A start in science: the 20th century, the beginning (based on academician Pavlovsky’s memoir about the Imperial Military Medical Academy)

This article is the first in a series of historical writings commemorating the 220th anniversary of the Military Medical Academy’s Department of Biology (1808) and delves into lesser-known aspects of its history. Over more than two centuries of its history, the department has undergone numerous changes in response to transformations of the Academy and advancements in science and medical education. However, its purpose has always been to provide students with medical and biological knowledge that serves as the foundation for medical thinking. The most significant events in the department’s history are associated with the work of Academician Evgeny N. Pavlovsky (1884–1965), who rose from academy student to department head and went through all stages of professional and personal development as a researcher and teacher at the Imperial Military Medical Academy. The article includes excerpts from Pavlovsky’s handwritten memoir about his admission to the Military Medical Academy and his first research endeavors, which took place during revolutionary turmoil and the outbreak of World War I. The article features the scientist’s recollections of his summer internship at the Sevastopol Biological Station, his first scientific report, and a trip to Samarkand. It describes the circumstances of his graduation from the Academy, as well as his participation in the Imperial Military Medical Academy conference competition for a gold or silver medal for a scientific essay. This work is based on Pavlovsky’s memoir, which vividly depicts various aspects of the Academy’s life in the early 20th century, as well as the memories of his colleagues and students. The article includes unique materials from the archives of the Department of Biology, which is named after Academician Pavlovsky.