On January 10, 1876, a shocking incident occurred in the village of Vyazemka in the Penza province: a wolf ran out of the forest and bit 37 people. As a result, 20 of them died from rabies, as there was no vaccine for this disease at that time. Ten years later, a similar event happened in the Smolensk region. Doctors believed the peasants were doomed, but local official Pyotr Grablenev, aware of Louis Pasteur's successes, contacted the scientist to ask for help. Pasteur responded, and part of the funds for the peasants' stay in France was allocated by Alexander III.

On March 1, 1886, the peasants arrived in Paris. Since they did not speak French, they were accompanied by virologist Nikolai Gamaleya. The Smolensk peasants became some of the first in the world to successfully undergo vaccination against rabies. Out of 19 people, 16 survived. Thanks to this, Pasteur discovered that more intensive vaccination courses are required in severe cases. The vaccine had just been developed, and Pasteur and Gamaleya had many questions, but it was a significant scientific breakthrough.

The Smolensk peasants spent a month in Paris, becoming local celebrities thanks to press coverage. They were visited by compatriots living in France, who showed them the city and even managed to get rye bread and pickles when the peasants missed them. Upon returning to Russia in April, they were often asked, 'Did Pasteur treat you well?' To which they invariably replied, 'Well! What a kind man, may God grant him health!'