Who became the prototype of the good doctor Aibolit

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

At the beginning of the 20th century, a man lived in Vilnius who did a lot of good things in his life. His name today, however, is not very well known outside his hometown, and the memorial dedicated to him is a small bronze sculpture of natural growth. However, there is another monument, a literary one, thanks to which the good doctor has been known and loved by millions of children and adults for about a hundred years, because it was this man who once inspired Korney Chukovsky to the famous lines:

In order not to sin against the truth, we must admit that Doctor Aibolit actually has at least two prototypes. Finding out which of them is the main or more important is a pointless exercise, because creativity is a complex and multifaceted inner work. The literary prototype of the beloved character was the English doctor Dolittle, created by the writer Hugh Lofting. The British Aibolit really has a lot in common with ours - he has a lot of animals with whom he speaks in their language, he travels on a ship across the ocean, however, in the original he went not to Africa, but to the North Pole. The first "Doctor Aibolit", published in 1924 in the Leningrad branch of Detgiz, is indicated on the title page as a retelling performed by K. Chukovsky. However, even before Lofting published stories about his doctor, Korney Ivanovich was vacationing in the Vilna province, where he met a man who struck him with his incredible kindness.

Tsemakh Yoselevich or, as he was also called, Timofey Osipovich Shabad was born in 1865 and lived almost his entire life in his native Vilna. He received his medical education in Moscow, and began his medical practice there. As a young doctor, he traveled to Astrakhan to fight the cholera epidemic. Then he returned to his homeland and headed one of the hospitals. According to the recollections of contemporaries, despite the rather high position and leadership of many public organizations, Tsemakh Yoselevich always put a person in the first place. He never refused to go to a patient in bad weather or at night, and meeting his recent patients on the street, he could talk to them for a long time, give advice and recommendations. He treated everyone who turned to him - crooks, vagabonds, beggars (he never took money from poor or poor clients), if the children brought him sick animals, he also treated four-legged patients, despite the fact that he did not have a veterinary education …

He spent a lot of time and energy teaching people about the rules of hygiene and how important it is to follow them. The formula became the main idea that the doctor, who saw with his own eyes all the horrors of cholera, tried to instill in his hometown. For example, he founded the "Health Society" in Vilna, which is still very fruitfully involved in educating the population. In addition, on the initiative of Dr. Shabad, many shelters and children's health camps were opened in Vilna. Another action that saved thousands of children's lives was called "A Drop of Milk". It consisted in supporting poor nursing mothers, they were given food and clothing free of charge.

Korney Ivanovich Chukovsky met a wonderful doctor, who seemed to come out of a fairy tale, in 1905. During a trip to Vilno, he lived at his house. Then they corresponded for many years, and in 1912 the writer again came to visit his friend. He then wrote in his memoirs:

Then the First World War began. Of course, Dr. Shabad could not stand aside, although his age and status allowed him to be in charge of hospitals in his hometown, he went to the front as a physician. Fortunately, he also succeeded in this adventure, Tsemakh Yoselevich returned home and continued his noble work. The most active social life, participation in the work of the municipality of Vilna, editing of the journal, the creation of the Jewish Scientific Institute and the support of many organizations - it seemed that the circle of his interests was immense, and his forces were inexhaustible, but the latter, unfortunately, turned out to be not the case.

In January 1935, Dr. Shabad died of blood poisoning. His funeral became one of the largest events in the city for many years - several tens of thousands of people gathered to say goodbye to the great doctor and public figure, and his death was called the loss of a comrade-in-arms who fell at a military post. After 70 years, the inhabitants of Vilnius again saw their famous countryman on his native street. Bronze Doctor Shabad, wearing an old-fashioned hat, talks to a girl clutching a kitten to her chest. This is how people remember this wonderful person, who became the prototype of their beloved literary hero.