The N. A. Semashko Regional Clinical Hospital is one of the leading multidisciplinary medical institutions in Nizhny Novgorod Region, with a history dating back to the Soviet period. The N. A. Semashko Nizhny Novgorod Regional Clinical Hospital traces its history to 1825; in September 2025 the institution marked its 200th anniversary with a scientific and practical conference, "City of Health."[1] It is named in honor of Nikolay Aleksandrovich Semashko (1874–1949), a Soviet statesman, one of the organizers of Soviet healthcare, and a full member of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences, who lived and worked in Nizhny Novgorod from 1904 to 1906.[1]

Activities

The hospital served as a base for the clinical training of physicians: from 1979 to 1981, Abdurakhman Zapirovich Rashidov, later the chief physician of the Pervomaysk Central District Hospital, completed his clinical residency in surgery here.[2] From 1994 to 1997, Sergey Vladimirovich Romanov pursued postgraduate studies at the Department of General Surgery of the Semashko Regional Clinical Hospital; he later became the author of 35 scientific works and an invention, and a laureate of the Nizhny Novgorod Prize.

Leadership

From 1963 to 2001, the hospital's chief physician was Oleg Aleksandrovich Obukhov (born May 6, 1923), a veteran of the Great Patriotic War, People's Physician of the USSR, and Honored Physician of the RSFSR. During almost four decades at the head of the hospital, he was awarded the Orders of the Red Banner of Labor, the Patriotic War 1st Class, Glory 3rd Class, and the October Revolution, as well as medals. Obukhov was elected a deputy of the Regional Council of People's Deputies for several terms and was awarded the title "Honorary Citizen of the City of Nizhny Novgorod." As of 2021, the hospital has an inpatient facility with 1,266 round-the-clock beds and 56 intensive care beds, a consultative outpatient clinic with a capacity of 600 visits per shift, 26 clinical departments, and 14 paraclinical treatment and diagnostic services; each year more than 40,000 patients receive care here and about 31,000 surgical procedures are performed.

The hospital houses Nizhny Novgorod Regional Vascular Center No. 2 and the Nizhny Novgorod Regional Level 1 Trauma Center, which are focused on reducing mortality from cardiovascular diseases and severe combined trauma. The hospital is a clinical base for departments of the Volga Research Medical University: as of 2025, 146 university faculty members work here and 13 departments operate on its premises. In September 2026, the Center for Hematology and Chemotherapy began operating at the N. A. Semashko Regional Clinical Hospital, combining diagnostics, outpatient and inpatient care, and high-tech treatment on a "single window" principle; the Center received the status of a Level 3 regional center and is intended to become a single point for clinical decision-making for the hematology service of Nizhny Novgorod Region.

The Center for Hematology and Chemotherapy is headed by Vasily Shuvaev, a hematologist, Doctor of Medical Sciences, and professor at the Russian Medical Academy of Continuous Professional Education; the Center's plans include developing high-dose chemotherapy and transplantation technologies, as well as educational and scientific-methodological work, including training physicians in the region and conducting clinical trials.[8] In 2026, the hospital's neurosurgeons performed four vertebral artery decompression operations for Kimmerle anomaly for the first time in the region — a pathological bony bridge on the first cervical vertebra that compresses the vertebral artery and causes headache, dizziness, and a risk of ischemic stroke; previously, Nizhny Novgorod patients with this anomaly were sent to federal medical centers for surgery.[5] Under the "City of Health" project, the coming years are expected to see the construction of new buildings and operating blocks, the creation of a helipad and a residential care facility, and a diagnostic PET/CT center together with the Nizhny Novgorod Oncology Dispensary. The creation of the Center for Hematology and Chemotherapy is part of the strategy for forming the "City of Health" medical cluster: the cluster is planned to feature unified patient records, analysis of diagnostic timelines and treatment outcomes, and telemedicine cooperation with regional and federal clinics.[8]

In March 2026, Sergey Gamayunov — chief oncology specialist at the regional Ministry of Health and Doctor of Medical Sciences — was appointed chief physician of the hospital; his predecessor Sergey Bogdanov was transferred to the position of chief physician of City Clinical Hospital No. 5 in Nizhny Novgorod. In March 2019, a fire broke out in the hospital's gynecology ward: an unused elevator shaft covering 10 square meters was burned, 115 people were evacuated from the building, there were no fatalities or injuries, and 75 staff members of the regional Emergency Management Ministry along with 22 pieces of equipment were deployed to deal with the aftermath.[3][2][4][1]

Sources

  1. Vremya N — In September 2026, the Center for Hematology and Chemotherapy opened at the NOKB named after N.A. Semashko, combining diagnostics, outpatient, and inpatient care,
  1. Vremya N — In September 2026, NOKB named after N.A. Semashko performed neurosurgical operations for decompression of the vertebral arteries for the first time in Nizhny Novgorod, in patients
  1. Otkrytyy Nizhny — In the 2020s, the hospital's neurosurgeons mastered operations for Kimmerle anomaly — a congenital or acquired condition in which bony structures compress the
  1. GTRK "Nizhny Novgorod" (Vesti) — In 2026, the hospital's neurosurgeons performed 4 operations for the first time in the region to decompress the vertebral arteries in cases of Kimmerle anomaly — a pathological bony bridge
  1. KP — Nizhny Novgorod — GBUZ NO "NOKBim. N.A. Semashko" — The Nizhny Novgorod Regional Clinical Hospital named after N.A. Semashko traces its history back to 1825; in September 2025, the institution celebrated its 200th anniversary… (archive)
  2. Kommersant (Volga Region) — Sergey Gamayunov to head the Nizhny Novgorod regional hospital replacing Sergey Bogdanov — In March 2026, Sergey Gamayunov — chief oncology specialist — was appointed head physician of the hospital… (archive)
  3. kulebaki.ru — local history — In March 2019, a fire broke out in the hospital's gynecology ward: an unused elevator shaft was scorched over an area of 10 square meters. From the building (archive)
  4. NIA "Nizhny Novgorod" — Development of the Semashko Hospital discussed at the "City of Health" conference — Nizhny Novgorod News — The hospital serves as a clinical base for the departments of the Volga Research… (archive)
Materials from articles used (3)

Obukhov Oleg Aleksandrovich, Rashidov Abdurakhman Zapirovich, Romanov Sergey Vladimirovich