August 05, 2025

"There Was No Thought of Leaving the Operating Room"


"There Was No Thought of Leaving the Operating Room"
A group of surgeons in Kamchatka holding onto a patient and medical equipment during the July 30 earthquake. Melnikov. Vazhnoe, Telegram.

On July 30, Kamchatka registered an 8.8 magnitude earthquake, the strongest there since 1952. Security camera footage of a local hospital captured the moment the tremor struck during a surgery. It quickly went viral for showing the medical staff protecting the patient.

Kamchata Krai Healthcare Minister Oleg Melnikov shared the video of a surgical intervention at the Kamchatka Regional Oncology Dispensary. A nurse could be seen holding a table with medical tools, while surgeons held onto a patient and equipment during the quake. None of the medical staff left their posts during the record-breaking tremor.

Oncologist Lybov Tsyplakova told Komsomolskaya Pravda, "[My] first thought was: We have to finish the surgery. No matter what happens, no matter how the shaking continues, the surgery needs to finish." Since the procedure was performed on an open body cavity, stopping the intervention and waking up the patient at that moment could have been fatal.

The head of the hospital's oncology department, Dr. Yana Gvozdeva, said the shaking lasted approximately five to six minutes. Gvozdova told Zvezda TV channel, "It was really scary. We thought the operating table would tip over and the patient would jump out of our hands."

According to the oncologist, at one point, the doctors had to stop operating to secure the patient and the surgical instruments. The anesthesiologist held onto his equipment tightly throughout the earthquake. Had the machine turned off, the patient would have died. Gvozdeva said, “There was no thought of leaving the operating room.”

The operation lasted only a few minutes longer. The surgery was pre-planned and at its final stage. According to Gvozdeva, the injury was not stitched up when the earthquake struck. The doctor said, "We did everything so the disaster would not be more devastating." The procedure was successful: the patient's colon tumor was removed, and they are currently in stable condition in the intensive care unit.

Kamchatka governor Vladimir Solodov instructed the group of doctors to prepare documents for submission to receive state awards. Solodov's post was met with backlash, as internet users asked whether medical staff who were on the job during the earthquake but were not recorded should receive prizes as well. Oncologist Artem Eremenko, who was in the viral surgery, said doctors in the neighboring room also remained in their posts. Gvozdeva said, "Where is the heroism here? Any doctor, any specialist would have done the same in our place."

You Might Also Like

From Arizona to Trenches
  • July 30, 2025

From Arizona to Trenches

A 46-year-old American who moved his family to Russia in search of “traditional values” is now serving on the front lines in Ukraine.
Ukrainian Artist Honored
  • July 31, 2025

Ukrainian Artist Honored

Serhiy Zhadan is the first Ukrainian to win the Austrian State Prize in European Literature.
Juvie for Bullies
  • July 23, 2025

Juvie for Bullies

The General Prosecutor's office proposed sending school bullies to temporary detention centers.
Like this post? Get a weekly email digest + member-only deals

Some of our Books

The Latchkey Murders
July 01, 2015

The Latchkey Murders

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin is back on the case in this prequel to the popular mystery Murder at the Dacha, in which a serial killer is on the loose in Khrushchev’s Moscow...

How Russia Got That Way
September 20, 2025

How Russia Got That Way

A fast-paced crash course in Russian history, from Norsemen to Navalny, that explores the ways the Kremlin uses history to achieve its ends.

93 Untranslatable Russian Words
December 01, 2008

93 Untranslatable Russian Words

Every language has concepts, ideas, words and idioms that are nearly impossible to translate into another language. This book looks at nearly 100 such Russian words and offers paths to their understanding and translation by way of examples from literature and everyday life. Difficult to translate words and concepts are introduced with dictionary definitions, then elucidated with citations from literature, speech and prose, helping the student of Russian comprehend the word/concept in context.

Fearful Majesty
July 01, 2014

Fearful Majesty

This acclaimed biography of one of Russia’s most important and tyrannical rulers is not only a rich, readable biography, it is also surprisingly timely, revealing how many of the issues Russia faces today have their roots in Ivan’s reign.

Murder and the Muse
December 12, 2016

Murder and the Muse

KGB Chief Andropov has tapped Matyushkin to solve a brazen jewel heist from Picasso’s wife at the posh Metropole Hotel. But when the case bleeds over into murder, machinations, and international intrigue, not everyone is eager to see where the clues might lead.

Murder at the Dacha
July 01, 2013

Murder at the Dacha

Senior Lieutenant Pavel Matyushkin has a problem. Several, actually. Not the least of them is the fact that a powerful Soviet boss has been murdered, and Matyushkin's surly commander has given him an unreasonably short time frame to close the case.

Survival Russian
February 01, 2009

Survival Russian

Survival Russian is an intensely practical guide to conversational, colloquial and culture-rich Russian. It uses humor, current events and thematically-driven essays to deepen readers’ understanding of Russian language and culture. This enlarged Second Edition of Survival Russian includes over 90 essays and illuminates over 2000 invaluable Russian phrases and words.

The Moscow Eccentric
December 01, 2016

The Moscow Eccentric

Advance reviewers are calling this new translation "a coup" and "a remarkable achievement." This rediscovered gem of a novel by one of Russia's finest writers explores some of the thorniest issues of the early twentieth century.

Fish
February 01, 2010

Fish

This mesmerizing novel from one of Russia’s most important modern authors traces the life journey of a selfless Russian everywoman. In the wake of the Soviet breakup, inexorable forces drag Vera across the breadth of the Russian empire. Facing a relentless onslaught of human and social trials, she swims against the current of life, countering adversity and pain with compassion and hope, in many ways personifying Mother Russia’s torment and resilience amid the Soviet disintegration.

Russian Rules
November 16, 2011

Russian Rules

From the shores of the White Sea to Moscow and the Northern Caucasus, Russian Rules is a high-speed thriller based on actual events, terrifying possibilities, and some really stupid decisions.

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices
May 01, 2013

Stargorod: A Novel in Many Voices

Stargorod is a mid-sized provincial city that exists only in Russian metaphorical space. It has its roots in Gogol, and Ilf and Petrov, and is a place far from Moscow, but close to Russian hearts. It is a place of mystery and normality, of provincial innocence and Black Earth wisdom. Strange, inexplicable things happen in Stargorod. So do good things. And bad things. A lot like life everywhere, one might say. Only with a heavy dose of vodka, longing and mystery.

About Us

Russian Life is the 31-year-old publication of an award-winning publishing house that also creates books, and other products for Russophiles the world over.

Latest Posts

Our Contacts

Russian Life
73 Main Street, Suite 402
Montpelier VT 05602

802-223-4955