145th Anniversary of the Birth of Academician V.P. Filatov (1875–1956)
On February 25, on the eve of this milestone anniversary, a Commemoration Day dedicated to the Academician was held on the initiative of the V.P. Filatov International Foundation for Biomedical Technologies Development at Russia’s largest medical educational institution — I.M. Sechenov First Moscow State Medical University, where he studied and worked from 1892 to 1903.
The Commemoration Day of Academician V.P. Filatov was held in Russia for the very first time.
The event took place within the framework of the project “The Culture of Living. Active Longevity. Filatov Readings”. The project is officially included in the intergovernmental program “Year of Japanese-Russian Interregional and Sister-City Exchanges” and was initiated by the V.P. Filatov International Foundation for Biomedical Technologies Development. It is supported by the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation and the Embassy of Japan in Russia, the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, the Moscow Department of Culture, the Government of Moscow, the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences (RANS), the Memorial Museum of Cosmonautics, and I.M. Sechenov First MSMU.
The commemoration commenced at the Church of St. Michael the Archangel on Devichye Pole, where a memorial service (panikhida) was served for Academician V.P. Filatov and his departed kin. The church service brought together descendants of the V.P. Filatov family, staff of the V.P. Filatov International Foundation for Biomedical Technologies Development led by Foundation President Ekaterina Aleksandrovna Dibrova — PhD in Economics, Academician of RANS, member of the healthcare expert council under the Federation Council Committee on Social Policy, member of the All-Russian Quality Organization within the Committee on Quality of Medical Care of the Russian Federation, and member of the Japan Society for Clinical Placental Medicine (JSCPM); alongside prominent figures in science and medicine. Following the service, the Commemoration Day participants visited the former Eye Clinic where V.P. Filatov studied and worked, and subsequently took part in the grand opening of a photo exhibition dedicated to the great scientist at the Museum of the History of Medicine.
At the ceremonial opening of the photo exhibition marking this memorable date, an address was delivered by I.M. Chizh — Advisor to the Rectorate of I.M. Sechenov First MSMU, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Professor, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Colonel General of Medical Service, and Honored Doctor of Russia. In his speech, he noted:
«Academician V.P. Filatov is a legend of Russia, the Soviet Union, and New Russia. Remembering him, we bow and express our deepest gratitude for the school he created for our country in the past, which has carried over into the present. These are schools of ophthalmology, surgery, and tissue engineering.
Academician V.P. Filatov and his collaborators provided aid to thousands injured during the war years. The year 2020 was designated by our President V.V. Putin as the ‘Year of Memory and Glory’, and therefore today’s gathering is a tribute of remembrance — our humble bow to these people. Learning from their example, we shall learn how to serve the Fatherland.»
Next to speak was Mr. Toshio Yamamoto, Minister and Head of the Information Department at the Embassy of Japan in Russia, who attended the ceremony:
«The opening of the photo exhibition dedicated to the life of the great Russian physician, scientist, and Academician V.P. Filatov is taking place as part of the project ‘The Culture of Living. Active Longevity. Filatov Readings’ within the intergovernmental program ‘Year of Japanese-Russian Regional and Sister-City Exchanges’. The Embassy of Japan actively embraces such mutual exchanges. Academician Filatov was an alumnus of I.M. Sechenov First MSMU. I am delighted to have the opportunity to visit Russia’s oldest medical university.
The name of Academician V.P. Filatov is widely known in Japan. Even during his lifetime, two institutes and a society named after him operated in our country, studying his works on ophthalmology and placental tissue therapy. Academician Filatov’s scientific legacy served as the foundation for the work of Japanese scientists preserving active longevity in our nation.
I would like to express my gratitude to the leadership of the V.P. Filatov Foundation for organizing this event, which will make a lasting contribution to the continuing Japanese-Russian friendship for the benefit of human health and longevity.»
