Dr. Yevgeniy Chazov is a renowned Russian cardiologist, scientist, healthcare organizer and public figure, academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, an honorary member of many foreign academies of sciences. He is a former Minister of Health of the USSR. He is a holder of the WHO Medal for outstanding service in the field of public medicine.

Yevgeniy Ivanovich Chazov was born in the city of Gorky (Nizhny Novgorod now) on June 10, 1929. After graduating Kyiv Medical Institute in 1953 he was admitted to the 1st Moscow Medical Institute by a resident intern in a clinic of one of the country’s leading medical practitioners, Oleksandr Myasnikov, an academician.

In 1956, Chazov defended his Ph.D. thesis.

In 1959, Chazov began working at the Institute of Therapy of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences. In 1963 he was appointed deputy director of scientific work, and in a year he became director of the Institute in 1965. In 1967 it was transformed into the Institute of Cardiology named after Myasnikov of Academy of Medical Sciences of the USSR.

At the suggestion of Chazov and his active participation, the creation of the All-Union Cardiology Research Center of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences was started in 1976, it was completed in 1982 (from 1992 to 1996 – the Scientific Center of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, from 1996 – the Russian Cardiology Research and Production Complex). Today it is a leading multidisciplinary cardiology complex that provides highly skilled and specialized assistance to the population. From 1982 till present, Yevgeniy Ivanovich Chazov is the director of this center.

Priority research studies conducted by Chazov have been recognized internationally. A thrombolytic method which he created in the 1960s having suffered from myocardial infarction himself is widely used for the treatment of patients with myocardial infarction. For the creation of highly effective thrombolytics Yevgeniy Chazov was awarded Lenin Prize in 1982. The discovery of Chazov and his collaborators of mechanisms of the creatine phosphate route of energy transfer in the heart muscle was recorded in 1979, which was of great importance not only for understanding the functioning of the heart, but also the creation of new drugs.

In 1969, Yevgeniy Chazov was awarded the State Prize of the USSR for the development and implementation of a system of treatment for patients with myocardial infarction, which included pre-hospital care, the creation of the first in-country intensive care units, new therapies. This system is still functioning not only in Russia and CIS countries, but also in foreign countries.

The prevention and rehabilitation of patients with cardiovascular diseases, which allowed to prevent the development of the disease and restore work ability of patients developed by Chazov and his students is of great practical importance. The work was awarded the Second State Prize of the USSR in 1976. The international recognition of these achievements was confirmed by the election of Yevgeniy Ivanovich Chazov to be the president of the 1st International Congress of Cardiologists and the 1st International Congress on Prophylactic Cardiology.

In 1991 Chazov was awarded the State Prize of the USSR for the creation of elements of special equipment for the third time.

In 2004, Yevgeniy Ivanovich together with a group of scientists was awarded the State Prize of the Russian Federation in the field of science and technology for the creation and introduction into practice of the new original anti-arrhythmic drug “Nibentan.”

Yevgeniy Chazov is known not only as a doctor and scientist but also as a health care provider. In 1968-1986 he served as a Deputy Minister, and in 1987-1990 he headed the Ministry of Health of the USSR. During this period, at the suggestion of the Minister of Health new forms of work began working. A network of diagnostic centers was created, a system of struggle with HIV infection was formed, the legislation on psychiatric care was revised, new principles of financial and economic activity were created, a network of children’s institutions was created, which ensured the reduction of children’s mortality, a system of medical care was created in extreme conditions and so on.

Together with Bernard Lauon, a professor of cardiology at Harvard Institute, Yevgeniy Chasov organized the international movement “Doctors of the World for the Prevention of Nuclear War” in 1980. The movement played an important role in shaping anti-nuclear attitudes in the public consciousness and contributed to the signing of an agreement on the limitation of nuclear weapons. In 1985, the movement of doctors was awarded Nobel Peace Prize, which on behalf of the movement was taken by Bernard Lauon and Yevgeniy Chazov.

Since 2008 Yevgeniy Chazov has been a member of the Expert Council of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation and the Chief Cardiologist of the Ministry of Health and Social Development of the Russian Federation.

Great and fruitful scientific, medical and social activities of Yevgeniy Chazov brought him many Soviet and foreign awards. He was  awarded the Order of Lenin four times. In 1978 he was awarded the title of Hero of Socialist Labor. In 2004, Yevgeniy Ivanovich Chazov was awarded the Order of Merit to the Motherland of II Degree by the President of the Russian Federation.