On February 26, 2026, an event to mark the 140th anniversary of the birth of the outstanding physician who stood at the origins of healthcare in our region — German Nikanorovich Alalykin — was held at Karaganda Medical University.

The history of medicine in Karaganda is inseparably linked with the 1930s, when, on assignment fr om the Akmola Regional Health Department, the Alalykin spouses arrived in the harsh conditions of the rapidly developing city: surgeon German Nikanorovich and practitioner Yadviga Friedrichovna. In circumstances marked by the complete absence of even basic medical infrastructure, they began building the healthcare system virtually from scratch.

German Nikanorovich did more than treat patients — he built the foundation of modern medicine in the region. Under his leadership, the first surgical unit in Karaganda was opened, and the foundations of the regional blood transfusion service were established, which became a vital step for the industrial region. In the setting of coal basin, he worked dedicatedly to implement sanitary standards in mines and workers’ settlements, becoming a mentor to hundreds of physicians and establishing the educational base for our university.

For us, Alalykin Street in the center of Karaganda, wh ere one of the university buildings is located, is more than just a geographic point. It is a “route of our professional conscience” and a tribute to a man who believed that a doctor must devote himself entirely to the people. An Honored Doctor of the Kazakh SSR, German Nikanorovich endured ordeals while remaining devoted to his calling until his very last day.