Nikolay Ivanovich Pirogov (1810-1881) and Bernhard von Langenbeck (1810-1887): similarities on the anniversary of their 200th birthdays.

The year 2010 marked the 200th anniversary of the birth of two great surgeons, the German Bernard von Langebeck and the Russian Nikolay Ivanovich Pirogov. The anniversary was celebrated throughout the world and in Russia where the year 2010 was declared 'The Year of Pirogov'. However, in England the work of these men is not well known and is little appreciated. Both men were born in the same month of the same year in different countries with different cultures. Despite the contrasts, the similarities between their lives are striking. This paper explores the parallels between their lives and their contributions to the field of surgery. The work of both men prepared the ground for the work of Joseph Lister (1827-1912) in Glasgow (1867) and the development of antiseptic techniques.