82 years ago, in January 1944, Soviet troops liberated Leningrad. The siege, which had lasted 872 days, came to an end. The city's residents proved that even in inhuman conditions, it is possible to remain human, to work, and to achieve outstanding results. The documentary film "Stories of Defiance: Inventions in Besieged Leningrad" tells the story of "Petrov's Fluid"—a blood-substituting solution invented in blockaded Leningrad that saved thousands of lives.
The besieged city not only survived but also contributed to the victory. During the war, between 300 and 3,000 people came to the Leningrad Institute of Blood Transfusion daily. However, during air raids and bombings, people could not reach the transfusion station. At such times, the institute's staff of 150 people became donors themselves to ensure an uninterrupted supply of donor blood to the front. But blood was catastrophically scarce.
It was then that Leningrad scientist Akim Petrov invented a composition containing only 10% real blood and 90% various salts: sodium, calcium, potassium, as well as soda and distilled water. This solution could be used to provide aid to the wounded. A little later, the preparation became available in tablet form. One such tablet needed to be dissolved in 100 milliliters of water. This solution, like the tablets, was named “Petrov's Fluid.” Ampoules of the medicine became a symbol of scientific achievement, a reminder that science can work wonders.
As T.V. Gaponova recounts, the solution's effectiveness was tested in experiments on dogs. A portion of blood was taken from the animals, after which the blood loss was compensated with Petrov's Fluid in the ratio specified in the instructions. The animals recovered and felt well. These experiments proved that the fluid was indeed effective and could be used to treat the wounded.
During the years of the Great Patriotic War, over 3,500 infusions of Petrov's Fluid were administered to soldiers. This invention was a triumph of science and the human spirit, an unprecedented feat in history.
