Snegirev, Vladimir

Born June 27 (July 9), 1847, in Moscow; died there Dec. 19, 1916 (Jan. 1. 1917). Russian physician; one of the founders of gynecology as a scientific discipline in Russia.

Snegirev graduated from the medical faculty of Moscow University in 1870. He became a professor at the university in 1884. He regarded gynecologic diseases as diseases of the entire body and not just the genital organs. Snegirev’s primary research was in surgical gynecology. He devised many new methods for fixing the vagina after prolapse, for removing the ovaries and uterus, and for treating developmental abnormalities of the female genitalia; for example, he developed operations to correct a duplex uterus or a paired vagina.

In 1884, Snegirev wrote Uterine Bleeding, which was the first handbook on gynecology printed in Russia. The handbook won worldwide recognition and was called an encyclopedia of gynecology by physicians. In 1896, Snegirev organized and was appointed director of the first institute for the advanced training of gynecologists. Gynecology was first taught as an independent discipline at his initiative. He was also the founder of a large school of gynecologists whose adherents included A. P. Gubarev.

Snegirev was an honorary and regular member of many scientific societies in Russia and abroad. The obstetrics and gynecology clinic of the First Moscow Medical Institute was named in honor of Snegirev.