Talalaev, Vladimir Timofeevich

Born May 17 (29), 1886; died Sept. 1, 1947, in Moscow. Soviet pathological anatomist. Honored Scientist of the RSFSR (1942). Member of the CPSU from 1946.

Talalaev graduated from the faculty of medicine at Moscow University in 1912. He was head of the department of pathological morphology of the Moscow Oblast Scientific Research Clinical Institute between 1918 and 1947. From 1930 to 1941 he also headed the subdepartment of pathological anatomy at the Central Institute for the Advanced Training of Physicians.

Talalaev’s main works dealt with rheumatism. He studied the histogenesis of rheumatic granuloma (Aschoffs and Talalaev’s granuloma) in the membranes of the heart. He discovered that changes in tissues caused by rheumatism were cyclic in nature and underwent three stages of development. He also devised a clinical and anatomical classification of rheumatism.

Talalaev’s monograph Acute Rheumatism (1929) was awarded a prize by the International League Against Rheumatism in 1936. Other works by Talalaev dealt with sensitization and allergies, gallstones, lobar pneumonia, and the morphology of sepsis. In 1923, Talalaev developed a lamellar method of preparing anatomic specimens that has been widely adopted in museum work. Talalaev was awarded the Order of the Badge of Honor and several medals.