Born: September 1, 1843 (Panino village, Nizhny Novgorod guberniya)
Biography:
Nadezhda Prokofyevna Suslova was a groundbreaking figure in Russian history as the country’s first woman medical doctor. Born on September 1, 1843, in Panino village, Nizhny Novgorod guberniya, she grew up in a society deeply rooted in serfdom. However, her father’s success as a merchant and manufacturer enabled her to receive a proper education along with her sister, Polina.
Nadezhda’s thirst for knowledge and intellectual curiosity were apparent from an early age. She attended Penichkau boarding school in Moscow, where she had the opportunity to learn several foreign languages. It was during this time that she developed a passion for reading and formed friendships with revolutionary democrats who would shape her future perspectives. She found inspiration in the works of Nikolay Chernyshevsky and Dobrolyubov.
In 1859, the Suslov sisters relocated to Saint Petersburg. Two years later, Nadezhda’s short stories, Rasskaz v pismah (Letter Story) and Fantazyorka (Fantasy), were published in Sovremennik, a prominent literary journal. These stories introduced a feminist and nihilist philosophy that would later cause her political troubles.
During the 1860s, Nadezhda Suslova joined the revolutionary organization Land and Liberty. She did this at a time when women’s participation in political and social movements was heavily discouraged. Her dedication to progressive values and her desire to contribute to the welfare of society led her to pursue a career in medicine.
Despite the challenges faced by women seeking higher education, Suslova was allowed to attend classes at the Imperial Military Medical Academy in St. Petersburg. She studied alongside Mariia Obrucheva (Bokov), another young woman with revolutionary sympathies who had become friends with Suslova. In 1862, Suslova published her first article, Changes in Skin Sensations Under the Influence of Electrical Stimulation, in Meditsinskiy Vestnik (Medical Herald).
However, in 1865, women were officially banned from attending universities in Russia. As a result, Suslova moved to Switzerland, influenced by the arrests of her siblings and Bokov and her husband for their political activities. In Switzerland, she audited medical classes at the University of Zurich for two years. When the university finally opened its doors to women, she became an official student.
Initially intending to study obstetrics in Paris for her doctoral research, Suslova eventually decided to move back to St. Petersburg. For her dissertation, she conducted groundbreaking research on the muscular reflexes of frogs and their relationship to the function of lymph hearts at Graz Medical University in Ivan Sechenov’s lab. In 1867, she graduated, becoming the first Russian woman to be awarded a Doctor of Medicine degree.
Suslova’s achievements did not come without significant challenges. In order to practice medicine in Russia, she had to pass a special examination, which she successfully completed. Her commitment to the field and her groundbreaking work earned her recognition as a respected gynecologist in Nizhny Novgorod. Furthermore, she devoted herself to various charity efforts, using her medical knowledge to assist those in need.
Suslova’s contributions to medicine and society cannot be understated. She played a vital role in breaking down barriers for women aspiring to careers in the medical field. Her determination to overcome societal obstacles and her relentless pursuit of knowledge continue to inspire generations of women.