The gala evening dedicated to the beginning of doctor training at Tula State University was held under the sign of kindness and mutual respect.

It could not be held any other way, because a doctor is a special profession, not even a profession - a vocation, as many people who came on the stage of the large concert hall of TulSU said that evening. There were a lot of guests, even more of the students and graduates of the Medical Institute of Tula State University, which first opened its doors in 1994.

The founder of the Medical Faculty, Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor Alexander Agubechirovich Khadartsev told about how it was. And he began his speech with very simple and important words: 

- Good health to all! These are the words we always use to address our patients, and I wish everyone here good health first and foremost. Thirty years ago, it was not easy: starting medical training from scratch is expensive, in every sense. But we were supported. The administration of the region and the city of Tula understood that this is the most important task. We established a trinity by joint efforts: Tula healthcare, education and science. Today these are the pillars, and everything is aimed at preparing a worthy replacement for our outstanding doctors, so that every Tula citizen could have access to modern technologies. 

Alexander Agubechirovich handed over the symbolic key to new knowledge and discoveries to the current students of the TulSU Medical Institute, thus starting the celebration. 

Head of the Tula Region Committee on Science Anton Valeryevich Pankratov read out the congratulatory address of the Governor of the region Dmitriy Vyacheslavovich Milyaev. 

“Thirty years ago, the region started training doctors. From the moment of the first graduation until today 2680 specialists have been trained. Time has proved that graduates of TulSU Medical Institute are high-level professionals. They are in demand in the regional healthcare system, among them are leading specialists, heads of departments, chief physicians,’ said the head of the Tula region.”

Sergey Igorevich Mukhin, Deputy Minister of Health of the Tula region, addressed the warmest words to his alma mater. He said that he was proud of the university, of his teachers, and that he saw what a worthy replacement was studying at TulSU Medical Institute today. All this inspires optimism and gives faith in the bright future of Tula health care. S.I. Mukhin emphasised that the regional Ministry of Health has always closely cooperated with the University, and today this cooperation has become truly strategic.

There were many congratulations and awards. The merits of the teachers who stood at the origins of medical education in the Tula region were recognised: O.N. Borisova, Y.L. Venyovtseva, A.G. Khadartsev, E.E. Atlas, V.G. Volkov and others. The Director of TulSU Medical Institute R.V. Grachev, his deputy D.O. Aliyeva, heads of departments A.Z. Guseynov, D.M. Ivashinenko, V.A. Mariyko, V.G. Sapozhnikov and others were also awarded with certificates of honour and gratitude.

Many glorious names have been and are in Tula healthcare, said Yuriy Ivanovich Tskipuri, Doctor of Medical Sciences, addressing his colleagues. And there will be even more, he is sure, because Tula State University has laid a solid foundation for training specialists, formed a scientific backbone, and is expanding scientific and academic ties. Health is, of course, not everything, but without health everything is nothing. Many thanks to doctors and teachers along with wise words sounded from the stage.

Dmitriy Litvinov

Photographs by Mikhail Gindin