Book: Surgeon's heart

And life continued to pose more and more difficult questions to the young surgeon. Recreating now in memory that time, again and again I am ready to say a commendable, grateful word to books! They have always been my first assistants and advisers, I drew strength and confidence from them in the hours of involuntary despair, when solving complicated problems, when no one else could help me. The books that I brought with me, selected with such care in Leningrad, have become an invaluable treasure. They became my advisers and consultants, friends in success and judges in failure...

Life goes on in generations, and they carry and develop the best of what their fathers and grandfathers left them.

But you never know the things in the world, doing which you can become truly necessary for people, in selfless service to the people you will discover spiritual joy for yourself, you will find the meaning of your whole life!

And there was a glorious feeling in my soul: next to you are the same as you, enthusiastic people, they are your workmates, we understand each other ... How much this feeling means for business and how often we miss it in life!

How important it is when your teacher is there in time, supporting you with a sincere word and a wise remark!

Any road is good. It promises discoveries, unexpected meetings, on the road there is time to comprehend the path traveled, to try to look into your future. Under the measured knock of wheels, it is easy, liberated to think, life and events pass before the mind's eye brightly and impressively.

When I read from A.P. Chekhov that “the profession of a doctor is a feat; it requires purity of soul and thoughts. You have to be mentally clear, morally clean and physically tidy,” I first of all thought about my teacher. Always and in everything he was just like that, and demanded the same from us. And I will be immensely glad if my book, among other things, will serve the good memory of Nikolai Nikolaevich Petrov - an outstanding Russian surgeon who did so much for suffering people! I reserve the right to tell you more about this wonderful person in some other details. Assistants, nurses, nurses... They, my comrades, completely voluntarily and disinterestedly, in the name of serving medicine, patiently carried a heavy cross with me - they pulled out long-doomed people from death...

I have always been attracted to people who suffered from some kind of ailment, which was considered impossible to cure. I wanted to join the fight against the disease and win, to see the smile of those who have already lost the habit of smiling, whose face has long been only suffering and tears. I did not always win, but I never refused help until I tried all possible methods and ways of healing. And in this constant struggle with death, in the struggle with suffering, I found the meaning of my life.