank of the Hero of Socialist
Labor . Then I was awarded with Lenin -and October Revolution Order.
Not counting, four war decorations, Honorary scientist title. So kindly
treated the Party a non-party man. But I never put decorations on my
jacket.
My conscience is clear: never promised, never lied, never sang the
praises of communists. The same is true about my patients: I never
accepted gifts and even in my clinic's hall there hung the instruction:
"Please do not make any presents to the staff, except flowers". As to my
selfish opposition to authorities, truth to say, I never rose in real opposition
to them. Rebellious books from abroad I used to bring a great many, using
my deputy immunity, but I kept them locked up.
Had I been a "soviet man"? Most likely I had still been. I never
wanted to change socialism for capitalism. I envied my western colleagues
with regard to their working conditions, but I never intended to leave the
country. In spite of the communist leaders, our society seemed to be more
human. The rights of poor people for work, pension, social insurance,
medical treatment, education, almost rent-free lodging and transport
seemed to be more important, than freedom of press and demonstrations
against government. They are needed only to a small group of intellectuals.
The real state of "the working masses" in the West I got to know much
later. The revision of my political views happened already after
Gorbachov's "perestroyka" (reorganization).
Writer. Once, in autumn 1962 after the death under surgery of one sick
girl, I felt very bad. I wished to get drunk and to complain to somebody. I
got down to describe that day. I amended my manuscript many times.
Waited for an opportunity. Had my doubts. A month later, I read it first to
my friend, the writer Dold-Mikhailik. Then, to my surgeon friend, later, to
another person. Everybody liked it very much. So appeared "The first day"
in the future book "Thoughts and Heart". Dold helped me to publish it in
one magazine in Kiev. Then it appeared in "Nauka i Zhyzn" magazine.
Later it was published as a book. Then, in "Roman-gazeta", etc. It was just
a great success. The American writer of Russian origin Sent-George
translated it into English From English the book was translated practically
into all European languages. In total, it was published more than thirty
times. But I was not paid well: the Union did not sign the copyright
convention. Famous I became, bur rich - no.
I liked it: I still continue to write, though now not so successfully. My
five books of fiction were published: "Thoughts and Heart", "Notes from
Future", "PPG-22-66", "The Book on Happiness and Misfortune". The last
one - "Voices of Time" was published on the occasion of my 85-th
anniversary. To this list one should add one more book "Thoughts on
Health" - summary of my "System of Restrictions and Physical Exercises"
Together with popular magazines its edition has reached seven million
copies. About as many, as "Thoughts and Heart".
In summer 1963 one was shocked by terrible disaster: a chamber
explosion. The 2 x1,5 m-chamber was manufactured for conducting
experiments and performing surgeries in case of anoxaemia. A
manufacturing plant made a gross mistake: the chamber was filled with
oxygen under pressure of 2 atmospheres. Physiologists from the institute of
cybernetics experimented there with dogs. Three or four times, some
patients were treated there. I personally participated once in such
experiment. Inside the chamber there was one electric measuring
instrument. An explosive sparkle ignition had evidently taken place. Two
girls-experimentalists were badly burn and died a few hours later. The case
was under investigation but wouldn't taken into court.
I felt myself guilty: I committed carelessness, without going into the
root of the matter. I had taken it very hard. I blame myself bitterly up to
now.
Later, one more chamber was manufactured, but this time in open air.
Some patients with after-surgery complications were treated there, but not
very successfully.
Heart transplantation. When Bernar had performed a heart
transplantation, it was a challenge for all heart-surgeons. I was fully aware
of the fact, that I was not up to the world standard, but nevertheless, I
decided to make an attempt. Surgical technique seemed not to be very
complicated. I read through relevant materials, thought everything over and
we started our preparations. The basic problem was to find a donor. A
beating heart by a damaged brain was needed. An order was made to the
ambulance service to deliver us wounded people with severe skull injuries:
we would intend to investigate a case and to take a heart for
transplantation, provided a brain was dead. No problem to find a recipient:
there were patients with myocarditis affection, who were expected to die
soon.
A sterile ward and a small operating room were prepared. We started
our experiments with dogs:we succeeded in transplanting a heart and saw it
working. But not very long, only a few hours.
We found a recipient and were waiting for a donor. Two weeks later a
young woman after a car accident was delivered : her heart was still
working but her head was badly damaged. The encephalogram showed a
straight line . The conference of neuropathologists had decided: brain was
dead. The woman's relatives were found: their consent was needed. The
mother was certainly crying her the husband was silent. A painful talk took
place. The relatives asked us to wait: "And what , if she will not die, her
heart is beating isn't it?" ABCS-system was prepared to bring the heart
back to life; should it begin stopping. We had been waiting for some hours,
before it became clear-it was useless. It is impossible to transplant a dying
heart. I had no courage to put pressure upon the relatives. I had backed
down, no more attempts were made. It was clear, I could not ever step over
psychological barrier.
The Academy constructed a new apartment house, honorable
academicians moved there, and we were provided with a flat in an old
house: 85 meters, four rooms with high ceiling. We renovated the flat,
purchased furniture, book shelves. I put all books from entresol (they
amounted to 6-7 thousands) and arranged them in my room; on the vacant
wall I put two paintings and the room turned into an intellectual professor's
study. Up to now I like it.
In 1970 Katya entered the medical institute,at the age of 15 years: she
managed to pass in one tear the exams for three school years of
study.
The love for my daughter was the strongest feeling of my life. I
brought her up by the following scientific approach: at the age of three
years, she learned to read, from the age of four began to learn English.
Visiting of theatres, museums, exhibitions, trips to Moscow, Leningrad,
even to Germany. But the most important: heart-to-heart talks and
love.
Not everything went off smoothly: after her first college year, Katya
got nervous exhaustion.
Moscow doctors nearly cured her to death with psychotropic means. I
cut it in, took her back home, canceled everything and took her as a nurse-
dresser to my clinic. Katya had straightened herself up, but lost one
year.
I list here the most important about Katya. She married in her last
year of study, obtained a distinction diploma, made post-graduate
therapeutics course, defended her Ph.D. thesis, then, at the age of 33 -
thesis for a Doctor's degree. She born a daughter, Aniyuta, got a chair,
wrote four books and plenty of articles, trained about twenty candidates for
a degree. The last event: in 2000 she was elected a Corresponding Member
of the Medical Academy. Her husband is a professor of surgery. So is my
daughter like that. I am proud of her.
In the same 1970 year one more event happened. Lida got a dog,
doberman pincher, a bitch, three months old. We called it Chury. I did not
need a dog. Lida got it for herself. However, I had to go for a walk with the
dog and it became like a close friend for me. In its ninth year of life it
became first pregnant, couldn't be delivered, I performed surgery at home,
the puppies were dead. The dog had died of pneumonia. For three days we
nursed her. We took it very hard. And immediately after, we got a similar
dog, Chury, the Second. It lived for ten years. We also were very fond of it.
The dog had died of cancer and suffered a lot. We never again dared to
take another dog: too much sufferings when they die of.
Chury induced me to jog, to reasonably use the walking time.
Physical training for me is one of the life basics. I have to tell one
story. In my early childhood I grew up alone and had no "program" of
physical training. The manual labour made me stronger, but not adroit: I
was not taught to swim, dance or ride bicycle. I used to run away from
physical training classes both in my school and in my college. But I have
always been in good health. In the war, I first went through radiculitis
seizure, which was recurred again and again, evidently, due to long
operation procedures. In 1954 it became entirely bad: X-ray photography
showed dorsal changes. Then I developed my physical training system: 10
exercises per 100 movements each. It helped. Thanks to Chury, my
morning jogging was added. The system was also supplemented by food
restrictions: I strictly kept my weight of no more than 54 kg. I thought
through the health physiology and got "The regimen of restrictions and
physical exercises" - the favorite subject for audience. My lecturing is to
be mentioned specially. I took to public lecturing at the end of sixties. I
was evidently flattered by applause and by an opportunity to talk on the
verge of permissible - I hoped that my deputy status would protect me
from KGB. First, I spoke in public on behalf of "Znaniye" (Knowledge)
Society, and after I had become famous, I was invited everywhere: to
Moscow, Leningrad, Baltics. I had visited all regions of Ukraine and used
to make three lectures per day. The subjects varied from "health problems"
to "socialism" and "artificial intellect". I was paid 40 rubles per one
lecture, which I mostly spent for my "gentleman's needs".
My book "Thought on Health", mentioned already, was written due to
my public lecturing.
New clinic. At the end of 60-s the building of our two-storied clinic
became too small for us. The authorities decided to construct another more
spacious building. The design project had been developed for a long time.
In 1972 the construction started and in three years was finished. It was a
large spacious five-storied building for 350 beds with some operating
rooms and conference hall. The old building was re-equipped into
policlinic, X-ray photography-department and drugstore. The medical staff
of the clinic was enlarged by graduates of the medical college. By the year
1980, about 2000 surgeries were performed, among which 600 - with
ABCS (artificial blood circulation system).
However, I was not pleased with the results of surgeries; I was in bad
mood, though I performed surgeries every day.
In 1981 Lida purchased a decent summer cottage in a village, fifty
kilometers far from the city, though I was not very enthusiastic about it.
Only a year later, I joined myself to dacha life - I got fond of jogging in a
forest and doing a joiner's work in my workshop. I took a suburban electric
train to go to my institute.
In July 1982, I went again through mental derangement: my patients
frequently died. I declared, that I would give up surgery for the whole
summer and would devote myself solely to cybernetics. I had spent three
months in my village house, attending regular seminars in my office.
Only starting from November, I resumed little by little my surgeries
again. Gradually, everything became stabilize.
Institute. In summer 1983 the following event happened: our clinic
moved away from Tuberculosis Institute and became an independent
Institute for Heart Surgery. To achieve it, I had to appeal to the Central
Party Committee, to Vladimir Shcherbitskiy, its General Secretary. At his
urgent request I was appointed as director. I did not want to, but the matter
was very important - I couldn't give it up.
Institute founding had run smoothly. I put the most important
task:4000 surgeries in a year; 2000 of them - with ABCS.
In December, my 70-years jubilee was celebrated. There was held a
scientific conference, a lot of guests attended. Right away, the Institute
started working successfully: the number of surgeries increased.
Here, the Gorbachov's "Perestroika"and "Glasnost"(reconstruction ,
publicity) began. One had inhaled the fresh air of freedom. I liked it very
much. I subscribed to a great number of newspapers and magazines.
Speaking publicly, I did not turned back any more to the Party and
KGB.
Disease. All disasters used to come unexpectedly: in summer 1985,
on the background of my ordinary regimen, I began to feel a heart pain.
The decease progressed and by the autumn I had a heart blokage with a
pulse rate of 40 beats/ min and could not jog any more. An implantation of
a pacemaker was needed but I hesitated, before I developed high blood-
pressure. On the eve of the New Year, I gave my director's responsibilities
to my deputy over and went to Kaunas to undergo a surgery at the doctor
Y.Bredikus's clinic. Lida and Katia went with me. The pacemaker
functioned perfectly and by the mid of February, 1986 I came back to my
clinic: again directorship, surgeries, jogging.
The Chornobyl disaster in April 1986, my family met in our summer
cottage, 50 km away from the unfortunate site. From the very beginning I
thought ,that its harmful consequences were exaggerated: some writers and
politicians had frightened people and the whole world. As a result, millions
of people became neurotics for many years. Doctors also gave way to this
psychosis.
In 1987, the country started to run experiments: an elected director,
co-operative societies, councils of labour collectives. We also managed to
achieve self-financing to get extra funds from the ministry for surgeries but
not those due to the cost estimates. As a result, the number of surgeries
with ABCS had almost doubled and equaled to about two thousands. To
work became more interesting.
Meanwhile, in December 1988 my 75-th jubilee drew near. I made up
my mind to leave my position as a director, but to proceed with surgeries.
My send-off was very touching: I nearly cried.
A new director, G.Knyshov was elected by a secret vote. He has been
still working.
Once a week I performed surgeries with ABCS. But it was already
another life, a sad one.
A democratic euphoria reigned in the country - People's Deputies
were freely elected.
Since 1962 till 1979 I had been a member of the Supreme Soviet and
had made sure, that it served as a cover to the Party's dictatorship.
Now it seemed, everything would be differently: people would get a
real power. Who, but me knew better, how it could be used. That is why,
when our doctors proposed me as a candidate, I agreed. There were five
candidates more, including one from the Communist Party, but I had won
at the first round.
In May 1989, the First People's Deputies Congress was held: two
weeks of free statements, Sacharov's speech, abolition of the Party control,
the first demarche of Baltic republics, etc.
I was elected to the Supreme Soviet: one needed to be continuously in
session, like in a real parliament. I had sat there for three months and had
made sure, that all that empty logomachy was not for me. In Kiev I made
attempts to implement my program of rendering assistance to health
protection and school, but I failed again: the system turned to be the same,
administrators agreed to everything, but made no efforts at all. Now, about
30-40 people used to come to a deputy during his reception hours, but that
time they did not request help, as before, but demanded it. The authorities
were sharply criticized by people at all public meetings. It fell to a deputy's
share as well.
In autumn, on my request, the Moscow doctors helped me to free
myself from the parliament: arrhythmia was found. But I still had to
attend sessions and to receive my voters. I grew sad. But there remained
nothing to do.
Nevertheless, my staying in Moscow was not useless: due to
membership in the Supreme Soviet , I got an access to statistical materials
and forbidden books. I had carried out three sociological investigations
through newspapers, got to know about state of public opinion. I published
a few articles in newspapers and magazines about that investigation.
The most important thing: I revised my convictions and made sure
that socialism was less efficient than capitalism. Private property, market
and democracy were necessary for steady progress of society. Not only rich
people, but with time, also poor ones would gain benefit by it.
Further, there occurred the events of 1991-1992 years: defeat of the
putsch in Moscow, collapse of the Soviet Union. The Supreme Soviet
stopped operating, Gorbachov had to resign.
I welcomed the declaration of independence of Ukraine. Since there is
the people, there is the language, there should be the state. New era seemed
to come.
Unfortunately, the hopes for prosperity of both Ukraine and Russia
had not justified. Party heads took possession of democratic power and
state property and the whole society was seized by a cruel crisis. The
production was twice reduced, one half of the population grew poor, social
welfare was sharply cut down because of the lack of budget funds.
Corruption spread and criminality increased. The people got disappointed
by democracy.
In 1992, I summed up my philosophical thoughts and wrote an article
"My World Outlook". It appeared in some publications. Up to now I have
still extending and improving this work: books and brochures have been
published.
At that very year, my surgery had ended. Two months after one of my
surgeries, the patient died because of some infection, and I realized, that it
was not good to perform heart surgeries, when one was about 80. I still
continued to attend the institute once a week.
In autumn 1993, my pacemaker failed to operate and it was replaced
for a new one. In December, my eighty years anniversary was celebrated. I
was awarded again with an order.
Soon after my jubilee, I realized, that it became harder for me to walk,
though I continued my usual physical exercises: 1000 movements and 2 km
jogging. I started feeling like I was aging. Then I decided to make an
experiment: I three times increased my physical exercises. The
Substantiation: genetic aging used to lower motivation for effort and
capacity for work, muscles got detrained, it reduced mobility, thereby
aggravating aging. To tear up a vicious circle, one had to make oneself to
move a lot. Exactly that I have done: 3000 movements of physical
exercises, one-half of which were dumb-bell exercises, plus, 5 km jogging.
After half a year of such regimen, I looked ten years younger. I was aware
of my decreased aorta activity, but I paid no attention to it, while my heart
did not prevent my physical exercises.
For 2,5-3 years I was happy with such regimen. Then I developed
stenocardia. My heart got considerably enlarged. It was clear, that my heart
disease grew progressively worse. I gave up jogging and dumb-bells,
reduced my physical exercises. But I continued to work with my computer,
as before: I wrote two books and some articles.
In 1997, together with the Fund of Boris Malinovskiy, the
Correspondent Member of the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, the
extensive sociological investigation was carried out through Ukrainian
newspapers. We received 10,000 forms. V.Bigdan and T.Malashok worked
them up. Basic conclusions: people lived in misery, were dissatisfied with
authorities; old people were eager to restore socialism, young generation-
to go further with reforms. The same split was observed as to the
orientation of Ukraine toward Russia or West. The results of studies were
published but did not arouse polemics.
In winter 1998, my heart decease became very critical. I hardly
walked. Though, I worked with my computer and finished my memoirs
"Voices of Time".
At the beginning of May, Tolya Rudenko, my former colleague at the
institute made agreement with the professor Korfer from Germany, that he
would perform a surgery on me. That trip was organized by Katya and
Knyshov, the institute director. The city administration agreed to pay
expenses.
After the decision was taken, I lost my will to live, my health had
become worse and I became aware of forthcoming dearth. I felt no fear: all
my life-work was done.
On May 26, Katya, Tolya and me came to Reiner Korfer's clinic in
Bad Oeynhausen near Hannover.
The checkup confirmed the drastic narrowing of my aorta valve and
affection of my coronary arteries. On May 29, professor Korfer had
implanted me an artificial biological valve and put two coronary shunts. I
was told, that the valve had five years guarantee. There were some
complications after the surgery, but in general it was a success.
Three weeks later, we came back home. My heart did not perturb me,
but my weakness and some complications had kept me indoors for another
two months. I resumed my light physical exercises the next day after my
return home. In autumn, I fully restored my 1000 movements and walking.
But I gave up jogging and dumb-bells. "The experiment was over", was
written in the afterword to my memoirs. The book was published on the
eve of my 85-th birthday. There were again a lot of congratulations and
even a new computer was presented to me.
The aging again was catching up with me: though my heart did not
bother me, I walked bad . Therefore, I decided to go on with my
experiment. I increased my physical exercises up to 3000 movements, half
of which were made with the dumb-bells. I started jogging, first, carefully,
then more and more till I reached my "starting time" - 45 minutes.
And again, as before, the aging receded. I walk well again, though my
step is unstable, when going upstairs. My heart has decreased and reached
the size, which it had in 1994. There is no stenocardia and I breathe easy. I
live an active life: I have attention of people, give interviews, write articles,
got switched to Internet.
I research: improve my "World Outlook", consider self-organization
processes in biological and social systems, thinking mechanisms, models of
society, future of mankind. In my work I am motivated by curiosity and a
bit of vanity.
I know, that my well-being is unstable, soon my pacemaker is to be
replaced, and then, perhaps, the valve, as well But I am not afraid of death,
I remember my indifference to life before the surgery.
In May, me savoir, professor Korfer, came to Kiev for a conference.
We received him at home, I told him about my experiment, showed my
dumb-bells.He laughed at it, but did not forbid my exercises and even
promised to perform a surgery in any age, provided the valve would give
up.
Concluding remarks.
So my life has passed. What was of the basic importance in it? Most
likely - surgery. I performed gullet,-lungs and heart surgeries under the
threat of near death and often, under such conditions, when nobody else
could have performed them; I personally saved thousands of lives. I
worked honestly. Did not accepted money. Certainly, I used to make
mistakes, sometimes they were followed by death of patients, but they
never had been caused by my thoughtlessness or carelessness.
I had trained dozens of surgeons, had founded the clinic, then the institute,
where more than eighty thousand heart surgeries were performed. And
before, there were thousands of patients with other diseases, not to mention
wounded men in the war.
Surgery was both, my cross and my fortune.
All my other lines of work were not so effective. Except that
popularization of my "Regimen of Restrictions and Physical Exercises"
was of use for people. My book "Thought About Health" was sold out in
millions of copies. The same is true about the story "Thoughts and Heart",
which had been translated into thirty languages. Most likely, for it was also
about surgery and about suffering.
Cybernetics served only to satisfy my curiosity, with the exception of
two dozens of candidates and doctors of science, trained by me.
My articles and lectures were a success and they flattered my self-
esteem. But my participation at the Supreme Soviet was a forced one: it
served to enhancing the prestige of my clinic. It did neither harm nor
benefit to people. I never acted against my conscience, never praised
authorities, but at the same time, was not in opposition to them, though
never like communist leaders. However, I believed in "socialism with a
human face", until I made sure that this ideology was Utopian, and the
system non efficient.
In my private life, I tried to be fair and to treat people kindly and they
returned a favour to me. However, I would not exaggerate my virtues: I am
neither a hero, nor a fighter for justice.
If it were possible to live my life once more, I would have chosen the
same: surgery and further to: philosophizing upon "eternal issues" of
philosophy, such as truth, intellect, human being, society, future of
mankind.
