The life and legacy of Yakov Lvovich Rapoport: the great pathologist and his contribution to medicine

2023 marks the 125th anniversary of the birth of Yakov Lvovich Rapoport, an outstanding Soviet pathologist, and professor who made a significant contribution to the development of medical science and left an important mark on literature and history with his frank memoirs about the “Doctors’ Plot” of 1953. The authors analyze the works of Ya.L. Rapoport, who devoted to the study of immunopathological processes in the human body, pathomorphosis, and two cardiomyopathies. The contribution of Ya.L. Rapoport to the development of new methods for diagnosing various diseases and the creation of advanced approaches to the study of pathological processes are described. Separately, the article describes the turning points in the scientist’s life. The early years of Ya.L. Rapoport’s life are interesting because of the choice between a creative career and medicine. In addition, his participation in the Great Patriotic War left a significant imprint on his life and career.