Illness and dating
“I still remember how Vladimir and his wife finally shook my hand,” says Ingrid Bartel, 72, about his last meeting with Dr. Popov, who literally put her on her feet 41 years ago.
Ingrid moved to the city of Telt, near Potsdam and the city limits of Berlin, in 1967. Her husband worked at a large enterprise that produced measuring, control and regulation equipment for production. The woman received the profession of a mechanic there, and after the birth of her son Sven, she underwent three years of engineering training as part of advanced training for women with children. In parallel, Ingrid conducted active public work, in connection with which she was delegated to the district office of the Union of Free German Youth in the Potsdam district.
By this time, the woman began to have serious health problems. Since the beginning of 1977, Ingrid has been treated in various medical institutions of the GDR, but no progress has been observed. As a result, she underwent three operations on the lumbar spine - and not one of them was successful.
“Since we knew from our media that the hospital of the USSR Armed Forces in Germany operated with great success in Belitz-Heilstetten, between the second and third operations in the Charite clinic, my family sent a letter to the Soviet embassy in Berlin through a friend translator and asked about help, ”recalls Ingrid.
The request was granted. Neurosurgeon Vladimir Popov went to get acquainted with the future patient and clarify the details with the attending doctors Frau Barthel in the Charite hospital.
Friendship for decades
From childhood, Vladimir Popov wanted to be an artist, and became a physician almost by accident. “My friend, his mother was a doctor, dreamed of being a head doctor - I thought, why am I worse? And then he loved medicine so much that he became a professor, ”recalls the 77-year-old honored doctor of the Russian Federation, doctor of medical sciences, academician of RAMTS.
- © Photo from the personal archive
After graduating from the Kuibyshev Medical Institute (now Samara State Medical University) in 1966, Vladimir joined the army, where until 1973 he was a unit doctor in the Trans-Baikal District. Then he entered the Military Medical Academy. Kirova, two years later, was distributed to Lviv, and in 1976, with the rank of major of the medical service, to the hospital of the Group of Soviet Forces in Germany as a senior resident of the neurosurgical department. “My wife and two children shared with me all the hardships of military service,” says Popov.
He diagnosed a spinal hernia in Ingrid. “After the operations in Sharit, she had pains in her lower back, curvature of the body. She practically could not walk. I note that Ingrid was well taught in the Academy, so that we, Soviet specialists sent abroad, were trained in this area, ”the doctor explains.
On January 23, 1979, patient Bartel was transferred to the neurosurgical department of the hospital in Belitz-Heilstetten.
“After the first meeting with Dr. Popov in Sharit, I felt:“ You can trust him. ” My expectations were met. Vladimir constantly strove to apply all his knowledge and skills to the benefit of my health, ”recalls Ingrid.
During breaks at work and in his spare time, Vladimir discussed with the patient the planned studies or procedures. Ingrid recognized him not only as a military doctor: he introduced her to his wife and children, they became friends with families. The doctor told life stories, showed photographs and transparencies.
- © Photo from the personal archive
“Since the general state of my health left much to be desired, Dr. Popov and other doctors of the hospital always came to the rescue, if suddenly some organ did not work as it should,” Bartel emphasizes. “They meticulously looked for a reason to eliminate it as soon as possible.”
The operation took place on February 26, 1979. “The result was good,” says Vladimir Popov. “Inga began to walk, the pains decreased, and in the end she was discharged.” Two years later, the woman needed a second operation, after which her condition finally recovered.
Employer Ingrid awarded doctors, nurses and two blood donors, while Popov was awarded the Arthur Becker Medal and the Friendship Medal.
Lucky case
His service in the GDR ended in the spring of 1981. “I remember very well how the doctors and nurses of the neurosurgical department said goodbye to Vladimir,” says Ingrid Bartel. - Since I was again being treated at the hospital at that time, Dr. Popov personally invited me to his departure. This touching and impressive ceremony sunk into my soul. "
Popov was sent to the Turkestan military district, where he took the post of senior resident of the neurosurgical department in the district hospital. Borovsky in Tashkent. There he rose to the rank of colonel in medical services and the head of the neurosurgical department. As the chief neurosurgeon, he was responsible for assisting the wounded in Afghanistan. In Tashkent, Vladimir completed his doctoral dissertation on gunshot wounds to the head. He transferred to Samara to the Medical School, graduating from military service in 1989.
All this time, the doctor and his former patient corresponded. But in March 2003, letters stopped coming.
“It hurt me that I no longer had contact with Dr. Popov, because I really wanted to know how his personal and professional affairs were going,” says Ingrid. “All the more, it was my joy when after a long time we managed to establish contacts again.”
Ingrid's son, Sven, met in Moscow with Tatyana Vainerovskaya and married her in 2019.
- © Photo from the personal archive
At the beginning of 2020, the daughter-in-law and mother-in-law talked and decided to find Vladimir. Tatyana wrote to the Medgard clinic, where, as it turned out, he operated on in recent years. “Three or four days later, contacts with Vladimir were restored. And the first emails flew in both directions, ”recalls Ingrid. Her relatives plan to arrange a personal meeting for them when the coronavirus pandemic ends, and if the health of both participants allows.
“I was very pleased to receive news from Ingrid, as a person and as a doctor,” says Vladimir. - I would like to meet in 40 years, ask about health again and possibly help with something. There are many patients, but she is so alone! ”