Ivan Petrovich Pavlov is a Nobel laureate and recognized worldwide scientific authority. Being a talented scientist, he made a significant contribution to the development of psychology and physiology. It is he who is considered the founder of such a scientific direction as higher nervous activity. He made a number of major discoveries in the field of digestion regulation, and also founded a physiological school in Russia.
Parents
Biography of Pavlov Ivan Petrovich begins in 1849. It was then that the future academician was born in the city of Ryazan. His father, Peter Dmitrievich, came from a peasant family and worked as a priest in one of the small parishes. Independent and truthful, he constantly clashed with his superiors, and therefore did not live well. Peter Dmitrievich loved life, had good health and loved working in the garden.
Varvara Ivanovna, Ivan’s mother, came from a spiritual family. In her youth, she was cheerful, cheerful, and healthy. But frequent childbirth (there were 10 children in the family) greatly undermined her well-being. Varvara Ivanovna had no education, but hard work and a natural mind turned her into a skilled teacher of her own children.
Childhood
The future academician Pavlov Ivan was the first-born in the family. His childhood years left an indelible mark on his memory. In his mature years, he recalled: “I remember very clearly my first visit to the house. It is amazing that I was only a year old, and the nanny carried me in her arms. Another vivid memory speaks for the fact that I remember myself early. When my mother’s brother was buried, they carried me in my arms to say goodbye to him. This scene still stands before my eyes. "
Ivan grew up perky and healthy. He willingly played with sisters and younger brothers. He also helped his mother (in household chores) and his father (during the construction of the house and in the garden). His sister L.P. Andreeva described this period of her life as follows: “Ivan always remembered dad with gratitude. He was able to instill in him a habit of work, accuracy, accuracy and order in everything. Our mother had tenants. Being a big toiler, she tried to do everything herself. But all the children idolized her and tried to help: bring water, drain the stove, chop wood. Little Ivan had to deal with all this. ”
School and injury
He began to study the letter from the age of 8, but he only got to school at 11. It was all to blame for the incident: once a boy laid out apples on a platform to dry. Pausing, he fell off the stairs and fell directly onto the stone floor. The bruise was quite severe, and Ivan fell ill. The boy turned pale, lost weight, lost his appetite and began to sleep poorly. Parents tried to cure him at home, but nothing helped. Once, the abbot of the Trinity Monastery came to visit the Pavlovs. Seeing a sick boy, he took him to him. Enhanced nutrition, clean air and regular gymnastics returned Ivan strength and health. The guardian turned out to be an intelligent, kind and highly educated person. He led an ascetic lifestyle and read a lot. These qualities made a strong impression on the boy. The first book that academician Pavlov received in his youth from the abbot was the fables of I. A. Krylov. The boy learned it by heart and carried the love of the fabulist through life. This book has always been on the scientist’s desk.
Seminary training
In 1864, under the influence of a guardian, Ivan entered a theological seminary. There, he immediately became the best student, and even helped his comrades as a tutor. The years of training introduced Ivan to the works of such Russian thinkers as D. I. Pisarev, N. A. Dobrolyubov, V. G. Belinsky, A. I. Herzen, N. G. Chernyshevsky, etc. The young man liked their desire to fight for freedom and progressive changes in society. But over time, his interests switched to natural science. And here a huge influence on the formation of Pavlov's scientific interests was made by the monograph of I. Sechenov “Reflexes of the brain”. After finishing the sixth grade of the seminary, the young man realized that he did not want to make a spiritual career, and began preparing for the entrance examinations to the university.
Studying at the University
In 1870, Pavlov moved to St. Petersburg with the desire to enter the Faculty of Physics and Mathematics. But it turned out to pass on legal. The reason for this is the limitation of seminarians in terms of choice of professions. Ivan petitioned the rector, and two weeks later he was transferred to the physics and mathematics department. The young man studied very successfully and received the highest scholarship (imperial).
Over time, Ivan became more interested in physiology, and from the third year he devoted himself completely to this science. He made his final choice under the influence of Professor I.F. Zion, a talented scientist, a brilliant lecturer, and a skilled experimenter. Here is how Academician Pavlov himself recalled that period of his biography: “I chose animal physiology as the main specialty, and chemistry as the additional one. At that time, Ilya Fadeevich made a huge impression on everyone. We were struck by his masterfully simple presentation of complex physiological questions and artistic talent in conducting experiments. I will remember this teacher all my life. ”
Research activity
Pavlov's first research work dates back to 1873. Then, under the guidance of F.V. Ovsyannikov, Ivan examined the nerves in the lungs of a frog. In the same year, together with his classmate, he wrote the first scientific work. The leader, of course, was I.F. Zion. In this work, students studied the effect of the laryngeal nerves on blood circulation. At the end of 1874, the results were discussed at a meeting of the Society of Naturalists. Pavlov regularly attended these meetings and talked with Tarkhanov, Ovsyannikov and Sechenov.
Soon, students M. M. Afanasyev and I. P. Pavlov began studying the nerves of the pancreas. The University Council awarded this work a gold medal. True, Ivan spent a lot of time on research and did not pass the final exams, having lost a scholarship. This forced him to stay at the university for another year. And in 1875 he brilliantly graduated from it. He was only 26 (photo of Ivan Petrovich Pavlov at this age, unfortunately, did not survive), and the future seemed very promising.
Physiology of blood circulation
In 1876, the young man got a job as an assistant to Professor K.N. Ustimovich, the head of the laboratory at the Medical and Surgical Academy. In the next two years, Ivan conducted a series of studies on the physiology of blood circulation. Pavlova's works were highly appreciated by Professor S.P. Botkin and invited him to his clinic. Formally, Ivan took the position of laboratory assistant, but actually became the head of the laboratory. Despite the poor facilities, lack of equipment and scanty financing, Pavlov achieved significant results in the study of the physiology of digestion and blood circulation. In scientific circles, his name became increasingly famous.
First love
In the late seventies, he met with Serafima Karchevskaya - a student of the pedagogical department. Young people were united by closeness of views, common interests, loyalty to the ideals of serving society and the struggle for progress. In general, they fell in love with each other. A preserved photo of Ivan Petrovich Pavlov and Serafima Vasilyevna Karchevskaya shows that they were a very beautiful couple. It was the support of the spouse that allowed the young man to achieve such successes in the scientific field.
Search for a new job
For 12 years of work in the clinic of S.P. Botkin, the biography of Pavlov Ivan Petrovich was replenished with many events of a scientific nature, and he became famous both at home and abroad. Improving the working and living conditions of a talented scientist has become a necessity not only for his personal interests, but also for the development of Russian science.
But during the time of tsarist Russia, to achieve any changes to a simple, honest, democratically inclined, impractical, shy and ingenuous person, like Pavlov was, turned out to be extremely difficult. In addition, the scientist’s life was complicated by prominent physiologists, with whom Ivan Petrovich, while still young, publicly entered into heated discussions and often emerged victorious. So, thanks to the negative review of Professor I. R. Tarkhanov about Pavlov’s work on blood circulation, the latter was not awarded a prize.
Ivan Petrovich could not find a good laboratory to continue his research. In 1887, he turned in a letter to the Minister of Education, in which he asked for a place in the department of an experimental university. Then he sent a few more letters to various institutions and from everywhere received a refusal. But soon, luck smiled at the scientist.
Nobel Prize
In April 1890, Pavlov was elected professor of pharmacology at once at two universities: Warsaw and Tomsk. And in 1891 he was invited to organize a department of physiology at the newly opened University of Experimental Medicine. Pavlov led it until the end of his days. It was here that he performed several classical works on the physiology of the digestive glands, which were awarded the Nobel Prize in 1904. The entire scientific community remembers the speech made by Academician Pavlov “On the Russian Mind” at the presentation ceremony. It should be noted that this was the first prize awarded for experiments in the field of medicine.
Relations with the Soviet government
Despite the famine and devastation during the formation of Soviet power, V.I. Lenin issued a special decree in which Pavlov's work was highly appreciated, which testified to the extremely warm and caring attitude of the Bolsheviks. In the shortest possible time, the academician and his staff were created the most favorable conditions for conducting scientific work. The laboratory of Ivan Petrovich was reorganized into the Physiological Institute. And to the 80th anniversary of the academician, a scientific institute-town was opened near Leningrad.
Many of the dreams that Academician Pavlov Ivan Petrovich hatched for a long time came true. The scientific works of the professor were regularly published. At his institutes, clinics of mental and nervous diseases appeared. All scientific institutions headed by him received new equipment. The number of employees has increased tenfold. In addition to budgetary funds, the scientist received monthly amounts for spending at his own discretion.
Ivan Petrovich was thrilled and moved by the Bolsheviks' attentive and warm attitude to his scientific work. Indeed, under the tsarist regime, he constantly needed money. And now the academician was even worried about whether he could justify the trust and care of the government. He often spoke about this both in his circle and in public.
Death
Academician Pavlov died in the 87th year of his life. Nothing foreshadowed the death of the scientist, because Ivan Petrovich had excellent health and rarely became ill. True, he was susceptible to colds and suffered from pneumonia several times. Pneumonia caused death. February 27, 1936 the scientist left this world.
All Soviet people grieved when Academician Pavlov died (a description of the death of Ivan Petrovich immediately appeared in the newspapers). A great man and a great scientist left, who made a huge contribution to the development of physiological science. They buried Ivan Petrovich in the Volkovsky cemetery, not far from the grave of D. I. Mendeleev.