Botkin S. P., (1832-1889), doctor

Categories / Medicine. Public Health/Personalia
BOTKIN Sergey Petrovich (1832-1889), doctor, public figure, Doctor of Medicine (1860), Secret Councillor (1877). He graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of Moscow University (1855). From 1861 he was professor at Medical Surgical Academy (from 1881 Military Medical Academy), to his last days he headed the faculty's Therapeutic Clinic (3 Pirogovskaya Embankment, from 1874 located in the building of Mikhailovskaya Hospital, 5 Bolshoy Sampsonievsky Avenue, where there is a memorial plaque), where he created the first experimental physiological laboratory in Russia. He participated in organising Medical Courses for Women (1872). From 1878 he was a representative of the Society of Russian Doctors, from 1882 Botkin was a curator of Alexandrovskaya Baracks Hospital (now the Hospital for Infectious Diseases named after him). In 1881 he was elected a Deputy of the City Duma, then the substitute head of the Commission for the Public Health Care. He created the system of Duma doctors and school sanitary control. From 1886 Botkin was a trustee of all city hospitals and alms-houses of St. Petersburg. From 1881 he edited Weekly Clinical Newspaper for doctors. He is an author of over 75 papers on important problems of medicine. Botkin was a founder of the Scientific School of Physicians: out of 106 of his disciples 85 became doctors of science, 45 headed clinical chairs in St. Petersburg and other cities. In 1860-64 he lived at 1/9 Spasskaya Street (now Ryleeva Street), in 1864-77 at 24 Zagorodny Avenue, (the house was rebuilt), in 1877-1889 at 77/4 Galernaya Street, (memorial plaque). He died in France and was buried in St. Petersburg in Novodevichye Cemetery. In 1898 Botkin Street was named after him; in 1908 a monument was erected to him before the Clinic of the Military Medical Academy (sculptor V.A. Beklemishev). In the garden of the Hospital of Infectious Diseases there is a bronze bust of Botkin (sculptor I.Y. Ginzburg, 1896; originally it was installed on Botkin’s grave; in the 1920s it was transferred to its current location, in 1974 a copy of this bust was installed as the tomb stone).

References: Петров Б. Д. С. П. Боткин - жизнь и деятельность. М., 1982; Шабунин А. В. Боткинские субботы // С.-Петерб. панорама. 1992. № 11. С. 18-19; Дедюлин В. И. Памятные боткинские места в Петербурге // Вестн. истории воен. медицины. 1996. Вып. 1. С. 64-76.

V. I. Dedyulin. Botkin Sergey Petrovich
Botkinskaya St./Saint Petersburg, city
Galernaya St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 77/4
Pirogovskaya Embankment/Saint Petersburg, city, house 3
Ryleeva St./Saint Petersburg, city, house 1/9
Zagorodny Avenue/Saint Petersburg, city, house 24
Петров Б. Д. С. П. Боткин - жизнь и деятельность. М., 1982
Дедюлин В. И. Памятные боткинские места в Петербурге // Вестн. истории воен. медицины, 1996
Шабунин А. В. Боткинские субботы // С.-Петерб. панорама, 1992 Army Medical Academy
Botkin Memorial Hospital For Infectious Diseases
City Duma
Novodevichye Cemetery
Novodevichye Cemetery