Who is the main freelance psychiatrist of the RF Ministry of Health? Zurab Ilyich Kekelidze is a famous Soviet and Russian psychiatrist. He has a doctorate in medical sciences, is a professor in the Department of Clinical Physiology and Psychology, as well as non-drug methods of treatment with a course of psychotherapy at the Medical Academy. Sechenov in Moscow. Since 2013, he heads the V.P. Serbsky State Scientific Center for Forensic and Social Psychiatry.
Kekelidze Zurab Ilyich: biography, childhood
The future famous psychiatrist was born in the capital of the Georgian SSR, in the beautiful city of Tbilisi, in 1949, on the day of the celebration of the Great October Revolution. From early childhood he was interested in human relationships. He noticed such nuances that others did not see at all. So, once a boy he was invited to the house of his classmate and noticed how the mistress of the house was flirting with one of the guests, although even her husband did not notice this. He talked about this in an interview. After this incident, he began to look closely at others, and he began to be more and more fascinated by the various manipulations that people performed in relation to each other.
Choice of profession
Over time, his family moved to Moscow, and he was already preparing to enter the university. Initially, Zurab Ilyich Kekelidze decided that he should become a psychologist and enroll at Moscow State University, but having carefully studied the list of subjects that will be further taught at the university, and comparing them with those that will be taught at the psychiatric faculty of the medical institute, he decided that he should study to the doctor, after all, this was his long-standing dream. Moreover, he was interested not only in psychology, but also in psychopathology.
Higher education
Since Zurab Ilyich Kekelidze was named the best student of his school, and according to the results of academic performance he received a gold medal, for admission to the university he had to pass only one chemistry exam and get a mark of “five” for him. It was 1966. He submitted documents to the Second Moscow Medical Institute, but could not get the coveted five. He had to put up with failure and wait for his turn for next year. Meanwhile, he got a job as a nurse in one of the Moscow hospitals. The following year, Kekelidze Zurab Ilyich, whose family supported him in everything, decided not to enter the Second, but the First Moscow Medical Institute. The result of the first exam was disappointing. He could not get such a coveted five, but he had a second chance, it was necessary to pass an excellent exam in physics.
Zurab was well aware that his knowledge of chemistry was higher than that of physics. Nevertheless, he began to prepare for the decisive exam for days on the fly. As a result, he passed physics at “five” and became a student at the Medical Institute. I. M. Sechenov, who will subsequently be called the Higher Medical Academy and whose professor will become Zurab Ilyich many years later. When the time came to choose a narrow specialization, he naturally went to psychiatry, and every day he became more interested in this science. By the way, in the future Zurab Kekelidze received a second specialty - resuscitation specialist, and then created a new science, combining both of these specialties.
Labor activity
After graduation, Zurab Ilyich Kekelidze began an internship at the Moscow Psychiatric Hospital named after Alekseeva and showed himself perfectly as a knowledgeable future specialist. After receiving his diploma, he was left as a psychiatrist in this hospital, where he worked on the flesh until 1978, until he moved to work at the All-Union Scientific Research Institute of Forensic and General Psychiatry. By the way, in Alekseyevka he worked in the intensive care unit.
In Georgia
In the late 80s, Zurab Ilyich Kekelidze decided to return to his native Tbilisi for a while and contribute to the development of psychiatry in Georgia. Here he first became deputy director of the Institute of Psychiatry. Asatiani, and after a while he headed it. However, after the collapse of the USSR, the situation in the new Georgian republic was unstable and there could be no talk of any development of science.
Return to the Russian Federation
In 1993, Zurab Ilyich decided to return to Moscow, where he was offered to take the post of deputy director for science at the Serbsky State Center for Judicial and Social Psychiatry, where he still works today, but already as general director. He received this position only after 17 years. Zurab Kekelidze is currently also the head of the department of emergency psychiatric care in emergency situations, as well as a member of the special council of the NCHP of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, a member of the section of the academic council of psychiatry of the Ministry of Health of Russia and a representative of the presidium of the ROP (Society of Psychiatrists of the Russian Federation).
Personal life
The chief psychiatrist of Russia does not like to spread about his family. Kekelidze Zurab Ilyich, whose wife is a neurologist, looks like a completely happy person. With his wife, they lived side by side for a long life. If there were disputes, then only on scientific topics. Zurab Ilyich admits that he often had to prove to his wife that psychiatry is also a science. Unfortunately, the couple does not like to flaunt family life and there is no information about how many children and grandchildren they have, what they do.
About myself
“I am an optimist, and for me every morning is a new beginning of life. I live with a constant sense of inner happiness from doing my favorite work, although it’s not very easy, you know, ”in an interview he admitted that he likes to practice, treat, rather than run a medical institution.
Scientific works, publications, interviews
Z.I. Kekelidze is the author of ten monographs and about 130 scientific works on psychiatry. Many of his works are published in the popular science journal Psychiatry, of which he is a member of the editorial board. Zurab Ilyich also works as executive secretary of the Russian psychiatric publication. He collaborates with the medical portal Takzdorovo.ru as a stress expert. Gives advice on how to maintain mental health, which is also a component of a healthy lifestyle. In addition, the country's chief psychiatrist gives a lot of interviews to a large number of serious publications and news portals, including RIA Novosti, Argumenty i Fakty and others.
Merits and Awards
For serving Russian science, Zurab Ilyich Kekelidze received the title of Honored Doctor of Russia, and was also awarded the honorary badge “For Merit”, the Order of Honor and the medal of the order “For Merit to the Fatherland”. For cooperation with the Ministry of Justice of the country, he was also awarded the honorary medal of this department. In 2000, Zurab Ilyich was recognized as the best doctor of the Russian Federation and became the laureate of the Prize. This was due to the creation of a new medical field - psychoanimatology.
