"Friend of children" and grandmasters.

A monument to Dr. Nil Fyodorovich Filatov has been erected in Moscow at Devichye Pole with the inscription "Friend of children." This inscription is original and absolutely true!

The future professor of medicine was born into the family of a retired captain and a housewife. After graduating from gymnasium, Filatov enrolled in the medical faculty of Moscow University. After completing his studies, Nil Fyodorovich worked for some time as a zemstvo doctor in Saransk. There, he gained significant fame and could have continued his career as a provincial medical luminary. However, he decided to take the exams for the title of Doctor of Medicine and continued his education in Germany.

Since 1875, Filatov worked at the Moscow Children's Hospital on Bronnaya Street. During this time, he published more than 30 scientific works on pediatric medicine, and in 1891 he headed the clinic at Devichye Pole.

Legends circulated about Filatov's selflessness. Once, he was invited to a sick child from a poor family. It turned out that besides treatment, the child needed good nutrition, but the family had no means. So, Filatov would stop by the market every day before work, buy a chicken, and bring it to the sick child.

But that's not all. Once, at the Prokhorov family, the professor met a 13-year-old gymnasium student, Alyosha, who was passionate about chess, and often played with him. However, he never managed to defeat his young opponent. The reason is simple: the young chess player's last name was Alekhine, and he later became the world chess champion.

The doctor passed away in 1902, and his name was later given to several children's clinics in different cities. Such was the chief pediatrician of the Russian Empire.