Spring snowfall: a walk around Mechnikov Medical University

"The decision to build a hospital for 1000 beds was made at a meeting of the City Duma on 8 January 1903..." - this is how the history of this unusual medical complex began. The place for the construction of the new hospital was chosen in the suburbs. Probably, the doctors of that time believed that the quietness of the suburbs and the fresh air filled with the aromas of pine forests would be a good help in the difficult task of returning health to the suffering.

I visited the Mechnikov Medical University at the beginning of April, the "day of the great snowfall." In the hundred-odd years since its foundation, the territory of the city has grown very much, and this site is no longer a suburban area, it is within the city limits. But the atmosphere of isolation and exclusivity has been preserved, you pass through the gates and it's as if you are entering another world. Here there is an irreconcilable struggle with diseases, here there is a constant search for new medicines and ways to fight illnesses. The snowfall made my walk unforgettable - perhaps on a normal grey day the impression would have been less strong.

The foundation stone of this hospital was laid personally by the famous Professor Bekhterev. It was unique that the architectural design of the hospital was developed with the active participation of doctors. The commission included both architects and civil engineers and medical workers on equal rights. One of the developers was sent on a long business trip to the medical centres of Europe to take into account all modern achievements of science and technology in the new construction.

The architectural design of the hospital was approved in 1907. It envisaged the construction of sixteen two- and three-storey buildings decorated in a unified architectural style. The hospital was named after the founder of the city, Emperor Peter the Great. The architectural solution was developed under the influence of the architectural style "Peter the Great Baroque" - buildings in this style were built in St. Petersburg in the first years after its foundation. Some buildings stood alone, while others were connected by passages, which greatly simplified hospital logistics.

In the beginning it was planned to build a hospital for 1000 beds, but the project received additional funds and the construction of the hospital complex was continued. The Peter the Great Hospital became the largest medical institution in the country in 1929. Auxiliary farm was organised at the hospital: greenhouses, a cowshed, a stable and even an apiary. Now the total number of medical and administrative buildings and outbuildings is about 50.

In 1930s on the basis of the hospital an educational building was organised. The level of education was very high, and soon this small educational institution began to provide education at the level of the leading medical universities of the country. Now the Mechnikov State Medical University works here. The museum complex of the university preserves the memory of the history of this university, medical discoveries and achievements.

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Smartphone	Google Pixel 3a
Location	Saint Petersburg, Russia