In the nineteenth century, Russia not only gained numerous outstanding writers and poets but also made significant strides in the field of science. Among such scholars was Ilya Ilyich Mechnikov, a Russian immunologist and microbiologist, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in the early 20th century for his achievements in physiology and medicine.

Ilya Ilyich was born on May 15, 1845, in a small village in the Kharkov province. Despite this, he received an excellent education and became an outstanding scientist in the field of physiology and medicine. By the age of 20, he made his first discoveries, including new groups of invertebrates and the phenomenon of intracellular digestion. Mechnikov worked extensively both in Russia and abroad. With the support of Pirogov, he visited Germany, where he made one of his discoveries. Just three years after graduating from Kharkov University, he defended his master's thesis in the capital, first becoming an associate professor at Novorossiysk University and then a privat-docent at St. Petersburg University.

After the death of his first wife from tuberculosis, Mechnikov focused on combating this disease and achieved significant success. He worked in several scientific fields simultaneously, including microbiology, immunology, gerontology, pathology, and embryology. Mechnikov frequently participated in various conferences and congresses. In 1882, he discovered the phenomenon of phagocytosis and presented his results at the 7th scientific congress.

In 1887, Ilya Ilyich moved to Paris, where he continued studying infectious diseases such as cholera, typhus, and tuberculosis. In 1908, his achievements were recognized with the Nobel Prize. In 1911, he led an expedition to the epicenter of a plague epidemic in Russia. Despite the dangers, Mechnikov remained unharmed and lived for several more years, passing away on July 15, 1916. He was buried on the grounds of the Pasteur Institute, to which he bequeathed his body for scientific research and further burial.