Russia

Yuri Stefanovitch Vasilenko, Moscow

The first works on phoniatrics in Russia were published at the end of the last century. Among them are D.I. Koshlakov`s article about a laryngostroboscopy (1884), N.P. Simanovsky`s about functional voice disorders (1885), E.N. Malutin`s about connection between features of an anatomical structure of the voice device and quality of a singer’s voice. Per first two decades of a XXth century two phoniatric schools were issued in Russia: in St.-Petersburg (M.S. Erbshtein, I.I. Levidov) and in Moscow (E.N. Malutin, L.D. Rabotnov, F.F. Zasedatelev). M.S.Erbshtein is the author of the series of clauses devoted to professional voice pathology and the monograph “Anatomy, physiology and the hygiene of respiratory and voice organs (1908). Scientific researches of I.I. Levidov were devoted to questions of physiology and pathology of children’s voice, protection and education of children’s and teenager’s voice, development of a singers voice and professional illnesses of the voice device. E.N. Malutin in 1928 has organized in the Moscow conservatory a laboratory of experimental phonetics and phoniatrics, has published the monographs “Experimental phonetics and scientific bases of statement of a voice”.
Researches of L.D. Rabotnov about respiration at the singers are well known to phoniatricians and vocal teachers. His hypothesis about a role of unstriated muscles of bronchial tree in the act of phonation have not lost the importance till now, being an original in the theory of voice statement. The results of research work are generalized in his book “Bases of physiology and pathology of a singers voice”.
F.F. Zasedatelev is known as the author of series of the monographs: “Voice disorders and its treatment” (1908); “Scientific bases of statement of a voice” (1926) etc.
From the date of organization in 1930 and till the present time the large attention is given to development of scientific and practical problems in the field of a phoniatrics by St.-Petersburg Research institute of ear, nose, throat and speech. The appreciable contribution to development of a domestic phoniatrics was brought by the employees of this institute. Among them M.I. Fomicheva, N.F. Lebedeva, T.E..Shamsheva, V.G. Ermolaev must be noted. N.F. Lebedeva. has devoted her dissertation to the nodose and diffuse neoplasms of the connective tissue of the larynx. The large attention she gave to protection of children’s voice has studied mutation changes of the larynx at girls and boys. V.G.Ermolaev with the help of an electron stroboscope has received the new data on functioning of vocal cords, has developed classification of stroboscopic findings, has studied diagnostic value of this method of research for early recognition of malignant formations of a larynx.
In Moscow Research institute of ear, nose and throat scientific researches on a phoniatrics carried out from the end 60th. The large merit in it belongs to A.T.Rjabchenko. Many years phoniatric department of the institute has a hospital for 40 patients and a polyclinic for outpatient with voice disorders. Since 1986 on the basis of institute the All-Russia Scientific - methodical Center on a phoniatrics is created, which principal is prof. Y.S. Vasilenko. All these years the Center actively carry out work on improvement of phoniatrician help in Russia, annually organizes workshops and conferences on urgent questions of phoniatrics, is engaged in preparation of the scientific and practical staff. Annually 4000 outpatients are investigated in the Center, 800 endolaryngeal operations are made in polyclinic and in the department. Under a management of Prof. Y.S. Vasilenko for last 20 years were prepared the candidate and doctor’s dissertations devoted to the most different questions of phoniatrics. Among them are: G.F. Ivanchenko ”Functional microsurgery for palsy and scar deformations of larynx”; O.S. Orlova “A system of logopedic work for protection and correction of voice disorders in pedagogues”; H.A. Alimetov ”Diskinesises of larynx”.