The pride of the Kazan school of microbiology is Professor Rudolf Robertovich Geltzer and his students (on the 130th anniversary)

The article was prepared for the 130th anniversary of the Head of the Department of Microbiology of Kazan State Medical University, Professor Rudolf Robertovich Geltzer. The milestones of R.R. Geltzer’s biography, and highlights the historical aspects of the formation of the Kazan school of microbiologists, which he represented are shown. The paper was prepared using primary sources — scientific articles and monographs published in the period of his activity, memories of colleagues from the Stavropol State Medical University, archival materials of the Department of Microbiology named after V.M. Aristovsky of Kazan State Medical University, as well as the ­National Archives of the Republic of Tatarstan. The main scientific achievements of R.R. Geltzer and his scientific contribution to the development of microbiology as one of the founders of the teaching of spirochetosis are described. The description of experimental studies on the development of culture medium for the isolation of Treponema pallidum, the search methods for diagnosing syphilis and other aspects of the scientific activity of R.R. Geltzer and his students is presented.