Twins Cosmas and Damian – Patron Saints of Doctors

Saint Luke is the one commonly believed to be a patron saint of physicians. The less known are Cosmas and Damian, the only twin physicians to have been declared saints in the Catholic Church. In Poland, we have been recently observing a growing interest in these saint twins. This is mainly associated with a return to the tradition of the Apothecary Feast, celebrated on September 26, the day of Cosmas’ and Damian’s martyr death.

The legacy of Saint Luke (Valentin Felixovich Voyno-Yasenetsky) to medical sciences

Saint Luke, Archbishop of Simferopol and Crimea (1877‒1961), was born Valentin Felixovich Voyno-Yasenetsky in Kerch, Crimea. He served as an outstanding physician and Academic Professor of Topographic Anatomy and Operative Surgery at Medical School of Tashkent University. He worked extensively on the fields of surgery, regional anesthesia, pyogenic infections, ophthalmology, neurosurgery, oncology, orthopedics, otorhinolaryngology, gynecology, urology, and dentistry, often under difficult circumstances. He performed a wide variety of operations, from minor outpatient procedures to extremely complicated ones, followed by extensive inpatient management and treatment of ailing individuals. He published numerous research articles and books. His most acclaimed monograph entitled “Essays on the surgery of pyogenic infections” (“Sketches of purulent surgery”), focused on the broad field of surgery with special reference to the pyogenic infections and served as a reference tool and guide book for the next generations of physicians. The Stalin Prize was the highest professional honor awarded to Valentin Felixovich Voyno-Yasenetsky by the Soviet state in recognition of his contribution to science. Voyno-Yasenetsky was a blessed physician who had a major influence on both patients and colleagues, due to his fundamental ethical principles and values based on Christian beliefs. His life and scientific work have been an example of the practical unity of scientific truth and religious faith. He was ordained to the diaconate and priesthood, until he elevated to the ranks of Bishop and Archbishop. He was arrested and subsequently exiled for his religious beliefs and his glorification by the Orthodox Church as Saint Luke was held in Russia in 2000, as a recognition of God’s holiness manifesting in his life. Saint Luke received an honorable place in the history of Medicine and the Eastern Orthodox Church. The present study aims to highlight key elements of his life and his scientific contributions.

ПРОФЕССОР В.Ф. ВОЙНО-ЯСЕНЕЦКИЙ И АКАДЕМИК И.П. ПАВЛОВ: ДИАЛОГ ВЕЛИКИХ УЧЁНЫХ

The article is devoted to the study of scientific contacts of Professor V.F. Voyno-Yasenetsky (Saint Luke) and Academician I.P. Pavlov. Their correspondence is based on materials from the archives of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The basis of the article is an analysis of the work of Academician I.P. Pavlov in the work of Professor V.F. Voyno-Yasenetsky (St. Luke) with the title "Spirit, Soul and Body." It is shown that Saint Luke’s deep knowledge of the teachings of I.P. Pavlov on higher nervous activity, on which he built his discussions about the properties of the human spirit, the idea of a person from the point of view of Orthodox Anthropology.

Da misericórdia à misericórdia/ justiça em Lucas. O encontro com a viúva de Naim (Lc 7,11-17)

Este artigo1 visa compreender o significado dos termos misericórdia e justiça no Evangelho de Lucas. No encontro de Jesus com a viúva de Naim, marcado pela misericórdia/justiça, pode-se averiguar a riqueza semântica da narrativa lucana. Observa-se que no horizonte teológico de Lucas a misericórdia está imbricada a justiça, pois, ao agir com misericórdia para com a viúva, Jesus está cumprindo a justiça de Deus. A teologia lucana conduz seu leitor a perceber que, para Jesus, misericórdia significa “vontade de salvar”; por isso ele age com compaixão, “comovendo-se”. Nota-se em Lucas que o termo hebraico HeSeD, de léxico grego ἐσπλαγχνίσθη [esplanchnisthē], pode ser traduzido por “compadeceu-se”. Ao devolver a vida ao jovem, Jesus recupera a esperança da viúva, suprimida pelo desalento. Sua açao, da misericórdia para a misericórdia/justiça, revolve o coração da mulher viúva de Naim; o ato transformador desempenhado por Jesus remove o desalento, a dor e devolve o alento e a alegria. Na obra lucana, ele age com misericórdia/justiça para com todos os que estão na dor, na morte ou em qualquer realidade injusta. Ele e o novo profeta de Israel que instaura a misericordia/justica de Deus (Lc 7,16). Abstract: The aim of this article is to understand the meaning of the term’s mercy and justice in the gospel of Luke. In the encounter of Jesus with the widow of Naim, marked by mercy/justice, one can ascertain the semantic richness of the Lucan narrative. In Luke, it is observed that in his theological horizon, mercy is interwoven with justice, because in acting with mercy towards the widow, Jesus is fulfilling the justice of God. Lucan theology leads its reader to realize that, for Jesus, mercy means “will to save”, that is why he acts with compassion, with pity. It is noted in Luke that the Hebrew term HeSeD, from the Greek lexicon ἐσπλαγχνίσθη [esplanchnisthē], can be translated as “having pity on”. By returning the young man to life, Jesus revives the hope of the widow, suppressed by discouragement. The action of Jesus, from mercy to mercy/justice, enraptures the heart of the widowed woman of Nain. The transforming act performed by Jesus removes discouragement, pain and returns vigor and joy. In the Lucan work, Jesus acts with mercy/justice towards all who are in pain, in death or in any unjust reality. He is the new prophet of Israel who establishes God’s mercy/justice (Lk 7,16).Keywords: Gospel of Saint Luke; Mercy; Justice; Compassion.

Memory of Three Generations: Evidence of the Ministry of St. Luke(Voyno-Yasenetsky) in the Front-Line City of Tambov from the Grozdov Family Archive

В статье анализируются материалы семейного архива Гроздовых, позволяющие проследить преемственную связь между четырьмя поколениями родственников, которые на протяжении всего трагического и противоречивого XX в. бережно сохраняли свои духовные традиции. Благодаря переданным М. В. Ганеевой (Гроздовой) в музейные собрания г. Тамбова фотографиям, рисункам, письмам, документам, дневникам открывается многоцветная эпическая картина, передающая весь спектр духовного мира интеллигенции времён Великой Отечественной войны в городе-госпитале Тамбове. Из этой коллекции наиболее информативным документом, особенно красноречиво свидетельствующим о Великой Отечественной войне, является дневник Вячеслава Тихоновича Гроздова, внука протоиерея Митрофана Гроздова и сына известного хирурга Тихона Митрофановича Гроздова, который и работал совместно со святителем Лукой (ВойноЯсенецким) в годы войны. На страницах дневника запечатлены истории повседневной жизни прифронтового города Тамбова, в который 19 февраля 1944 г. и приехал святитель-хирург Лука. Вячеслав Гроздов зафиксировал факты общения своего отца и святителя Луки, сделал записи об их совместных операциях и выступлениях на конференциях. Сам Вячеслав неоднократно присутствовал на операциях святителя и, будучи искусным в рисовании, помогал ему в подготовке рисунков и таблиц для докладов на медицинских конференциях. Благодаря записям дневника стало известно, что именно Вячеслав Гроздов выполнил карандашный портрет профессора, доктора медицины архиепископа Луки (В. Ф. Войно-Ясенецкого), датируемый 25 марта 1944 г. Дневники Вячеслава - это свидетельство о каждодневном подвиге врачей тамбовских эвакогоспиталей, о том, с какой человеческой болью приходилось сталкиваться. Помогая отцу в госпитале в качестве санитара, а также ведя зарисовки операций и госпитального быта, Вячеслав запечатлел картины, характеризующие события жизни архиепископа-хирурга в городе Тамбове. Кроме прямых указаний на факты общения Гроздовых с архиепископом Лукой, дневник содержит информацию, дающую необходимый контекст для понимания многих ситуаций тамбовского периода служения святителя Луки, а также - в целом - жизни города Тамбова в военные годы. Анализируя информацию из дневника, можно реконструировать и характеризовать духовно-нравственную среду города Тамбова во время архипастырских трудов святителя Луки по возрождению Тамбовской епархии в годы Великой Отечественной войны. The article analyzes the evidence from the Grozdov family archive which allows one to trace the continuity between four generations of relatives who carefully preserved their spiritual traditions throughout the tragic and contradictory 20th century. Thanks to the photographs, drawings, letters, documents, diaries transferred by M. V. Ganeyeva (Grozdova) to the museum collections of Tambov, we can see a multicoloured epic picture conveying the entire spectrum of the spiritual world of the intelligentsia during the Great Patriotic War in the hospital city of Tambov. The most informative document of this collection, especially eloquently testifying to the Great Patriotic War, is the diary of Vyacheslav Tikhonovich Grozdov, the grandson of Archpriest Mitrofan Grozdov and the son of the famous surgeon Tikhon Mitrofanovich Grozdov who worked together with St. Luke (Voyno-Yasenetsky) during the war. The pages of the diary depict the stories of the daily life of the front-line city of Tambov where Holy Hierarch-Surgeon Luke arrived on February 19, 1944. Vyacheslav Grozdov recorded the facts of communication between his father and Saint Luke, made notes about their joint operations and speeches at conferences. Vyacheslav himself was repeatedly present at the operations conducted by the Holy Hierarch and, being skilled in drawing, helped him by preparation of figures and tables for his reports at medical conferences. The diary entries reveal that it was Vyacheslav Grozdov who was the author of the pencil portrait of Professor, Doctor of Medicine Archbishop Luke (V. F. Voyno-Yasenetsky), which dates from March 25, 1944. Vyacheslav’s diary entries reveal the everyday self-sacrificial heroism (Russ.: podvig) of the doctors working in Tambov’s evacuation hospitals, and the enormous human pain he had to face. While helping his father in the hospital as an attendant, as well as making sketches of operations and hospital life, Vyacheslav captured pictures characterizing the events of the life of the Archbishop-Surgeon in the city of Tambov. In addition to directly indicating the facts of communication between the Grozdovs and Archbishop Luke, the diary provides the necessary context for understanding many situations throughout the Tambov period of St. Luke's ministry, as well as the wartime life of Tambov in general. Analyzing the evidence from the diary, one can reconstruct and characterize the spiritual and moral environment of the city of Tambov during the archpastoral labours of Saint Luke for the revival of the Tambov diocese during the Great Patriotic War.

Saint Luke of Steiris in the exonarthex of the church of the Treskavac monastery and his cult and representation in the middle ages

The study investigates the portrayal of St. Luke of Steiris in the exonarthex of the church of the Treskavac Monastery (between 1334 and 1343), identified as St. Loukas the Stylite in earlier literature. Based on the extant representations, it is noticed that St. Luke of Steiris had a clearly defined appearance of face and clothing, but also that he was not often portrayed. A review of the development and expansion of his cult is provided by comparing artistic evidence and written sources. Finally, the paper asks from which of the major Byzantine centers of culture and art the practice of representing St. Luke of Steiris, with all the features common in his iconography, came to be accepted in the Serbian milieu, which seems to have occurred in the time of King Milutin (1282-1321).

Plucked-keyboard instruments built in Flanders as based on the collection of the Muziekinstrumentenmuseum in Brussels

The article touches on the topic of keyboard-plucked instruments, which were made in one of the most significant European centres – Flanders. The Ruckers family working there created unique works serving as an inspiration for subsequent generations of instrument makers as well as modern makers of copies of historical instruments. The text is aimed at presenting the history of Flanders and instrument building in that region, and analysing selected exhibits from the Muziekinstrumentenmuseum in Brussels. The names of authors of numerous old instruments still need to be determined or confirmed, and a thorough study of connections between families of builders, their relations with other makers, and the ornaments placed on instruments, may facilitate the identification. The article describes the history of the Guild of Saint Luke in Antwerp, uniting artists and instrument makers. The most recognised representatives of this group were the Ruckers and the Couchet families, and biographical sketches of their selected members are presented further along in the article. There is also a description of different instruments from that region, such as: harpsichord (Flűgel), virginal, spinet, muselar, de moeder met het kind and ottavino. The conclusion includes an analysis of selected items from the Belgian museum which come from the region of Flanders and were built by the Ruckers and Rouchet families. These exhibits are distinguished by their structure, external appearance and history. The descriptions and photos will allow readers to learn more about the presented material. The text is addressed to people interested in the topic of the plucked-keyboard instrument making, as well as to harpsichordists who need to know about the origin of instruments. This kind of information is crucial for adjusting the right temperament, registers and articulation in a given piece. The knowledge about the types of historical keyboard instruments is equally important.