Development of Ye.N. Meshalkin cardiac surgery school under the influence of social reforms in the late XX and early XXI centuries

The social factors which have exerted a major influence on the development of Russian medical science in the late XX century and early XXI century have been studied. In particular, some mechanisms for developing Academician Ye.N. Meshalkin's Cardiac School have been investigated in the context of political and economic changes in the society. The school founded in the late fifties of the last century has demonstrated its sustainability under various social/ economic conditions. This phenomenon enables us to understand how the changing external factors have influenced its activities over the period under study.