Vladimir I. Nozdrin (1947–2024) and his contribution to Russian histology

This article honors Professor Vladimir I. Nozdrin (1947–2024) and his significant contribution to Russian histology. Nozdrin was born on January 27, 1947, in the village of Olovyannikovo (now the village of Kalinino, Stanovo-Kolodez Rural Settlement) of the Oryol District, Oryol Region. After graduating from the Oryol Medical College (1965), he entered the I.M. Sechenov First Moscow Medical Institute, from which he graduated in 1971. Following graduation, Nozdrin worked at various universities and research institutes in Moscow. Later, he founded the Department of Histology, Cytology, and Embryology at the Medical Institute of Oryol University, serving as its head from 1999 to 2020. Under his supervision, the department became one of the leading histology departments. From 1991 to 2016, Nozdrin also headed the pharmaceutical enterprise Retinoids JSC, which repeatedly received the Leader of the Russian Economy award. His primary research area was skin histophysiology. He investigated embryonic and postnatal morphogenesis of skin structures and their derivatives, establishing the patterns of their age-related transformations. Nozdrin investigated adaptive and reactive transformations of skin structures induced by various pharmaceuticals, as well as the biological properties of retinoids, their role in the body, and their potential for optimizing reparative histogenesis in the skin. Nozdrin devoted considerable attention to teaching histology. Together with co-authors, he prepared a series of textbooks and manuals on histology, cytology, and embryology, which were highly praised by both students and faculty. Nozdrin successfully worked on preserving the historical memory of prominent Russian and Soviet histologists, such as Babukhin, Eliseev, and Afanasyev. Of particular note is his work in organizing scientific conferences, including the Babukhin Readings in Oryol (10 conferences between 2002 and 2017), the 8th Congress of the International Association of Morphologists (2006), and several others. These events brought together leading morphologists from Russia and the CIS, as well as young researchers for whom such prestigious conferences became an invaluable professional experience. Professor Nozdrin made a significant contribution to the progress of cell biology, tissue biology, and embryology.