The heroism of Leningrad Pediatric Medical Institute staff in the Great Patriotic War

Year 2025 has been declared in Russia as the Year of the 80th Victory anniversary in the Great Patriotic War. Numerous documentary and literary works have been dedicated to the heroic efforts of medical personnel during the war and the Siege of Leningrad. However, the true complexity of their work is best understood through the study of archival records. This article examines unique historical documents preserved in the archives of the Saint Petersburg State Pediatric Medical University (formerly the Leningrad Pediatric Medical Institute), specifically surgical records and hospital admission logs from 1939 to 1946. These records serve as a chronicle of courage, where each entry stands as evidence of the selfless professionalism of medical workers in extreme wartime conditions. Despite constant enemy shelling and bombings, surgeons, nurses, and hospital attendants at the Leningrad Pediatric Medical Institute continued their urgent medical work, providing care to both children and adults in hospital units established within the institute. Unfortunately, the number of surviving witnesses of these historical events dwindles with each year. This makes the preservation and study of archival documents an essential task in safeguarding the memory of the heroic contributions made by medical professionals during the Great Patriotic War.