November 2019 – Journal of a Young Doctor

I had the amazing opportunity to spend three months in Italy, where it is difficult to stay away from art.

The facades of the buildings are decorated with beautiful bas-reliefs, the heart of the unremarkable church looks like it keeps frescoes from the 9th century, and how breathtaking it is when you see the works of Caravaggio in the Church of San Luigi dei Francesi, a few turns and here you are standing in a stream of light that illuminates you through the perfect circle of the Pantheon ceiling. There is something divine about this light.

What do you experience when you find yourself in front of paintings that have lived through more than one century, which have called for the best spiritual qualities of so many generations, which are recognized by the world.

Now I am talking about the collection of the Vatican Museums. Works by Raphael and Michelangelo. “The Athens School” and the ceiling of the Sistina Chapel. Those works that I remember most of all.

How is it possible to create something so beautiful? As a physically weak and fragile person, able to give such a form to the idea, the inner plan, to impose layers of paint, to put the spirit into the image.

These paintings are known all over the world, but can touch the soul of each individual person.

Someone will see them as masterfully depicted people and appreciate the taste in the choice of color and light, someone will want to find a self-portrait of the artist, someone will just freeze in admiration and will not be able to say even a word.

Perhaps art should be like this.

Art, like everything else in this world, is developing. I don’t know if it’s possible to create something like this now.

But these works are for centuries. What was, is, and I hope it will be. And let people touch this category of beauty, let the light turn on in their souls, and they will leave a little bit differently.

As for me, I will definitely not be the same. Art is necessary for this world – as a mirror, as a healer, as a light.

Tatiana Vasilyevykh

Blood donations

A Jehovah’s Witnesses family come to visit their 14th years old son who has been 4 days in the hospital. He requires an urgent blood donation that will save his life, but his parents don’t allow it. What would you do?

If a colleague proposes to lie to the parents telling that there is an alternative treatment. This would consist in a photoreactive drug that can help him. But instead of giving him that medicine he hides the blood bag in an opaque recipient and finally makes the transfusions saving his life, would you allow it? Is it appropriate?

Now imagine that this is an emergency and you are in the ambulance. There is unconscious patient that accidentally you discover that is a Jehovah’s Witnesses. He has lost a lot of blood and maybe a blood transfusion could help to have a quicker recovery. Would you keep the secret?

On which side will you be?