THE ORIGINS OF MEDICAL EDUCATION IN BELARUS (18th – 19th CENTURIES)
https://doi.org/10.51922/1818-426X.2026.3.149
Abstract
The article is dedicated to the origins of medical education in Belarus. The historical peculiarities of this period (late 18th – early 19th century) have been illuminated. The role of A. Tiesenhausen, a political and public figure of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania (GDL), in the decision to establish the Grodno Medical Academy is presented. The significance of the invited French physician and naturalist J. E. Gilibert in the organization of the medical academy, one of the first high-level medical schools in Eastern Europe, was emphasized. The characteristics of the educational process at the academy are presented, and the practiceoriented nature of the training is noted. The role of the academy in organizing the medical college (faculty) of Vilnius University is shown. The first professors of the medical faculty have been introduced. The reforms of the medical faculty of Vilnius University were emphasized, with consideration given to the progressive trends in Western European higher medical education. Merits in carrying out reforms of the Austrian doctor I. P. Frank were noted. It is noted that new trends in the development of medicine, which began in the mid-18th century, quickly penetrated into the North-Western region of Russia due to historical ties with Europe. At the same time, the reform of the educational system at Vilnius University provided the opportunity to train bearers of the new ideology of practical medicine. This was facilitated by the establishment of fruitful creative ties with renowned European and Russian scientists. Vilnius University became the most advanced higher education institution in Eastern Europe and the main center for training doctors for the western provinces of the Russian Empire. The progressive roles of Vilnius University in the development of higher education in the North-Western region f the Russian Empire and the reasons for its closure in 1832 are characterized. The achievements of the first medical scientists of Belarusian origin in the development of medical science and healthcare in the Belarusian region were noted.
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Review
For citations:
Abayev Yu.K. THE ORIGINS OF MEDICAL EDUCATION IN BELARUS (18th – 19th CENTURIES). Medical Journal. 2026;(3):149-156. (In Russ.) https://doi.org/10.51922/1818-426X.2026.3.149
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