Nikolay Nikolayovich Blokhin (1912-1993): Patriarch of 20th century Russian medicine and surgery.

This paper focuses on the personal and professional life of Nikolay Nikolayevich Blokhin, an outstanding Russian surgeon and highly innovative oncologist. In addition to a highly successful clinical career, he was a member and President of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences and Director of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences Institute of Experimental and Clinical Oncology. Although his reputation as a medical and political figure is firmly established within Russian medical history, his achievements in surgery and oncology now merit recognition by an international audience.