Vera Gedroits facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Princess Vera Gedroits
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| Вера Гедройц | |
Vera Gedroits with patients circa 1915
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Vera Ignatievna Gedroits
19 April 1870 Slobodishche, Oryol Governorate, Russian Empire
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| Died | March 1932 (aged 61) |
| Nationality | Russian |
| Other names | Vera Gedroyts, Vera Gedroitz, Vera Gedröitz, Vera Giedroyć, Vyera Ignat'yevna Gyedroycz |
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| Years active | 1900–1932 |
| Writing career | |
| Pen name | Sergei Gedroits |
Princess Vera Ignatievna Gedroits (born April 7, 1870 – died March 1932) was a brave Russian doctor and writer. She made history as the first female military surgeon in Russia. She was also the first woman to become a professor of surgery. Later, she became the first woman doctor to work for the Russian royal family.
Vera wanted to study medicine, but she faced challenges in Russia. To get a passport and leave the country, she entered into a special arrangement called a marriage of convenience. This allowed her to travel to Switzerland. There, she studied medicine with a famous surgeon named César Roux. She finished her studies in 1898 and worked as Roux’s assistant. She returned to Russia because her family members were ill.
As a young doctor, Vera noticed that hygiene and nutrition were very poor. She suggested ways to make things better. During the Russo-Japanese War, she performed important abdominal surgeries. This was new for battlefield medicine and changed how wounded soldiers were treated. She received many awards for her war service. After the war, she worked as a doctor for the royal family until World War I began. She even trained the Tsarina Alexandra and her daughters to be nurses.
When the Russian Revolution started, Vera went back to the war front. She was wounded and sent to Kiev. There, she continued her work as a doctor and teacher. In 1921, she began teaching surgery at the Kiev Medical Institute. Within two years, she became a professor of medicine. However, due to political changes in 1930, she was removed from her job and lost her pension. Vera then focused on writing books about her life until she passed away in 1932 from cancer.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Vera Ignatievna Gedroits was born on April 7, 1870. Her birthplace was Slobodishche, in the Oryol Governorate of the Russian Empire. Her mother was Daria Konstantinovna Mikhau, and her father was Prince Ignatiy Ignatievich Gedroitz. Her father's family was a noble Lithuanian clan.
Vera was one of five children. Her early education happened at home. She became interested in medicine at a young age. After finishing school at the Bryansk women's gymnasium, she continued her studies in St. Petersburg. While there, she joined a youth movement. In 1892, she was arrested with others and sent back home by the police.
Studying Abroad for a Medical Career
Because she couldn't continue her studies in Russia, Vera found a way to leave. She arranged a marriage of convenience with a friend, Nikolai Belozerov. This allowed her to get a new passport. In 1894, she went to Switzerland. She enrolled at the University of Lausanne to become a surgeon. She studied with Professor César Roux and graduated in 1898. She earned excellent grades and received her diploma as a Doctor of Medicine and Surgery.
After graduating, Vera worked as an intern and then as a junior assistant to Professor Roux. She did scientific research and became his senior assistant. Roux even offered her a teaching position. However, she had to return to Russia in 1900. Her father wrote to her, saying her sister had died and her mother was very ill. He asked her to come back and help him.
Returning to Russia and Medical Work
In 1900, Vera started working at the Maltsov Cement Factory in the Kaluga Oblast. She was the only doctor in the area. She treated factory workers and their families, as well as local villagers. By 1901, she had performed many successful operations. These included setting broken bones and repairing hernias. Many injuries were due to dangerous working conditions.
Vera also noticed poor living conditions and a lack of hygiene. She made a list of suggestions to the factory managers. They followed her advice, which included cleaning wells and providing hot meals. These changes greatly improved the workers' health.
Vera also wrote scientific articles for Russian medical journals. These articles were noticed and reprinted in other countries. In 1902, she spoke at the Third Congress of Surgeons. She shared details about a complex hip surgery she performed. The patient, who couldn't stand or sit comfortably, was able to walk again within four months. To practice medicine officially in Russia, Vera had to pass more tests. She successfully earned her Russian medical diploma in 1903.
Heroism in the Russo-Japanese War
In 1904, the Russo-Japanese War began. Vera volunteered to help with the Red Cross. In the first month, she treated over 1,200 patients. Many had head or abdominal wounds. By 1905, she became the chief surgeon of a special hospital train. This train allowed doctors to treat wounded soldiers right on the front lines. This was very risky for the medical staff.
Vera was one of the first surgeons to perform laparotomies (abdominal surgeries) on the battlefield. She believed patients needed this surgery within three hours of being wounded. Her surgeries had a high success rate. This led to new ideas about using mobile surgical units for quick treatment.
After the war, Vera returned to the Maltsov Factory Hospital as chief surgeon. She also became the chief physician at the Lyudinovskaya Hospital. She wrote a detailed report about her war work. For her bravery and skill, she received several high honors. These included the gold medal of diligence from the Order of Saint Anna and the silver medal "For Bravery." The royal family also recognized her with the silver neck medal of the Order of Saint Vladimir.
Working for the Royal Family
In 1909, Vera Gedroits moved to the court hospital in Tsarskoye Selo. There, she worked as a surgeon for the imperial family. During this time, she also joined the Poets' Guild. She published her poems using the pen name Sergei Gedroits.
After the February Revolution, many of her relatives left Tsarskoye Selo. But Vera stayed. She went to work on the World War I front lines. Later, she settled in Kiev.
In Kiev, Vera continued her medical work and wrote scientific papers. Her topics included oncology (cancer), pediatric surgery (surgery for children), and endocrinology (hormone-related health). In 1921, she began teaching at the Kiev medical institute. By 1923, she became a professor. In 1929, she became the head of the surgery department. However, due to political changes, she was removed from the university in 1930.
Vera Gedroits passed away from cancer in 1932. She was buried in her hometown.
Images for kids
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The Swiss University of Lausanne (c. 1899), where Gedroits studied medicine
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Gedroits' report on her medical work during the Russo-Japanese War, presented in July 1905
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Boris Kustodiev's Portrait of Fyodor Chaliapin, showing a style Gedroits also liked
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Vera Gedroits (right) with Russian Tsarina Alexandra Feodorovna Romanov
See also
In Spanish: Vera Gedroitz para niños
